Osteopathic student with 651 COMLEX step 1 score- residency programs

[rottiemoose]

I'm currently a 4th year student at an osteopathic medical school who just recently discovered that emergency medicine is the ideal field for me. I just took COMLEX step 2 (score has yet to be released) and I haven't taken USMLE step 1 or step 2. However, I scored a 651 on COMLEX step 1. With a step 1 score this competitive, I'm not exactly sure how I should proceed. With the average COMLEX step 1 score of students accepted to an EM residency program being around 520 or so, I feel that my 651 will almost guarantee me a handful of interviews at top-rated osteopathic EM programs. With that being said, my questions are: 1) what osteopathic EM residency programs should I seriously consider doing an audition rotation with, 2) despite not taking any of the USMLEs, do I have a good chance of being accepted to an allopathic EM residency program? Thanks in advance.

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[Makati2008]

I'm currently a 4th year student at an osteopathic medical school who just recently discovered that emergency medicine is the ideal field for me. I just took COMLEX step 2 (score has yet to be released) and I haven't taken USMLE step 1 or step 2. However, I scored a 651 on COMLEX step 1. With a step 1 score this competitive, I'm not exactly sure how I should proceed. With the average COMLEX step 1 score of students accepted to an EM residency program being around 520 or so, I feel that my 651 will almost guarantee me a handful of interviews at top-rated osteopathic EM programs. With that being said, my questions are: 1) what osteopathic EM residency programs should I seriously consider doing an audition rotation with, 2) despite not taking any of the USMLEs, do I have a good chance of being accepted to an allopathic EM residency program? Thanks in advance.

1.) that's totally up to you as far as audition rotation but beware certain residencies won't even rank/interview you without a rotation(Oklahoma programs/Joplin).

2.)Very hard to match allopathic with only a comlex. Take Step 2 (USMLE) if you can do well on it. Do you have allopathic EM auditions because you will need SLOEs to stand a chance.

Why so late on deciding to apply EM?

 

[josephmedman]

Went unmatched with similar score on level 1 and 2 both. PM me and I'll tell you exact scores and 3 auditions. Honored 1/3 and sloe was upper 1/3 for other 2. I only ranked "top" programs since I got interviews at all the places I applied. Very stupid on my part. Hind sight being 20/20, if you're over 550, no score above that matters apparantly even at the top programs (St. joes, einstein, NBI) at least in North east. Apply broadly. AOA world is not as objective as acgme world. Ranking is a lot of nepotism and emotional. Thst being said, if you take step 2 and break 245, you will get a few acgme interviews but with no usmle at all, you won't get a single interview even if you break 700, at least on the north east.

 

[Makati2008]

Went unmatched with similar score on level 1 and 2 both. PM me and I'll tell you exact scores and 3 auditions. Honored 1/3 and sloe was upper 1/3 for other 2. I only ranked "top" programs since I got interviews at all the places I applied. Very stupid on my part. Hind sight being 20/20, if you're over 550, no score above that matters apparantly even at the top programs (St. joes, einstein, NBI) at least in North east. Apply broadly. AOA world is not as objective as acgme world. Ranking is a lot of nepotism and emotional. Thst being said, if you take step 2 and break 245, you will get a few acgme interviews but with no usmle at all, you won't get a single interview even if you break 700, at least on the north east.

Well I can say that you will get some invites in the Northeast with a comlex only(I got two Michigan programs, some in Florida, GA, OH, PA and Texas with Comlex only).

I matched ACGME with comlex only but it is becoming more uncommon to do so these days. Also my situation is a tad different

I did not break 700 on level 1/2.

 

[josephmedman]

Wow, you must have had some killer SLOR's, this is the first time I'm hearing this from last years match at least with regards to NY/NJ area for ACGME programs. Congrats! ACGME is the way to go especially with more stringent requirements. I did see however this past match, that if you were an EMT/paramedic in the past, the threshold for scores/USMLE was much lower. I'm certainly going to be much less picky this match season. I learned that there is nothing that is statistically impossible and in the DO world, rotation certainly trumps scores. I didn't believe it when people told me sue to my familiarity with the ACGME match process, but I soon realized it to be true. My advice, rotate at at least one solid DO EM program regardless of your COMLEX level 2 result.

 

[WTEngel]

Congrats! ACGME is the way to go especially with more stringent requirements. I did see however this past match, that if you were an EMT/paramedic in the past, the threshold for scores/USMLE was much lower.

I was lurking and saw this line in your reply. Are you sayng that applicants with previous experience as an EMT or paramedic could balance out a lower than average board score due to having that previous experience prior to med school?

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't misnderstanding your point.

I was a paramedic for 13 years before going to medical school, and spent 5 years as a critical care flight paramedic during those 13. Does this experience, even though I gained it before medical school, play any significant role in setting me apart from other applicants? I'm always cautious about describing my experience to faculty or other students, because I don't want to be seen "that guy" who thinks he knows everything because he worked as a medic before school (I'm totally not that guy, I know being a medic and producing in medical school are completely different...)

I'm starting second year right now, so I'm still a little ways from actually matching, but I'm certain EM is for me, and enjoy following these threads to get an idea of what I'm looking at in the next few years...any input you have is greatly appreciated...

 

[racerwad]

I was lurking and saw this line in your reply. Are you sayng that applicants with previous experience as an EMT or paramedic could balance out a lower than average board score due to having that previous experience prior to med school?

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't misnderstanding your point.

I was a paramedic for 13 years before going to medical school, and spent 5 years as a critical care flight paramedic during those 13. Does this experience, even though I gained it before medical school, play any significant role in setting me apart from other applicants? I'm always cautious about describing my experience to faculty or other students, because I don't want to be seen "that guy" who thinks he knows everything because he worked as a medic before school (I'm totally not that guy, I know being a medic and producing in medical school are completely different...)

I'm starting second year right now, so I'm still a little ways from actually matching, but I'm certain EM is for me, and enjoy following these threads to get an idea of what I'm looking at in the next few years...any input you have is greatly appreciated...

I've been a medic since '04 and, like you, it has greatly informed my perspective through med school. I think if you keep the attitude you have, it will only serve to help you. Prior experience doesn't make up for poor grades/boards, but it does give you opportunities to put your best foot forward. In my experience, when programs found out about my life before med school (they always were the ones to bring it up), I chose to spin my experience as something that puts my lack of knowledge and willingness to learn into context. I think the strengths it gives you is obvious - you've run countless more codes than most senior residents in conditions that are hard for them to imagine. This gives you stress inoculation that few people have, but it doesn't really help for the majority of EM. The technical skills are easy; the foundation behind the decision making process is more difficult and if you can communicate that you understand the difference, it will go a long way.

Of course, this is only true if you really do understand the difference between the two

 

[WTEngel]

I've been a medic since '04 and, like you, it has greatly informed my perspective through med school. I think if you keep the attitude you have, it will only serve to help you. Prior experience doesn't make up for poor grades/boards, but it does give you opportunities to put your best foot forward. In my experience, when programs found out about my life before med school (they always were the ones to bring it up), I chose to spin my experience as something that puts my lack of knowledge and willingness to learn into context. I think the strengths it gives you is obvious - you've run countless more codes than most senior residents in conditions that are hard for them to imagine. This gives you stress inoculation that few people have, but it doesn't really help for the majority of EM. The technical skills are easy; the foundation behind the decision making process is more difficult and if you can communicate that you understand the difference, it will go a long way.

Of course, this is only true if you really do understand the difference between the two

Thanks for the reply! I really appreciate the input.