225 Step 1 and California?

[qwerty89]

Is there any hope left? I just got my score back and am feeling very depressed.

Even if I get 240+ on step 2 and say half honors or better on rotations is there a solid chance at coming home? (i.e. 4-5 interviews in CA)

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[Bradstein]

yes

 

[meister]

It's a good time to be a radiology applicant. If you do well during third year (honoring rotations such as medicine and/or surgery), and improve your score on step 2, you could definitely grab a few interviews at California residencies. I wouldn't bank on UCSF but there are a lot of programs here that will train you well.

 

[qwerty89]

Thanks for the responses. I've gotten over the post-exam depression (although seeing the Step 1 forum still makes me cringe) and I know I just gotta put that extra motivation towards my shelf exams and rotations.


And get some rads research going.

 

[qwerty89]

Update: Well I guess I just suck. Pass in Peds and IM (school is P/HP/H). Probably in Surgery as well.

Since going back home to California for residency and as an attending is priority #1, would it be wise to drop Radiology? I am torn between IM and Radiology (psych as distant 3rd). I know I can get into community IM programs back home but Rads is only a distant possibility at this time.

I will be talking to the Rads director here soon but in the meantime what do you guys think? I would rather put my focus (and 4th yr scheduling) in the right direction earlier rather than later.

 

[TheTwits]

There's one thing that can boost your application the most - RESEARCH - and lots of it! If you really want the best shot at staying at one of your home-state institutions, you could take a year off and do extra research. No doubt there are people out there with 225's interviewing at the same places as people with 250's/60's/70's, because they pubbed many times. I know a guy who was in the lower 230's who took a year off to do research at a competitive place and matched there when everyone else that matched there was much stronger on paper.

To get the most out of this year, you shouldn't just take one project and finish that out. You should have a few things going - case reports/series on the side, another project you can data-mine on, etc. Try to pub a few times. Start some stuff now as well.

There's a chance you just might get some Cali-love from already being there, but this is another option. Whatever you decide, best of luck.