Advice

[Aly561]

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4th year medical student applying to rad onc. Step1 262, AOA member, honors in all clerkships. But zero research.

What do you think the best course of action at this time in order to maximize chances of matching?

What do you think about taking a year off to do research?

 

[rad0nc]

4th year medical student applying to rad onc. Step1 262, AOA member, honors in all clerkships. But zero research.

What do you think the best course of action at this time in order to maximize chances of matching?

What do you think about taking a year off to do research?

There isn't a whole lot you could do at this point for research. If you have a home program you could take a month or two to do research, and that will give you something to talk about at interviews. I would go ahead and apply this year. According to the latest charting the outcomes, no student with a score over 260 failed to match, and only two AOA students went unmatched.

 

[RadOncDoc21]

There isn't a whole lot you could do at this point for research. If you have a home program you could take a month or two to do research, and that will give you something to talk about at interviews. I would go ahead and apply this year. According to the latest charting the outcomes, no student with a score over 260 failed to match, and only two AOA students went unmatched.

Agree... 9/10 times, scores trump research. If I were in your shoes, I would assist on some research project as suggested just to validate your interest.

-R

 

[stankem]

I was in a similar position last year. Having some research in nonrad onc helped. Find any project at your home program and make some headway. Also I would recommend contacting programs you're awaying at ahead of time and ask about helping with chart reviews etc.

 

[Radonc11]

I was in your shoes last year, incredibly similar stats, scores and AOA but no research, but I matched happily.

I had a project I was working on that definitely generated conversation during interviews. I think you must try to have at least one conversation starter. My project is now done and accepted for pub.

In your case, I would pick your electives very carefully. I think you have to blow them away to a bit of comfort and leeway about your rank list. While I matched above both my elective programs, I felt a much more subtle impending feeling of doom when I submitted my list.

Have a plan man, but I think you should be ok.

 

[deleted4401]

Can't tell for sure, but I'll bet you every 260 and up had research and every matched AOA student had research.

I hardly believe scores trump research. I know from experience... I had mid 240s for both steps and got 7 interviews of 70 apps, didn't match. Next time around with 1 publication, got 17 interviews of 50 apps, and had 3 offers outside the match. When I was a chief, one of the nicest, smartest applicants I knew, with the highest step 1 I'd ever seen (280+) but no research didn't match.

Not being a naysayer, just telling you that the people running the show emphasize research and a person with a 218 and 10 pubs will have a better go at it then someone with a 275 and 0 research, and to just know that it is a possibility. Not really fair in my opinion, seeing that 80% of us end up in practice treating people, not in the lab, but I guess PDs need some way to differentiate.

-S

There isn't a whole lot you could do at this point for research. If you have a home program you could take a month or two to do research, and that will give you something to talk about at interviews. I would go ahead and apply this year. According to the latest charting the outcomes, no student with a score over 260 failed to match, and only two AOA students went unmatched.

 

[DukeNukem]

Not being a naysayer, just telling you that the people running the show emphasize research and a person with a 218 and 10 pubs will have a better go at it then someone with a 275 and 0 research, and to just know that it is a possibility.

I disagree with this position. I think the 218 with 10 pubs and the 275 with 0 research have an equal chance of not matching. The key thing here is that the Step 1 score of 275 can go do a two month rad onc rotation at a big name place, get a great letter of recommendation, get a quick first authored clinical research pub, and match somewhere fantastic.

The person with the 218 is screwed regardless. They can try to take step 2 early and rock that, but still it doesn't seem like anyone cares much about step 2. If they happen to be MD/PhD, only the big name academic places will consider them at all. But, the big name academic places will probably cut off a score so low.

 

[rad0nc]

In the last match there were 9 people with zero abstracts, presentations, or publications. 7 of those people matched. I find it really hard to believe that a 260 step 1 with AOA will not match.

This not derm, plastics, or even ortho. 86% of U.S. Seniors matched last year. Give it a shot. What do you have to lose?