zealous said:
Ectopicfetus,
I'm i the same boat as you. An MSIII with a cruddy 221. I already feel like I can't do surgery at all given my score and basically no extracurriculars, research. Can anyone give me advice???
First, don't post a score of 221 and call it cruddy. There may be people that read this group that did worse than you and you might be insulting them by doing that. Sorry, i usually don't complain or try to "parent", but just be careful about how you phrase things (especially in public forums)
Second, take a deep breath and relax. Step back and realize that you did well on step 1, you have a score that you can be proud of. Sure, it isn't the best score possible, but you took an exam that takes about 8 hours to complete and then did well on it. Both of those are significant accomplishments.
Third, by all means you can do surgery. No matter what your step 1 score was (even if just one point above passing), if surgery is your passion, you will get into a residency. Now, i can't speak for other residencies (i.e. medicine or the like) but as a surgical resident, i can say that we tend to care more about who you are than how well you can take a test. We understand that not everyone wants to do research and more importantly, unless you are really committed to a research project, just how much do you think you could accomplish in a lab while in medical school? Sure, some do a tremendous amount and research can look good on an application, but it isn't a make or break you type thing. As far as extracurriculars go, after going through the interview process, most wanted to see you get involved in something. This doesn't have to be necessarily school related. Furthermore, it isn't too late to do something, so don't fret just yet!
When i was a third year student, i too was worried about the possibility of matching. I thought that my scores weren't good enough. I knew that my first two years were pretty good and i was proud of how well i did. I worked hard my third year and did even better. I wanted to make up for what i too considered to be a bad board score. When it came time to apply, i got my fair share of interviews - sure, there were some rejections, but who doesn't get rejected? Furthermore, i even cancelled several interviews because there comes a point when you get sick and tired of travelling and interviewing. After constant worrying for two years about whether or not i would match, turns out i had nothing to worry about. Nor will you. I guess what i am trying to say is please, don't worry that much about it. Just be confident and have fun. Don't despair this early - i mean, you still have to get through third year and you should be trying to enjoy it. trust me. Some of the interviewers don't even care about what is on your resume. case in point, one of my favorite interviews lasted nearly an hour - all we really discussed was beer and hip-hop music. Sure, we got the formalities out of the way, but after that, we just simply talked. You will hear this again, but in surgery, we have to spend 5 years with our fellow residents. Often times, i spend more time with them than with my own wife. You can be certain that how well we (being the residency program) get along with you is an important factor when deciding who to take for a residency spot.
For all the rest that will be interviewing soon (or, perhaps already) - have fun. this is a great time. keep in mind that no one else will speak up on your behalf (besides your LORs) so blow your own horn at times. Be confident and be proud. Hell, you made it through med school!
