My chances?

Hi, I have recently been turned onto surgery. However, I have a pretty bad medical school academic record. I'm near the bottom of my class and my Step 1 score is below 210. So what are my chances overall? How about for matching in cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Wash DC, Seattle, Houston, etc.?

redox said:

hi, i have recently been turned onto surgery. However, i have a pretty bad medical school academic record. I'm near the bottom of my class and my step 1 score is below 210. So what are my chances overall? How about for matching in cities like atlanta, chicago, wash dc, seattle, houston, etc.?

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63.472%

Its a random process. I don't think its just the boards, I think they look at the whole package. I actually scored over 230 and have a better ranking then yours, and I only got 3 interviews so far. And even though I applied to programs from all the cities you listed, I didn't get an interview from any of them yet.

Good luck

ReDox said:

...turned onto surgery. However, I have a pretty bad medical school academic record. I'm near the bottom of my class and my Step 1 score is below 210. So what are my chances overall? ...

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Did you even do a rudimentary search to realize what has been posted and that we can NOT tell you your chances...

Winged Scapula said:

If you'll read this: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=500004 you'll see that we don't generally answer the unanswerable, ie, WAMC threads.

No one can tell you what your chances are. You do have some strikes against you:

...All you can do is to research the programs, see which ones have accepted others with your stats and apply widely.

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Please do your homework. That would be your best bet. Your inability to read the threads at the top of the forum:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=500004
Or the threads further down:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602208

All suggest you may have great difficulties. The arrive on the scene with mouth open awaiting the great spoon approach boads very poorly for your chances. Thus based on your demonstrated skills here, your posted "bad medical school academic record" and low USMLE, my OPINION is less then 20% chance. So, how does that even help you?!?!? Seriously, think about what is even your point with creating this thread.....

get a medical school advisor/counselor and some mentors at your program. show initiative and competence with Google.

SLUser11 said:

63.472%

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Generous.

JAD

Wow. That was harsh!

I actually understand where ReDox is coming from. He is interested in surgery, didn't do well on step 1, and wants moral support and hope from people who went through the process.

And yeah, he / she can do a google search, but seriously, I think getting residency interviews from different specialities change year by year. I know people, actually relatives, with lower step scores who got interviews from most of the program they applied to. Which in my opinion is because they came from a more reputable medical school (I hate this prestige aspect of the application process). Plus the average and SD was different back then. I think the average was 213 10 years ago, now it something like 221. Plus surgery is getting more competitive for some reason!

Anyways, the best advice I can give you, is pretty much the best advice that I was given. Never give up your dream, but always have a backup plan. Apply broadly, and don't be limited to top tier programs.

Good luck!

It isn't very helpful to compare yourself to relatives or anyone else who applied to surgery years ago:

1) the average USMLE score (as you note) was lower
2) GS was much less popular around the turn of the century
3) there were many fewer applications

Therefore there is no way to compare yourself to the applicant from 1 year ago, let alone 10 years ago. Each year the applicant pool changes and while you might have a fighting chance 1 year, it may not be the case the next.

ReDox said:

Hi, I have recently been turned onto surgery. However, I have a pretty bad medical school academic record. I'm near the bottom of my class and my Step 1 score is below 210. So what are my chances overall? How about for matching in cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Wash DC, Seattle, Houston, etc.?

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Well my friend, sounds like you need to turn right back.

ReDox

You might be REDUCED and OXIDIZED on this thread but guess what? I don't think any answer from this thread will really change what you really want to do with your future. Which comes back to the question of ... what is really important for you to create this thread? Yes and No. As a 4th yr applying for Gen surg, there were times before application when I would've really liked to grab a surgery resident and be like ... these are my stats. Do you think I'll match either at my "top program" or at all? Well, I didn't come to this forum with such questions b/c ... well I'm not like that. BUT I won't even fault someone else for doing it, provided you were just seeking for some support as Shangal puts it and not really wanting to know your exact "chances" per se.

As JAD earlier stated, meet and talk to your school counselor. Believe in yourself, work hard and come across to the attendings that you'll work with as someone totally interested in Surgery. They can usually guage how hard working you are and they'll be writing you LORs which will count towards your application. Don't give up but then be realistic. Given that I don't know how strong an application you'll have, a step 1 <210 doesn't automatically disqualifies you! Also, you were specific about matching in some big cities. You NEED to start erasing that mentality given your academic record. You SHOULD be ready to match ANYWHERE if this's really what you want b/c guess what? Many applicants desire those cities and if you're not very competitive, be ready to take a spot anywhere, if it comes your way, and work from there on.

Good luck and don't give up.

-Gentle-

Shangal said:

Its a random process. I don't think its just the boards, I think they look at the whole package. I actually scored over 230 and have a better ranking then yours, and I only got 3 interviews so far. And even though I applied to programs from all the cities you listed, I didn't get an interview from any of them yet.

Good luck

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Don't worry dude. It is still really early. The PD at the place I did my away flat out told me he doesn't look at the application until the Dean's Letter goes out, of the 15 places I applied to (and I look better than I should on paper) I have gotten 3 interviews (not even from my home program which loves to keep their own students just cause they haven't started to offer interviews yet). Just keep checking each day though... it nerve racking