anesthesia with all pass? am I screwed?

[moisne]

I'm a MS4 from a decent MD school. I just got my MSPE today and it said I was in the 4th quartile and had straight passes in 3rd year - my shelf scores were ok, but I'm a bit shy/introverted and a touch of social awkwardness 🙁 - our school caps at 20% of any students can honor any rotation and up to 30% for HP.

SubI in IM, anesthesia were both honors.
Step 1 237
Step 2 pending (probably in the 240's)
LOR should be decently strong (saw 2 of them)

I'm also couple matching with ortho. I applied to like 80 places.

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[Hkhan]

That couples match might screw you if you're super committed but without couples match [if you're okay with being in the same region (but not the same state)] you should be a decent candidate (though I wouldn't count on you being with your SO - if they match ortho anywhere there is a low chance it would be near you because ortho is insane).

However, your step scores are decent and you should match, regardless of your passes.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

That couples match might screw you if you're super committed but without couples match [if you're okay with being in the same region (but not the same state)] you should be a decent candidate (though I wouldn't count on you being with your SO - if they match ortho anywhere there is a low chance it would be near you because ortho is insane).

However, your step scores are decent and you should match, regardless of your passes.

Stahp, for the record OP this advice is from a high school student....

Your board score and being a USMD will help you a lot, even with the couples match. How competitive is your SO? Like what kinds of places did you apply?

 

[Donald Juan]

Doesn't matter, anesthesia is not competitive. If you get screwed on couples match it's because of the couples match with ortho, which has the potential to screw anybody (your SO could very realistically have 0-2 places they actually match at).

 

[Psai]

Anesthesiology is moderately competitive but it really depends on what programs you're applying to. Just getting a spot if you're not picky is easy.

Btw couples matching does not screw anybody. If you list out every single combination between yourself and your partner, you have exactly the same chance of matching as if you applied separately. The difference is that you're listing your preferences together and consequently takes much more time.

 

[moisne]

Stahp, for the record OP this advice is from a high school student....

Your board score and being a USMD will help you a lot, even with the couples match. How competitive is your SO? Like what kinds of places did you apply?

We applied to 99 programs (anesthesia has like 140 ish total programs). We applied to about 45 states?

My SO is very competitive. 260+, a million publication with lots of connections.

also. funny thing, my dean's letter from all the evaluators are really solid.

 

[neoevolution]

Anesthesiology is moderately competitive but it really depends on what programs you're applying to. Just getting a spot if you're not picky is easy.

Btw couples matching does not screw anybody. If you list out every single combination between yourself and your partner, you have exactly the same chance of matching as if you applied separately. The difference is that you're listing your preferences together and consequently takes much more time.

Can you actually list all combinations? I thought there was a limit on the number of ranks you can have

 

[sinombre]

also. funny thing, my dean's letter from all the evaluators are really solid.

I also had passes in everything without any honors but with good comments. The comments were included in my MSPE and brought up at a lot of interviews, but my grades never came up (I'm in general surgery though so YMMV)

I did really well on the shelf exams but the scores weren't included so I don't think that factored in at all.

 

[neoevolution]

This is an aside, but how bad does a single negative Dean's Letter comment look in a portion of a larger core clerkship? If an appeal fails, and it ends up being a regular pass for the clerkship with a bad comment and hopefully 2 positive ones? I believe I can get relatively positive evals otherwise.

 

[sinombre]

This is an aside, but how bad does a single negative Dean's Letter comment look in a portion of a larger core clerkship? If an appeal fails, and it ends up being a regular pass for the clerkship with a bad comment and hopefully 2 positive ones? I believe I can get relatively positive evals otherwise.

A bad comment included in the MSPE in the specialty you're interested in? That would be pretty bad. If it's another specialty it still won't look good but won't be as bad.

 

[neoevolution]

A bad comment included in the MSPE in the specialty you're interested in? That would be pretty bad. If it's another specialty it still won't look good but won't be as bad.

Thankfully one I'm pretty certain I won't apply for, but it could be seen as a similar field to ones I want to apply for.