advice

[RonaldColeman]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Just looking for some advice...

I am thinking about radiation oncology. I believe that I am a strong applicant (USMLE>260, NBMEs 99th %ile, etc), but I am still worried about matching. You see, for reasons that are beyond the scope of this post (trust me, they are good reasons) I will only apply to residency programs in California. I recognize that even with my stats, matching in Cali is not a guarantee as there are definitely many other students with similar stats applying to Cali RadOnc programs. I am currently contemplating applying to 2 rad onc programs (Loma Linda and Kaiser LA), ranking them 1 & 2, and then simply ranking another less competitive specialty below these. Any advice/thoughts? By the way, this is a serious post.

 

[Thaiger75]

Just looking for some advice...

I am thinking about radiation oncology. I believe that I am a strong applicant (USMLE>260, NBMEs 99th %ile, etc), but I am still worried about matching. You see, for reasons that are beyond the scope of this post (trust me, they are good reasons) I will only apply to residency programs in California. I recognize that even with my stats, matching in Cali is not a guarantee as there are definitely many other students with similar stats applying to Cali RadOnc programs. I am currently contemplating applying to 2 rad onc programs (Loma Linda and Kaiser LA), ranking them 1 & 2, and then simply ranking another less competitive specialty below these. Any advice/thoughts? By the way, this is a serious post.

I think that is certainly reasonable given your situation (whatever it is). But only Loma Linda and Kaiser? Not UCSF, Stanford, Cal Pac, UCLA, UCI?

 

[MSTP boy]

By the way, this is a serious post.

Doesn't sound like a serious post to me. If you were serious, you would be applying to more programs than 2, and including more information about your research background. You would also have pointed out the weaknesses in your application, rather than just including your implausible board scores.

 

[GOB]

Doesn't sound like a serious post to me. If you were serious, you would be applying to more programs than 2, and including more information about your research background. You would also have pointed out the weaknesses in your application, rather than just including your implausible board scores.

Those board scores are not implausible! I had 261 three years ago. I am in Rad Onc now. Word of advice regardign apps though, 260+ gets you interviews, but they still want to see research etc... I applied to 35 programs and matched outside of my top ten.

 

[stephew]

well conversly we match people with average (yes, 205-210) scores who have other qualities. A great score alone, thankfully, wont do it.

 

[summerteeth]

well conversly we match people with average (yes, 205-210) scores who have other qualities. A great score alone, thankfully, wont do it.

WOOHOO!! 😛

 

[RonaldColeman]

Those board scores are not implausible! I had 261 three years ago. I am in Rad Onc now. Word of advice regardign apps though, 260+ gets you interviews, but they still want to see research etc... I applied to 35 programs and matched outside of my top ten.

Yes, I'm not sure how scoring in the 260s is implausible. Anyway, I've done some research into programs since my initial post, and I think I am going to put all of my marbles into my home program. I go to a lower-tier medical school with a track record of almost exclusively accepting its own. In fact, I spoke with the dean who suggested that if I couldn't match at my home institution in radonc then I probably wouldn't match at all. As far as my application is concerned, I think it's a lot like most of the other people applying for a competitive specialty like rad onc: honors in most rotations, research, etc.--competitive enough to give me a reasonable shot at matching somewhere (assuming I apply everywhere!), but no guarantees especially in Cali.
I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like matching in this field with just an MD is more difficult than matching into any other specialty including derm. It seems like half the spots go to MD/PHDs, leaving very few spots for some of the best medical students in the country to compete for. It's a scary thing.
Anyway, I appreciate the advice on this board, and I wish everyone luck.

 

[bobloblaw]

Don't necessarily believe everything your dean tells you unless he/she is a radiation oncologist or somehow knowledgeable about the field. Mine gave me a whole lecture on how hard it is to get into rad onc with only ~450 spots per year. He didn't know that rad onc and radiology were two different residencies.

There's no real incentive for you to place all your eggs in one basket unless your home program is somehow pressuring you to make an early commitment to them. Applying to multiple programs in a region can show them that you are serious about staying in the area. For some programs, this can be important. Good luck.

 

[MSTP boy]

I'll ignore the posting made by your second (or third?) account, RonaldColeman. Stephew could probably look and confirm that they come from the same IP address. The bottom line is, you don't need stellar board scores to be interviewed. A 225-230 is probably sufficient for most programs.

I have a suspicion that the OP is trolling on this board, possibly to scare people away from applying to Radonc. Maintain a healthy skepticism of every post you read on here.

 

[RonaldColeman]

I'll ignore the posting made by your second (or third?) account, RonaldColeman. Stephew could probably look and confirm that they come from the same IP address. The bottom line is, you don't need stellar board scores to be interviewed. A 225-230 is probably sufficient for most programs.

I have a suspicion that the OP is trolling on this board, possibly to scare people away from applying to Radonc. Maintain a healthy skepticism of every post you read on here.

WTF are you talking about?? This is the most ridiculous/insecure post I've seen on SDN. Please have Stephew check my IP address. In my posts, I am referring specifically to Cali RadOnc, which I will guarantee is drawing the best applicants in the nation. I'm not saying you need a 260+ to match in RadOnc in general, but I do believe matching in Cali in RadOnc requires stats close to this.

 

[stephew]

ok kids, relax. play nice.

 

[humblzzz]

Ok not trying to incite anything here, but ftr I know a few people who applied in the past two years who did not have boards anywhere near 260+ and received interviews from cali schools...one even matched there. Bottom line is that it never hurt anyone to apply.

 

[stephew]

ive interviewed people with scores from 205-220 in the last two years who matched. move on.

 

[radonculus]

I concur with Step that approx 220+ makes you competive. Assuming you have good recomendations and research experience. I was able to secure a position on the West Coast (outside the match) with those numbers. Received a total of 7 interviews.

 

[InHoc]

Since this thread is evolving into a qualifications theme and since board scores have been touched on, this question seems appropriate... speaking as an interested MS3, is it way off base to glean from some of these posts that research is only research if it's Rad Onc research? How does a significant history of basic science research (with potential oncologic application but no tie in with Rad Onc) stack up to clinical research specifically in Rad Onc??

Thanks

 

[stephew]

no, research is all importand. (see faq).
steph.

 

[doubledoc]

I don't know about all research being the same...I'm an MudPhud with good publications in cancer research, 1-2 top-people LoR's, STEP I score of 250 and mostly honors on clinical (and pre clinical) courses. So far only a few interviews with an equal # of rejections...(although I didn't apply to all the programs across the board) 😳

I Don't know what much else I could have done to better my CV... except specific Rad-Onc research which I think would have really helped! The competition is just crazy...

 

[stephew]

people are making the mistake of thinking there is a magic forumla. there is not. Ive seen strong letters of rec in the face of an otherwise bland cv (from a radonc pov which is really not too bland) do it. Ive seen people with usmle scores in the 250's not match. We've taken people with usmle scores below 210. and yes all this in the last two years. If the universal soldier applies- a perfect usmel with md, phd, volunteer work with medicine sans frontier, letters that shine, pubs in nature and NEJM and who happens to be a mixed minority, and a real charmer, yeah she can pick and chose. but barring that you just aren't goign to pin it down. you cant say "his reasearch is in cardiology thus its not entered into the equasion". if its impressive research *of course* it is. Its all part of the big picture that tells the tale of the person.

 

[CNphair]

I do have to agree with the "no magic formula" sentiment. I thought I knew where my CV stood (somewhere in the middle - for Rad Onc at least). And I thought I could figure out who was going to offer me interviews and who was not...boy was I wrong. I have received rejections from programs my adviser said should be my "back-ups." I have received offers that made me almost fall out of my chair for the shock of it. Lesson learned: Thank God I applied across the board because my pre-application analysis was utterly worthless.