3rd year DO student

[lion2013]

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I'm a 3rd year DO student with an okay COMLEX and a good (230-250) USMLE Step I. My school requires half of us to do electives/selectives for the first half of the year and then our core rotations in the second half. I think I like gas so I'm going to schedule a rotation. I plan on applying to the MD match only and wasn't sure of a few things and hope someone can make things a bit more clearer.
1. Would doing a gas rotation at a non-gas residency hospital not look as favorable in terms of getting an LOR?
3. Is research (with or without publications) an absolute must?
4. How important is class rank (mine sucks mucho)?
5. Is there any point in releasing my COMLEX score to MD programs?

Thanks!

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

I'm a 3rd year DO student with an okay COMLEX and a good (230-250) USMLE Step I. My school requires half of us to do electives/selectives for the first half of the year and then our core rotations in the second half. I think I like gas so I'm going to schedule a rotation. I plan on applying to the MD match only and wasn't sure of a few things and hope someone can make things a bit more clearer.
1. Would doing a gas rotation at a non-gas residency hospital not look as favorable in terms of getting an LOR?
3. Is research (with or without publications) an absolute must?
4. How important is class rank (mine sucks mucho)?
5. Is there any point in releasing my COMLEX score to MD programs?

Thanks!

1. It should be fine, quality depends more than anything else.
2. No.
3. Not very.
4. It won't matter, they'll only look at USMLE. COMLEX just to see if you passed.

 

[MRa2z]

1. shouldn't be a problem
2. nope.
3. not much.
4. i wouldn't bother. save the 300 bucks and spend that on applying more broadly. PD's want usmle's to compare you. if a specific program wants to know your score , you can tell them at the interview.

 

[scudrunner]

1. shouldn't be a problem
2. nope.
3. not much.
4. i wouldn't bother. save the 300 bucks and spend that on applying more broadly. PD's want usmle's to compare you. if a specific program wants to know your score , you can tell them at the interview.

It costs $300 to release your COMLEX score?

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

It costs $300 to release your COMLEX score?

Nope.

 

[amyl]

1. no
3. no
4. i beg to differ w my colleagues here... it matters, esp depending on how sucky. you made up for it w good usmles... seems kinda weird depending on how sucky tho... how do you do really well on the boards but not in your classes... i kinda dont get it -- if at all it usually goes the other way 'cause someone stinks at tests. i would have an answer ready if you are asked about it at interviews... i know if i was the resident interviewing you i would probably ask.
5. not until they ask.... which believe it or not some did. my comlex one was lower than usmle. i was asked why... i knew i was going md and used the comlex as my pretest before studying and i didn't look at the opp stuff -- cause i thought the usmle was where it was at. all excepted that no problem. actually the program where i matched asked me the most about my lower comlex than any other place did.

 

[Idiopathic]

4. How important is class rank (mine sucks mucho)?

it matters, its weighed just like board scores are weighed, community service, papers, etc. some people think its more important since it demonstrates a body of work rather than one day of testing, others say its not nearly as important.

to say it doesnt matter is kinda silly.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

it matters, its weighed just like board scores are weighed, community service, papers, etc. some people think its more important since it demonstrates a body of work rather than one day of testing, others say its not nearly as important.

to say it doesnt matter is kinda silly.

Class rank matters, but in the scheme of things, not as much (was my point). Especially if this guy has a Step score in the 230-250 range. Plus, he's a DO student... there's that OMM factor, not everyone is great at it...