a bag of questions and the match

[sunflower2020]

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Hi everybody,

do most programs take the average of your step 1 and step 2 or do they just have cut offs for step 1?

if a program does have a cut off, does that mean that they will not look at your application at all?

also,
what is "early" in the application process? My application will be COMPLETE when I submit my LOR at the end or in the mid October. I really want a few LORs from the United States hospitals but my clerkships start in October. Is that going to be "too late" for most programs? Theoreticly I know that most deadlines are in Dec. but what about the unwritten rules.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Hi everybody,

do most programs take the average of your step 1 and step 2 or do they just have cut offs for step 1?

if a program does have a cut off, does that mean that they will not look at your application at all?

also,
what is "early" in the application process? My application will be COMPLETE when I submit my LOR at the end or in the mid October. I really want a few LORs from the United States hospitals but my clerkships start in October. Is that going to be "too late" for most programs? Theoreticly I know that most deadlines are in Dec. but what about the unwritten rules.

Programs generally do not average Step 1 and Step 2 scores, although some inherent averaging may take place if you have scored high on one, and lower on the other. If a program has a "cut off" there really is little way of knowing how strict they are. Some use cut-offs simply to discourage people they would assume tob e unqualified or without a reasonable chance of being selected from applying. Unless your application is stellar in some other aspect, IMHO its a waste of money to apply to such programs if you score is clearly below their designated cut off.

Early would be October. Late and possibly not even looked at is after set deadlines. Again, programs may decide to look at other applicants if the ones they've received up to the deadline are less than satisfactory. however, I wouldn't count on this. If your US rotations start in October, you can probably get 1 done and a letter written and submitted in enough time for most deadlines. However, a rotation not started until December or late November would probably make it difficult to get a letter into ERAS on time.

 

[bobby6]

There are several university based internal medicine programs I know of that will not interview an IMG with a step 1 less than 240.