Advice for Ophtho residency without a great Step1 scores

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K_loves_the_eyes

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Was your step 1 score significantly below your practice scores? I don't think you will match to optho. What about it do you like? Perhaps there are less competitive specialities that may interest you, if you give them a chance?
 
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25th percentile STEP 1 score for those that matched ophthalmology in 2017 was 236; 75th percentile score was 252; and average was 243.
The average score for those that did not match was 227. (Source: OPHTHALMOLOGY RESIDENCY MATCH SUMMARY REPORT 2017)

Given your 211 score, I don't know if this is a realistic pursuit, unfortunately.
 
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Anything is possible. Meet with your PD and discuss. SDN loves to quote NRMP and claim "no chance" based on one data point. People with lower scores than you match every year. The important thing is to meet with an expert on this sort of thing (your PD) and not listen too much to people who haven't even started medical school or taken step yet.
 
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^^^

I second this. In smaller fields, like ophthalmology, don't underestimate the value of "who you know" and show of commitment to the field. If you have a home program, time to get buddy-buddy with them, as they are probably your best bet. Also plan on doing at least 2 to 3 aways, and impressing the heck out of them. Lastly, I truly hope you destroy step 2, as this is becoming a bigger factor nowadays (from what I've heard, though may be specialty dependent??).

However, keep in the back of your mind that there is a strong possibility that you won't match, so have a back up plan. The popular thing these days seems to be duel applying to several specialties. Getting a known second-choice specialty beats (IMO) the uncertainty of SOAP.

Edit: wording
 
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Hi all! As I'm ending third year I've found that ophthalmology is definitely what I want to go into for residency but unfortunately I have a crummy step 1 score of 211. I'm planning on taking Step 2 early and am planning on killing it so hopefully that will help my application. I also have done research and have 4 abstracts and 4 oral presentations to show for it, but no actual publications and no research done in ophthalmology. I'm wondering if anyone has advice for helping my application stand out, where to do away electives to places that place less emphasis on Step scores, and if I honestly have a shot at this. Like I said, it's my number one specialty and I'm willing to work incredibly hard to get there, but I also realize the reality of my poor score. Any advice is welcome, thanks!

Do you go to a top 10 school? That’s probably your only shot is to ride the name brand train to success with that score.

Otherwise very unlikely to match as I saw classmates who even took research years with higher step scores and still didn’t match.

Your best bet are the crazy small no name programs in the least desirable locations in the country (think endless flyover state fields/farmland, random gas stations, and only trump supporters kind of places)
 
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Anything is possible. Meet with your PD and discuss. SDN loves to quote NRMP and claim "no chance" based on one data point. People with lower scores than you match every year. The important thing is to meet with an expert on this sort of thing (your PD) and not listen too much to people who haven't even started medical school or taken step yet.
I met with my PD and she said I definitely have a shot at my home institute if I destroy step2 so that's the plan!!
 
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^^^

I second this. In smaller fields, like ophthalmology, don't underestimate the value of "who you know" and show of commitment to the field. If you have a home program, time to get buddy-buddy with them, as they are probably your best bet. Also plan on doing at least 2 to 3 aways, and impressing the heck out of them. Lastly, I truly hope you destroy step 2, as this is becoming a bigger factor nowadays (from what I've heard, though may be specialty dependent??).

However, keep in the back of your mind that there is a not unlikely possibility that you won't match, so have a back up plan. The popular thing these days seems to be duel applying to several specialties. Getting a known second-choice specialty beats (IMO) the uncertainty of SOAP.
Thanks for the advice. I'm on the West coast going to school and am originally from the Midwest but I'm thinking of doing an away on the East coast to get more exposure out there. My question is, would that be a waste of 4 weeks because I keep hearing that East coast programs typically like to take people that have more ties to the East coast.

Also, as far as doing a backup program, isn't that typically frowned upon and almost accepting defeat? I understand why you would do it logistically, I just don't want to give up just yet. But then again, I've heard the horror stories of SOAP.
 
I met with my PD and she said I definitely have a shot at my home institute if I destroy step2 so that's the plan!!

I would be wary about anything a PD or program says about shot at matching. Had a lot of classmates this year who were "guaranteed" spots that did not end up matching at those programs. Not saying this is the case here but something to keep in mind. Best of luck to you!
 
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Have a backup plan.
 
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I met with my PD and she said I definitely have a shot at my home institute if I destroy step2 so that's the plan!!
Take that with a rather large grain of salt lol.

Realistically you will not match, as your Step score is below that of even the average unmatched applicant. Have a backup plan. And the East Coast is the second most competitive region in the country, your time would be better spent at backwoods places where a good impression might make the difference, not the longest of long shots.

I would really start formulating a realistic backup plan though.
 
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Do you go to a top 10 school? That’s probably your only shot is to ride the name brand.

Speaking of that, look what I found in the Ophtho forum.

Board Scores: Step 1: 222, Step 2: not taken
--AOA and class rank: No AOA, unranked
--Reputation of medical school: Top school
--Research: 2 publications (both non-ophtho, 1 first author). 2 ophtho papers to be published
--Honors in clerkships: No honors on shelf exams
--# and where you did away rotations: 1
--# of programs you applied to: 66
--Where invited for interviews (both offers and the ones you actually attended): Only offered interviews at MEEI, Stanford, USC, CPMC, NYU, Cornell, Rochester, Boston Medical Center, U of Washington (Seattle), Washington University (St. Louis)
--Where matched: #5.
--Anything that helped your app: I never post on SDN, but I wanted to give someone else out there hope of matching, even if you are not a good standardized test taker. Everyone on here posts their crazy scores and accomplishments, but I think there are a good chunk of people that are just like me (okay, admittedly, most people's scores will be higher than mine), but put on an air of confidence. I had a 222 and still interviewed at MEEI. So don't be intimidated by people you meet on the trail...you don't know people's backgrounds! I got into arguably the nation's top medical school with average MCAT scores, and I was able to match this year with a below average Step 1 score. I knew my Step 2 CK score would be low too (I might not pass), so I didn't bother taking it before match.

I know people with better applications in every single category who applied broadly to IM and had to SOAP.
 
Speaking of that, look what I found in the Ophtho forum.

Board Scores: Step 1: 222, Step 2: not taken
--AOA and class rank: No AOA, unranked
--Reputation of medical school: Top school
--Research: 2 publications (both non-ophtho, 1 first author). 2 ophtho papers to be published
--Honors in clerkships: No honors on shelf exams
--# and where you did away rotations: 1
--# of programs you applied to: 66
--Where invited for interviews (both offers and the ones you actually attended): Only offered interviews at MEEI, Stanford, USC, CPMC, NYU, Cornell, Rochester, Boston Medical Center, U of Washington (Seattle), Washington University (St. Louis)
--Where matched: #5.
--Anything that helped your app: I never post on SDN, but I wanted to give someone else out there hope of matching, even if you are not a good standardized test taker. Everyone on here posts their crazy scores and accomplishments, but I think there are a good chunk of people that are just like me (okay, admittedly, most people's scores will be higher than mine), but put on an air of confidence. I had a 222 and still interviewed at MEEI. So don't be intimidated by people you meet on the trail...you don't know people's backgrounds! I got into arguably the nation's top medical school with average MCAT scores, and I was able to match this year with a below average Step 1 score. I knew my Step 2 CK score would be low too (I might not pass), so I didn't bother taking it before match.

I know people with better applications in every single category who applied broadly to IM and had to SOAP.
Very confused where the merit is here. Like what did these PDs point at and say "this is why theyre qualified"?
Must be some crazy connections there or crazy storyline as this person also wasnt a top applicant for med school.
 
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Very confused where the merit is here

Basically a post about someone who most likely got into Harvard/JHH who is telling future Ophtho applicants that he thinks that you don’t need to have good scores and that he got Ophtho because of all the hard work he put into interviewing.
 
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Basically a post about someone who most likely got into Harvard/JHH who is telling future Ophtho applicants that he thinks that you don’t need to have good scores and that he got Ophtho because of all the hard work he put into interviewing.
Theres clearly more to this story or its entirely fabricated. If there is more to the story, im shocked that a person of that intelligence would be so pretentious as to post their "success" story on a forum encouraging others to apply and setting them up for failure
 
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It is absurd how terrible the advice can be from a small fraction of SDN sometimes. Overwhelmingly the consensus tends to be accurate and most people get it, but some people give way to much false hope to the poor OPs who pose questions on this site.

Classic Examples:
Premed: I'm white and have a 502 MCAT, should I apply MD only?
Some SDN people: I knew a guy once who had a 501 and got in, you should be good as long as you put in effort! Apply broadly and you'll be fine.
Rest of SDN: Nope, Let's retake that MCAT or start thinking DO

Med Student: I have a 215 on Step 1, Derm 4 meeee???
Some SDN people: Look at charting outcomes, several people matched with a 200, you're good to go!!! Do better on step 2 and you're golden! Don't give up on your dreams, I know you can do it!
Rest of SDN: You should probably look into other specialties, unless you're very comfortable with SOAP.

These givers of bad advice will then either make up or quote some fake anecdotes or point to the 1 outlier data point and use it to justify giving absurd advice.

The answer to "can I match plastics with a 220" is NO,
Unless:
-Your parent is the PD, Chair, or Faculty
-Someone made a hefty donation to someone
-Your PD absolutely loves you and will internally match you despite your step score. This actually happens more frequently than you'd think. If I was a PD and really got to know a student super well over 3-4 years and knew they'd be a good fit at my program, I would probably give them a spot over a far more qualified candidate. (This also seems to be a potential option for OP based on his story)
-Your research is groundbreaking to the field you're applying
-Other weird unique circumstances
-You're a statistical anomaly (Even a broken clock is accurate twice per day)

Sure, anything can happen, and someone could literally do 1 away and be so personable that they manage to match there, but that doesn't mean anyone can just bank on that.

Regular people with low step scores just don't match competitive specialties with any sort of consistency. There will always be unique situations and flukes but these are the exceptions to the rule.

So to answer the original question of: Can I match Optho with a 211 Step 1?
-Absolutely not, unless you have a serious ace in the hole (which you may very well have and should explore). If that falls through I would forget about Optho.
 
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Theres clearly more to this story or its entirely fabricated. If there is more to the story, im shocked that a person of that intelligence would be so pretentious as to post their "success" story on a forum encouraging others to apply and setting them up for failure
I'm convinced that there are truly malicious people out there who spend their time making up "against all odds" success stories on SDN and other sites to intentionally try to get people to make poor decisions. I guess it's just another form of trolling, but instead of making the person on the other end upset you're actually doing real harm. Not sure how people can get off on trolling.
 
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It is absurd how terrible the advice can be from a small fraction of SDN sometimes. Overwhelmingly the consensus tends to be accurate and most people get it, but some people give way to much false hope to the poor OPs who pose questions on this site.

Classic Examples:
Premed: I'm white and have a 502 MCAT, should I apply MD only?
Some SDN people: I knew a guy once who had a 501 and got in, you should be good as long as you put in effort! Apply broadly and you'll be fine.
Rest of SDN: Nope, Let's retake that MCAT or start thinking DO

Med Student: I have a 215 on Step 1, Derm 4 meeee???
Some SDN people: Look at charting outcomes, several people matched with a 200, you're good to go!!! Do better on step 2 and you're golden! Don't give up on your dreams, I know you can do it!
Rest of SDN: You should probably look into other specialties, unless you're very comfortable with SOAP.

These givers of bad advice will then either make up or quote some fake anecdotes or point to the 1 outlier data point and use it to justify giving absurd advice.

The answer to "can I match plastics with a 220" is NO,
Unless:
-Your parent is the PD, Chair, or Faculty
-Someone made a hefty donation to someone
-Your PD absolutely loves you and will internally match you despite your step score. This actually happens more frequently than you'd think. If I was a PD and really got to know a student super well over 3-4 years and knew they'd be a good fit at my program, I would probably give them a spot over a far more qualified candidate. (This also seems to be a potential option for OP based on his story)
-Your research is groundbreaking to the field you're applying
-Other weird unique circumstances
-You're a statistical anomaly (Even a broken clock is accurate twice per day)

Sure, anything can happen, and someone could literally do 1 away and be so personable that they manage to match there, but that doesn't mean anyone can just bank on that.

Regular people with low step scores just don't match competitive specialties with any sort of consistency. There will always be unique situations and flukes but these are the exceptions to the rule.

So to answer the original question of: Can I match Optho with a 211 Step 1?
-Absolutely not, unless you have a serious ace in the hole (which you may very well have and should explore). If that falls through I would forget about Optho.

People can't handle anything that hurts their feelings. Still so many people at my DO school with outrageous expectations for what they're going into. I figured they would figure it out by the end of third year, but nope. Going to have a ton of SOAPs in my class.
 
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People can't handle anything that hurts their feelings. Still so many people at my DO school with outrageous expectations for what they're going into. I figured they would figure it out by the end of third year, but nope. Going to have a ton of SOAPs in my class.
Same, I'm at an MD school and it's incredibly sad here as well seeing so many people go unmatched each year.

Everyone always thinks that they're special, that it could happen to anyone else except for them, no one wants to face the hard reality that they aren't all that different from the hundreds of other applicants... until the day comes that they don't match.

When 94% of seniors match, that also means there are 1,200 American MDs (the equivalent of an entire 8 full medical schools) who will have the worst day of their life each year, and my heart goes out to each one of them. No one should have to go through that.
 
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People can't handle anything that hurts their feelings. Still so many people at my DO school with outrageous expectations for what they're going into. I figured they would figure it out by the end of third year, but nope. Going to have a ton of SOAPs in my class.
Can you give an example?
 
The reason that ophtho dude got all those interviews at big names is because he went to a big name school, no question about it. That's what those programs do. Just take a look at the match lists of these medical schools - it's impossible that 95% of the students are scoring >240 on step 1, have good research and good clinical grades (all of which would be required to match at a "name" program if you are coming from a non name brand school). Yet 95% of them stay within the elite ivory tower programs. Nothing more than inbreeding, it's just how it works.
 
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The reason that ophtho dude got all those interviews at big names is because he went to a big name school, no question about it. That's what those programs do. Just take a look at the match lists of these medical schools - it's impossible that 95% of the students are scoring >240 on step 1, have good research and good clinical grades (all of which would be required to match at a "name" program if you are coming from a non name brand school). Yet 95% of them stay within the elite ivory tower programs. Nothing more than inbreeding, it's just how it works.
I thought with inbreeding you get increased genetic mutations. Like children with flippers and the like. So do these inbread students, once graduated from residency, have 3 eyes or 2 heads.
 
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Thanks for the advice. I'm on the West coast going to school and am originally from the Midwest but I'm thinking of doing an away on the East coast to get more exposure out there. My question is, would that be a waste of 4 weeks because I keep hearing that East coast programs typically like to take people that have more ties to the East coast.

Also, as far as doing a backup program, isn't that typically frowned upon and almost accepting defeat? I understand why you would do it logistically, I just don't want to give up just yet. But then again, I've heard the horror stories of SOAP.

Like others have said, I would skip the East coast. I would focus on the Midwest, since you have connections there.
I would also consider a research year to get substantial abstracts/publications (unless you already have that, which you will definitely need!)
As for duel applying, you'll be applying to prelim programs as well for ophtho anyways. Might as well throw in a few categorical whatever as back-up. No one need know you are duel applying, and there is no way programs can find out where you applied to.
 
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