5 year track advice

[MightyShell]

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Hello, during OMS1 I averaged 70-75s for most of my exams. However I failed the last block exam for a major course and the retest for that exam due to some personal issues. I met with our schools academic committee which allowed me to remediate with the exception that I would have to spread my 2nd year over two years - no exceptions. I assume this is because they thought I was not on track to passing boards in the spring. My final grade for the course was a p/f in a graded curriculum.

My curriculum is set up such that I basically will have half a semester where I will be taking path/pharm + OMM and half a semester where I will be doing only OMM. I am not sure what I should be doing with the free time as the associate dean + head of the academic committee have just told me to go over material and volunteer? Should I try to do research? I would like to have the option to go IM or GS, does it even matter what I do for the next two years?

 

[Goro]

You could audit the material that you are not taking, and doing research is also an option, especially if you're good at time management.

 

[GoSpursGo]

If you have some time to do research that would be beneficial... but just be careful. I would focus solely on academics to start until you demonstrate that you're doing really well (comfortable B) before doing anything else.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

GS and academic IM are probably off the table. To put into perspective, 22% of matched GS applicants are AOA and that doesn’t even take into account that most top schools don’t even have it (they are also considered as not having it for the survey). Low tier MD students who passed everything first try but aren’t top of the class have difficulty matching, I imagine it’s much worse for DO students who aren’t completely perfect (talking high class rank, 260+, research, clinical grades, charisma on aways)

I’m not saying this to be mean but it’s important to be realistic because you should know that being a PCP (or EM, path, neuro though even the latter two are becoming more competitive with school expansion) is most probable at this point. Cards, hemeonc, GI, PCCM are all pipe dreams from most community programs (my school’s IM program has never matched somebody into GI or hemeonc for example). If you wouldn’t be happy with being a PCP, then 5 more years and probably 500k dollars (not including interest ) is a large investment.

 

[Doctoscope]

GS and academic IM are probably off the table. To put into perspective, 22% of matched GS applicants are AOA and that doesn’t even take into account that most top schools don’t even have it (they are also considered as not having it for the survey). Low tier MD students who passed everything first try but aren’t top of the class have difficulty matching, I imagine it’s much worse for DO students who aren’t completely perfect (talking high class rank, 260+, research, clinical grades, charisma on aways)

I’m not saying this to be mean but it’s important to be realistic because you should know that being a PCP (or EM, path, neuro though even the latter two are becoming more competitive with school expansion) is most probable at this point. Cards, hemeonc, GI, PCCM are all pipe dreams from most community programs (my school’s IM program has never matched somebody into GI or hemeonc for example). If you wouldn’t be happy with being a PCP, then 5 more years and probably 500k dollars (not including interest ) is a large investment.

My school matches people into community GS all the time, and they don't have the flashiest stats (regularly matching people <top 50%, 240s Step 2), so community GS you probably don't need to be 260+ with a high class rank/perfect clinical grades. MD academic GS though, I agree you need to be pretty f'ing compelling on paper.

 

[GoSpursGo]

GS and academic IM are probably off the table. To put into perspective, 22% of matched GS applicants are AOA and that doesn’t even take into account that most top schools don’t even have it (they are also considered as not having it for the survey). Low tier MD students who passed everything first try but aren’t top of the class have difficulty matching, I imagine it’s much worse for DO students who aren’t completely perfect (talking high class rank, 260+, research, clinical grades, charisma on aways)

I’m not saying this to be mean but it’s important to be realistic because you should know that being a PCP (or EM, path, neuro though even the latter two are becoming more competitive with school expansion) is most probable at this point. Cards, hemeonc, GI, PCCM are all pipe dreams from most community programs (my school’s IM program has never matched somebody into GI or hemeonc for example). If you wouldn’t be happy with being a PCP, then 5 more years and probably 500k dollars (not including interest ) is a large investment.

I think this may be true for GS, but academic IM for a USDO is probably still doable.

But regardless, I really stress the focus needs to be on just passing the classes rather than trying to do something special to try and "make up" for failing a class.

 

[MightyShell]

Thanks everyone, I feel comfortable with the material now that my grades have improved a bit. I am still really struggling with finding what to do in the remaining blocks in which I will just be taking OMM (3 more). I have tried to reach out to researchers but most of them are full.

Do you all think it would be beneficial to volunteer at a local hospital on the weekends to try to build some connections with attendings or residents for research? I am really not sure how to go about it as I have never done research before. For context I go to school in the midwest with minimal nearby academic hospitals.

I really am interested in research, I just don't know where to look.

 

[AJS59]

Thanks everyone, I feel comfortable with the material now that my grades have improved a bit. I am still really struggling with finding what to do in the remaining blocks in which I will just be taking OMM (3 more). I have tried to reach out to researchers but most of them are full.

Do you all think it would be beneficial to volunteer at a local hospital on the weekends to try to build some connections with attendings or residents for research? I am really not sure how to go about it as I have never done research before. For context I go to school in the midwest with minimal nearby academic hospitals.

I really am interested in research, I just don't know where to look.

It certainly doesn't hurt to try, that way you can establish networking.

 

[Ho0v-man]

My school matches people into community GS all the time, and they don't have the flashiest stats (regularly matching people <top 50%, 240s Step 2), so community GS you probably don't need to be 260+ with a high class rank/perfect clinical grades. MD academic GS though, I agree you need to be pretty f'ing compelling on paper.

Ignore that guy/gal. That poster puts something on this forum constantly freaking out about their chances of matching general surgery as if it’s derm or something .

 

[DOVinciRobot]

Low tier MD students who passed everything first try but aren’t top of the class have difficulty matching

I imagine it’s much worse for DO students who aren’t completely perfect (talking high class rank, 260+, research, clinical grades, charisma on aways)

You are straight up wrong. I wasn’t kidding before, get off the internet. You’re now causing far more harm than good.

OP, focus on passing your classes and boards before worrying about where you can do residency. GS is likely off the table.