Anesthesia residency

[hawkslo]

---

Members do not see this ad.

New member here. This forum has been very helpful.

Can somebody tell me (generally, as I know exactness is impossible) what it takes to land an anesthesia residency.

I'm not talking about the top dog programs.
I am a third year and I'm really interested, but I need to make sure I'm at least in the ballgame as far as competitiveness is concerned.

Board Scores?
Class rank?
What else?
4th year rotation?

I really appreciate your time and advice.

 

[powermd]

Originally posted by hawkslo
New member here. This forum has been very helpful.

Can somebody tell me (generally, as I know exactness is impossible) what it takes to land an anesthesia residency.

I'm not talking about the top dog programs.
I am a third year and I'm really interested, but I need to make sure I'm at least in the ballgame as far as competitiveness is concerned.

Board Scores?
Class rank?
What else?
4th year rotation?

I really appreciate your time and advice.

To match a good program I think the following criteria should be met (loosely):

Board scores - 200-220
Class rank - anywhere
What else - anesthesia rotation with good letter written by someone well known (ideally)

Generally, it doesn't take much to match in anesthesia. If you are a US senior (DO or MD) with decent board scores (215+), enthusiasm for anesthesiology, and a good personality, you will match somewhere. To match the top programs, I would want to be in the upper 50% of my class, possibly AOA, some A's in 3rd year clerkships, some research, maybe a paper or case report in an anesthesiology journal, 1-3 outside rotations at top programs, with letters from the PD or chairman at those programs.

 

[hawkslo]

thanks for your reply. This is the kind of info I was looking for.

 

[Teufelhunden]

Do most programs accept COMLEX? If so, what's considered a decent COMLEX score for anesthesia?

 

[VentdependenT]

Just a guess, but I think you should have at least an 80% COMLEX to get some interviews. Of couse your other application materials will be important as well. I know the cutoff for interviews at some programs I have contacted is 80 for combined average of step I and step II (If taken, if not then its not considered) USMLE's. Not sure why it should be different for COMLEX.

 

[thegasman]

Programs I've talked to are cutting at USMLE 220. Also some of the programs are not interviewing any IMG's or even DO's. If you are a DO I would definitely take USMLE and do some away rotations at programs you are interested in. This is a good way to guarantee an interview.

 

[Stump]

Hey thegasman,

Can you please comment on which programs in particular aren't interviewing D.O.'s?? I scored 85th% on COMLEX and hope I did not shoot myself in the foot by not taking USMLE. I was under the impression most gas residencies are very DO friendly. I hope this trend isn't changing just because the pool is consisting of more MD applicants. I bring this up because I read/heard elsewhere (can't remember where), that DO's will have a harder time this year.

Can anyone else comment on whether, I, as a DO, will have trouble securing a spot in gas?

Any input will be greatly appreciated.

 

[thegasman]

I didn't mean to imply that DO's won't be able to match in gas. The fact is that there have been more applicants (or applications) recently with high board scores etc. which means it is more difficult for everyone. That means we all have to apply to more programs and maybe look at geography that is less desirable. Some programs are not DO friendly, some are. I know mostly about my home program, which has a DO in the CA3 class but is now only interviewing those who have done aways here. I'm in the SE though and some areas of the country or programs are definitely more DO friendly. (even our IM program will barely look at DO's) I've heard the NE is a little better. Perhaps some DO applicants can comment more accurately on their experiences or you could try a search. It appears that in most instances an MD is looked upon more favorably than a DO, although I personally don't think it makes that much of a difference in reality. With the very large number of applications programs are receiving, they are struggling to find screening criteria for interviews. I believe gas is more competitive, but some of that may just be applicants applying to more programs. There were some good spots available in last years scramble, but I knew of some good unmatched applicants also. I think some programs are getting too caught up with numbers and the 240-250 boards guys who all interview at 20 programs can only match at one. I haven't heard from some programs I had expected to at this point, but hopefully I'll still find a good spot somewhere. If it's like last year things ended up being a little overhyped. I know two students from my school who scrambled and did OK.

 

[Sabre_DO]

Wut are some DO-friendly gas residency program? Gracius.

 

[icelatte]

We interview DO's at Washington University.
The DO's I find in the pile have excellent board scores
but they've all taken the USMLE.

We currently have 2 right now, one CA-3, one CA-2.

If you have good scores, good letters, and interview well,
you'll be competitive here.

 

[chicamedica]

Originally posted by icelatte
We interview DO's at Washington University.
The DO's I find in the pile have excellent board scores
but they've all taken the USMLE.

We currently have 2 right now, one CA-3, one CA-2.

If you have good scores, good letters, and interview well,
you'll be competitive here.

What, according to Wash U St. Louis Anesthesia, is a "good score" and what is an "excellent score".

 

[Sevo]

Originally posted by Sabre_DO
Wut are some DO-friendly gas residency program? Gracius.

Most of the Ohio and Michigan programs have become very DO friendly. A lot of that is due, in part, to good experiences with strong DO residents filling the ranks during the lean years of the mid 90s.

There's also greater acceptance of osteopathic medicine in the heartland than on the coasts; hence you'll find that many of the DO-friendly allopathic anesthesia programs are located in the Midwest.

 

[GasJockey2004]

For an awesome DO friendly program, try the University Hospitals of Cleveland/Case Western Reserve University program. The program director David Wallace is a D.O. Do a rotation here and you'll see why we love this program!

 

[Stump]

Thanks GasJockey2004, I am considering many of the Ohio programs.

Do you have any info on what COMLEX scores would be considered competitive?

Thanks

 

[aparikh1]

The four Philadelphia area programs [Jefferson, Temple, Drexel, even Penn] are all very DO friendly, and this year 5/8 CA-1s at Temple are DOs, their program director is a DO. Each program is generally 50/50 DO/MD from what I've seen. Penn will take a qualified DO, but only after you do a rotation there.

 

[hawkslo]

Originally posted by thegasman
Programs I've talked to are cutting at USMLE 220. Also some of the programs are not interviewing any IMG's or even DO's. If you are a DO I would definitely take USMLE and do some away rotations at programs you are interested in. This is a good way to guarantee an interview.

Do you mind listing these programs that cut off at 220.

Is this for top notch programs?

Thanks for your time.

 

[thegasman]

hawkslo - I know this is the case for my home program musc, which is decent and on the way up but not top notch. I think more reputable programs like Wake, Uva, UAB, etc. may be using 225-230. This is based on info from other applicants I talked to who have and haven't received interviews at these places. I only applied in the southeast so that's all I know about really. Someone else may be able to add more.

 

[bigfrank]

If too many schools start making interview cutoffs at 225-230, then there will be many Washington University in the 2003 Match-type disappointments (well over half of the spots unfilled, embarrassingly).

Anyone who wants to go to Wash U for Anes? This year is probably the best year to land a spot -- trust me, the embarrassment that happened last year will not repeat itself.

Anesthesiology has ~ 1,300 spots. A 215 will land you a spot comfortably at a fine program.