Question on TY/prelim years and medicine Sub-I importance

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Transformers

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Hey guys,

Had a few quick questions about transitional year/prelim year and would totally appreciate your advice.

1.) How many TYs and prelims do you recommend applying to? Also, although I have reviewed the forums, is there a relative ranking of difficulty matching into a TY (though they are all equally super difficult)? Like probably every applicant, warm weather and cush hours are my top preference (Cali, Texas, or the South East). Then, it is probably location- Chicago, Boston, NY - where my friends are and don't mind working extra hard just to be in a big city.

Stats: Straight HPs 3rd year, 255 step 1, top 15 med school, solid EC involvement, 15+pubs and conferences with 2 dedicated research years (before and middle of med school), and should have 3 derm, 1 medicine (research year where I had some clinic time/research) letters.

2.) Medicine Sub-I:
I have been getting different feedback about whether/when/if to do the medicine sub-I. My focus is carved on derm electives (with break weeks) from June-October 2015. I was planning on doing the medicine sub-I in November. I could fit the medicine sub-I earlier in between derm rotations but I really don't want to (want the breaks, would interrupt the flow of my schedule, long hours, etc...)

a.) Do I really need to do the medicine sub-I (say vs. any other sub-I)?
b.) When should the medicine sub-I be completed in time for applications?
c.) How important would the medicine sub-I be in the application for a TY/prelim?
d.) If important, what should I be seeking from the medicine sub-I...honors is guaranteed if you do the work so hopefully that could offset the HP from 3rd year. As far as letters, I've also been told to get a solid inpatient medicine letter (which I don't have), particularly from the medicine sub-I that I rotate at. But at the same time, I am maxed at letters (above) and I should have a decent letter from a my research mentor with some outpatient clinic emphasis.

3.) What criteria do TYs/prelims base their interview/acceptance besides stats (geography to residency program? hometown? etc...)...or is it sort of a crapshoot?

Thanks!!

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A medicine sub-i should not affect the number of prelim/ty interviews you get.

I matched at a top prelim/ty program in Chicago. My observations are:
1) Your interview depends on scores, grades, school
2) Your acceptance is based on your likability, school (if your school is less "liked" in a certain region then I'd supplement with a phone call and/or updated 4th year grades)- I sent in my current 4th year grades (all honors in surg and med sub-i's as well as 2 electives)

The difficulty of acceptance into programs in every region is something like this .

Tier 1a
a) Academically affiliated programs that are "cush" (i.e. MSKCC, Mt. Auburn-Harvard, Cambridge Health-Harvard, University of Chicago at Northshore etc )
b) Super cush programs (Resurrection, Mercy Stl, Aurora St. Lukes, Intermountain Health etc)

Tier 1b
Academic pre-lims med programs (Northwestern, Wash U, Brown, BIDMC)-

Tier 2
cush TYs (many community hospitals)

Tier 3
prelim-med programs (many community hospitals)
 
A medicine sub-i should not affect the number of prelim/ty interviews you get.

I matched at a top prelim/ty program in Chicago. My observations are:
1) Your interview depends on scores, grades, school
2) Your acceptance is based on your likability, school (if your school is less "liked" in a certain region then I'd supplement with a phone call and/or updated 4th year grades)- I sent in my current 4th year grades (all honors in surg and med sub-i's as well as 2 electives)

The difficulty of acceptance into programs in every region is something like this .

Tier 1a
a) Academically affiliated programs that are "cush" (i.e. MSKCC, Mt. Auburn-Harvard, Cambridge Health-Harvard, University of Chicago at Northshore etc )
b) Super cush programs (Resurrection, Mercy Stl, Aurora St. Lukes, Intermountain Health etc)

Tier 1b
Academic pre-lims med programs (Northwestern, Wash U, Brown, BIDMC)-

Tier 2
cush TYs (many community hospitals)

Tier 3
prelim-med programs (many community hospitals)

Gotcha, from a stats perspective, where do you think I potentially stand at (tier-wise for a TY)?...grades-wise, I guess the best I can do is do a medicine sub-I (and honor it) before November to put myself in a good position.

Thanks.
 
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