advice

[Indebt4Life]

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I had tried to post once but it never went through. Here is my problem. I want to go into rads but I want to end up somewhere in Boston or within the area. I don't care what program it is, the best or the worst. I just need to end up there because I am getting married. I am in Miami right now so I don't have any connections up there. What should I do or what can I do to make myself more competitive in a specific location? I heard that away rotations don't help much. Someone told me that I have the best chance of getting a residency in my area. Is that true?

 

[Vince]

I totally disagree....I think away rotations can be a HUGE help! If you show your interest and how great a candidate you'd be for their program then it'll really help...also if you can get the point across about your ties to the area then that will help big time.....

Many PD's won't interview good candidates b/c of regional ties or lack thereof...but if you rotate up in Boston (or that area) during your clinical rotations, and make sure they understand how important it is...I think you have a good shot....

You have to make sure that you have great grades, board scores, etc. so that they really take a strong look at your application.

 

[samsoccer7]

If it wasn't for my away rotation, I wouldn't have matched at my #1 choice. They might not even have interviewed me b/c I had no "official" ties to the city. Once I rotated, met people, explained my ties, it made the whole thing easier. It helped that I had a competitive app in the first place, but when they get 400+ applications, they have to sort through them somehow, and location is a big one for some places (east, west, chicago).

 

[mriguy]

I have step 1 230s, average clinical grades, and radiology research. Im considering doing an away rotation soon, but would like some input what type of program would be best. I am considering:

High powered programs such as Hopkins or Wash U

or

Mid-upper programs like UVA or Thomas Jefferson.

My goal is to try and match at a program where I do an away elective. My advisor told me to focus more on the mid-upper programs, because I have no shot at the high powered programs. What do you think?

 

[Dochorn]

hello iam 17 and just finished 1 year of college (basics), and I need to know what is the best degree to go after for medical school and for a radiology program.
-I was thinking that the radilogiacal heath engineering program at TAMU might work, what do you think? 😎

 

[hans19]

hello iam 17 and just finished 1 year of college (basics), and I need to know what is the best degree to go after for medical school and for a radiology program.
-I was thinking that the radilogiacal heath engineering program at TAMU might work, what do you think? 😎

Slow down, Schumacher. You gotta walk before you can run-- then you can race!

Try the pre-allo and pre-osteo forums for pre-med advice. Once you get accepted into a medical school, come back and we'll talk radiology. 😀

Good luck, kid!

 

[Molly Maquire]

I think it's generally true that most PDs favor applicants from thier own region. I was told directly by a PD in Connecticut that he only considers applicants from the Northeast.

It would be a great idea to do an away rotation or two at places where you would like to match. Since you are realistically limited in how many electives you can do, you might want to tailor your personal statement to programs in Boston explaining your desire to be in that city (ERAS allows you to create different personal statements for different programs).

I think Boston, like New York City, is a relatively difficult place to match. You might want to look into some programs like UMASS that are within driving distance but not in the city itself.

Good Luck.

 

[samsoccer7]

I have step 1 230s, average clinical grades, and radiology research. Im considering doing an away rotation soon, but would like some input what type of program would be best. I am considering:

High powered programs such as Hopkins or Wash U

or

Mid-upper programs like UVA or Thomas Jefferson.

My goal is to try and match at a program where I do an away elective. My advisor told me to focus more on the mid-upper programs, because I have no shot at the high powered programs. What do you think?

A lot of it is who you know and what ties you have to a place. Also make sure you pick a place that's a bit of a reach, but a place where you know you can hang. I did 2 aways, one that I felt was a good program and as much as a sure thing as you can have in this process, and another that was a bit of a reach. As I said before, I may not have gotten an interview where I matched b/c I have no official ties. However, I also was confident that I'm intelligent and well-rounded enough to be an asset to the program. One thing I think helped is adding a short paragraph to my PS about wanting to be in Chicago. I think it showed them that I was serious, and when it's in writing, it adds credibility when you SAY the same thing, like "i really want to be in chicago, i have friends and family, etc."