Anesthesiology chances

[ObGyn]

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Hi, asking a question for a friend who wants to go into anesthesiology.
I really have no idea how competitive it is to get into anesthesiology.

She just started her third year at Univ of FL last month, found out a 204 step 1 score yesterday; first & second year grades are mediocre (around average, maybe slightly below)

any advice?

thanks in advance 🙂

 

[ObGyn]

Anyone??

 

[Noyac]

She doesn't have a prayer. She should consider something easy like obstetrics.
No, just kidding, she can do it but the better locations are getting more and more competitive. She can help herself with a good showing during her anesth rotation and of course a better score on step 2.

 

[medlaw06]

Hi, asking a question for a friend who wants to go into anesthesiology.
I really have no idea how competitive it is to get into anesthesiology.

She just started her third year at Univ of FL last month, found out a 204 step 1 score yesterday; first & second year grades are mediocre (around average, maybe slightly below)

any advice?

thanks in advance 🙂

hey OB...i can TRY to help you in this since my fiance just matched in anesthesiology at St. Lukes-roosevelt in NYC....yes...it IS getting VERY tough to get into anes these days (hell...there's even an cliche now: ROAD to success: Radiology, Orthopedics, Anesthesiology, and Dermatology)....anesthesiology took a hit when the nurse anesthetists were having more control, but its making a HUGE comeback ever since the scope of practice for nurses was reduced (I think--hell, I am an IM guy, and these things I hear from her)...but overall, it IS getting a LOT harder these days to go into anesthesiology...anyways....where is yorur friend trying to get a residency in? My fiance did VERY well in her clinical years (all H except for 1 HP) and she had some research also....i forgot her 3 digit score on step 1, but her 2 digit was 87 (whatever that comes out to)...she applied to nnumerous porgrams (all in the North East) and interviewd at (from south to north): U of MD, Georgetown, George Washington, Temple, Thomas Jefferson, St.Lukes-Roosevelt (obviously), Stony Brook, Albert Einstein-Yeshiva, UConn, and Harvard-BWH. She declined some interviews and I forgot where, but they were University based settings also....

1 thing I can say is that it is VERY confusing where you will end up interviewing...for example, she interviewed at Harvard, but was rejected from UMDNJs which makes no sense since one of the programs (RWJ, I believe) is on probation....one of her friends, who HAS lower scores, lower class rank and activities, and such but graduated with her interviewed at Yale and another interviewed at Johns Hopkins with similar credentials as her....She was rejected from SUNY-Downstate but interviewed at GW....rejected from MCP-Hahnemann, but interviewed at Jeff....

the point: TELL HER TO APPLY TO AS MANY PLACES AS SHE CAN (it's like palying the lottery....you'll never win unless you play) 🙄 😉

hope this helps...even a little

 

[medlaw06]

Hi, asking a question for a friend who wants to go into anesthesiology.
I really have no idea how competitive it is to get into anesthesiology.

She just started her third year at Univ of FL last month, found out a 204 step 1 score yesterday; first & second year grades are mediocre (around average, maybe slightly below)

any advice?

thanks in advance 🙂

BTW...basic science years mean VERY VERY little (trust me....my mom is on a residency admissions commitee!)...they also look at a PATTERN of grades too....tell her to do well in her 3rd year and get some research (within anesthesiology would be ideal, but any clinical research will look great: my fiance's research was in geriatrics!!!! )...she should definitately try to get an H on her anesthesiology rotation...do electives in anes at places she wants to be at and DO WELL there...if she thinks she did not do well on her step 1, these things could minimize the score....also, she MAY consider taking step 2 early on in her 4th year so she can have her grade for that too to potentially offset step 1 (which, by the way is NOT as bad as she thinks)...however, be careful if you take it early...a bad showing on step 2 could also hurt her...

 

[anesthesiaman]

Just do well in your 4th year rotation.

 

[medlaw06]

Anyone can get into anesthesia these days.

Look at me, I'm a DO and got into a large, university-based MD residency. Since, DO's are generally considered "less" than MDs, then if you're an MD, you've got a good shot already.

Just do well in your 4th year rotation.

Gimme a T
Gimme an R
Gimme an O
Gimme an L
Gimme another L

 

[anesthesiaman]

Gimme a T
Gimme an R
Gimme an O
Gimme an L
Gimme another L

Not so fast. I don't think that's trollish because it's just the truth.

1) Are DO's considered "more" than MDs? No. If anything they are considered "less" (by some, but definitely not all, people).
2) Is it good advice to do well in the 4th year rotation? Yes.

I'm just being honest, so that the person in question has an idea of the relative chances he/she has of getting into anesthesia. That's all.


(by the way, isn't that Chris Cornell, not Kim Thayil, singing that? What song is that? I can't place it.)

 

[jetproppilot]

Anyone can get into anesthesia these days.

Look at me, I'm a DO and got into a large, university-based MD residency. Since, DO's are generally considered "less" than MDs, then if you're an MD, you've got a good shot already.

Just do well in your 4th year rotation.

😳 😳 😳 😳 😳

Go somewhere else, Justin. You're not welcome here.

 

[Kim B]

😳 😳 😳 😳 😳

Go somewhere else, Justin. You're not welcome here.

I was just about to page Bill Jet, FBI Profiler, but it looks like he's already on the case. 👍

 

[asdash]

😳 😳 😳 😳 😳

Go somewhere else, Justin. You're not welcome here.

Are you sure it's the same guy? Try viewing anesthesiaman's homepage...

 

[medlaw06]

(by the way, isn't that Chris Cornell, not Kim Thayil, singing that? What song is that? I can't place it.)

singing is one thing....writing the lyrics is another.....Chris sang it but Kim wrote it....


song: rooms a thousand years wide
album: badmotorfinger

OLD SKOOL BABY!!!

 

[medlaw06]

1) the soundgarden song is probably one of THE MOST UNDER-RATED songs by them....

2) FYI pal....when I listed the places that my fiance interviewed at and such in the previous posts, she interviewed at all of them AS A DO!!!! I am sure that Harvard is really scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for physicians of your so-called "lesser" quality...we all know how Harvard's program is REALLY struggling to find competent physicians....GW, UMD, Jeff are I am sure also included in this list of places looking for "lesser" physicians....and on a final note, Harvard unfortunately had to reduce their spots from 33 to 21 (similar to lot of other places...another reason why anesthesiology is getting tougher) and my FIANCE WAS RANKED by them too....oh...at 29...true...she didn't officially match at Harvard, but would have had they not lost some of their spots....but then again, the 29th spot at harvard's anesthesiology list is considered picking from "lesser" physicians....right anesthesiaman???.....

dude....get a clue before you post stuff....if you are good (MD or DO), then you'll have plenty of opportunities....if you are bad (MD or DO), have fun scrambling.....especially in a tough field like anesthesiology!!

 

[anesthesiaman]

=medlaw06]

1) the soundgarden song is probably one of THE MOST UNDER-RATED songs by them....

2) FYI pal....when I listed the places that my fiance interviewed at and such in the previous posts, she interviewed at all of them AS A DO!!!! I am sure that Harvard is really scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for physicians of your so-called "lesser" quality...we all know how Harvard's program is REALLY struggling to find competent physicians....GW, UMD, Jeff are I am sure also included in this list of places looking for "lesser" physicians....and on a final note, Harvard unfortunately had to reduce their spots from 33 to 21 (similar to lot of other places...another reason why anesthesiology is getting tougher) and my FIANCE WAS RANKED by them too....oh...at 29...true...she didn't officially match at Harvard, but would have had they not lost some of their spots....but then again, the 29th spot at harvard's anesthesiology list is considered picking from "lesser" physicians....right anesthesiaman???.....

dude....get a clue before you post stuff....if you are good (MD or DO), then you'll have plenty of opportunities....if you are bad (MD or DO), have fun scrambling.....especially in a tough field like anesthesiology!!

relax man. this is an anesthesia board. okay you're totally right. i'm sorry i was wrong.

 

[jetproppilot]

I was just about to page Bill Jet, FBI Profiler, but it looks like he's already on the case. 👍

I'm here.

 

[jetproppilot]

Are you sure it's the same guy? Try viewing anesthesiaman's homepage...

Not the same guy. Confirmed by the FBI.

 

[anesthesiaman]

No it's not the same guy. The FBI is correct.

Hey anyone know what's better to read in the first year, baby miller or lange?

 

[VentdependenT]

Apologies anesthesiaman. We are a bit on edge after having been infultrated by a most conniving individual. We'll try and avoid mccarthyism tactics.

On the other hand, the fun factor provided by a solid smoldering witch hunt is hard to beat!


To the OP, to echo many many previous posters:
Rock Step II

Get a strong letter or two from an anesthesia attending. This can be attained by taking call with the individual to increase exposure

SICU/MICU shows interest to CC aspect of field and can bolster your interview and personal statment fodder

To anesthesiaman:
I dumped baby miller and dusted off my lange and am supplimenting with faust. I still sound like an idiot.

 

[anesthesiaman]

Apologies anesthesiaman. We are a bit on edge after having been infultrated by a most conniving individual. We'll try and avoid mccarthyism tactics.

On the other hand, the fun factor provided by a solid smoldering witch hunt is hard to beat!

No worries.

I've been wondering who this Justin guy is. But I just started reading these boards.

 

[UTSouthwestern]

No it's not the same guy. The FBI is correct.

Hey anyone know what's better to read in the first year, baby miller or lange?

Lange. Also get Faust's Anesthesia Review.

 

[VentdependenT]

Lange. Also get Faust's Anesthesia Review.

You reading my mind or am I reading yours UT?

 

[jetproppilot]

No worries.

I've been wondering who this Justin guy is. But I just started reading these boards.

Yes, apologies from me as well.

 

[anesthesiaman]

no harm done. and i hope you catch you guy. but then, what could you do if you do catch him?

okay thanks for the tips. lange and faust it is.

yes to the OP: icu LOR is good to have. still i think you just can't put enough emphasis on rotating at the hospital and putting on a good show (i.e. knowing your stuff) for the PD. i really think that is the most important and then your Step 1.

 

[Goose...Fraba]

no harm done. and i hope you catch you guy. but then, what could you do if you do catch him?

okay thanks for the tips. lange and faust it is.

yes to the OP: icu LOR is good to have. still i think you just can't put enough emphasis on rotating at the hospital and putting on a good show (i.e. knowing your stuff) for the PD. i really think that is the most important and then your Step 1.

Heres a question,

Im setting up a SICU rotation, what the heck should I read to "know my stuff" for that rotation (which I am going to try to get a letter)?

Goose

 

[jetproppilot]

Heres a question,

Im setting up a SICU rotation, what the heck should I read to "know my stuff" for that rotation (which I am going to try to get a letter)?

Goose

Best one I've seen is the soft cover book called The ICU Book. Who wrote that one, Dudes? I forgot. Anyway, easy reading, informative.

 

[JINX]

Paul L. Marino
The ICU book

 

[UTSouthwestern]

You reading my mind or am I reading yours UT?

Don't make pull out the saber.

 

[UTSouthwestern]

Paul L. Marino
The ICU book

Marino's kind of dated now. Unless a new edition has come out in the last couple of years. The ICU Book is getting up there in age.

 

[Disse]

Hey anyone know what's better to read in the first year, baby miller or lange?

Second (or third or fourth) that Lange is very useful.

Not so much for general reading but "Anesthesiologist's Manual of Surgical Procedures" I also found very good for CA-1 year as it gives an overview of a myriad of different surgical procedures and what to expect.

 

[anesthesiaman]

You know I met the Dr. Marino for an AOA intership interview in Manhattan. My sis is a corporate lawyer Manhattan, so I thought it might be a good place to go for internship (fuggedaboutit!).

When I found out it was him, I was very impressed. His nurse said that he had many students from all over the world bring their ICU books to him and have them autographed.

I thought that was pretty cool, and he was a nice guy. You'd get really good ICU experience there and probably a good LoR!

 

[blocks]

1) the soundgarden song is probably one of THE MOST UNDER-RATED songs by them....

2) FYI pal....when I listed the places that my fiance interviewed at and such in the previous posts, she interviewed at all of them AS A DO!!!! I am sure that Harvard is really scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for physicians of your so-called "lesser" quality...we all know how Harvard's program is REALLY struggling to find competent physicians....GW, UMD, Jeff are I am sure also included in this list of places looking for "lesser" physicians....and on a final note, Harvard unfortunately had to reduce their spots from 33 to 21 (similar to lot of other places...another reason why anesthesiology is getting tougher) and my FIANCE WAS RANKED by them too....oh...at 29...true...she didn't officially match at Harvard, but would have had they not lost some of their spots....but then again, the 29th spot at harvard's anesthesiology list is considered picking from "lesser" physicians....right anesthesiaman???.....

dude....get a clue before you post stuff....if you are good (MD or DO), then you'll have plenty of opportunities....if you are bad (MD or DO), have fun scrambling.....especially in a tough field like anesthesiology!!

Congrats to your fiancee on her match...I am wondering how she found out where Harvard ranked her...did she just send them an email and they whipped out a reply? Did she have a friend on the inside? I thought this type of stuff was closely guarded.

Hmmm...maybe I'll send out an email to my #1 from this year's match. First, I'll let them know that I matched at a highly reputable, top-tier program that I ranked below them only because of geography. Then I'll ask 'by the way, where did you guys rank me?'

That should go over well.


I am serious about contacting my #1 to find out where they ranked me. Have senior posters here like UTSW and others heard of questions like that asked of their program? I was straight shooting when I told them I was ranking them #1, it would be interesting to see how what they were telling me jives with how they actually ended up ranking me.

 

[UTSouthwestern]

Congrats to your fiancee on her match...I am wondering how she found out where Harvard ranked her...did she just send them an email and they whipped out a reply? Did she have a friend on the inside? I thought this type of stuff was closely guarded.

Hmmm...maybe I'll send out an email to my #1 from this year's match. First, I'll let them know that I matched at a highly reputable, top-tier program that I ranked below them only because of geography. Then I'll ask 'by the way, where did you guys rank me?'

That should go over well.


I am serious about contacting my #1 to find out where they ranked me. Have senior posters here like UTSW and others heard of questions like that asked of their program? I was straight shooting when I told them I was ranking them #1, it would be interesting to see how what they were telling me jives with how they actually ended up ranking me.

I did have a couple of people ask me that question, but they were both horrible candidates that didn't match anywhere and thought a rotation at UTSW automatically gained them entrance into our program. I was honest with them: "We didn't rank you." We even hinted to them that "it would be best if you look elsewhere," but both put all of their eggs in our basket.

I suspect that if you connected well with an attending at your #1, they would probably tell you. Otherwise, they'll probably ignore you.

 

[Etomidate]

I did have a couple of people ask me that question, but they were both horrible candidates that didn't match anywhere and thought a rotation at UTSW automatically gained them entrance into our program. I was honest with them: "We didn't rank you." We even hinted to them that "it would be best if you look elsewhere," but both put all of their eggs in our basket.

I suspect that if you connected well with an attending at your #1, they would probably tell you. Otherwise, they'll probably ignore you.

Why were they horrible candidates?

 

[UTSouthwestern]

Bottom of their class (literally #202 out of 202, including failing the first year) and/or bizarre personalities ("Hi, I'm Mexican. Did you know that?"). Board scores also well below 200.

 

[blocks]

"Hi, I'm Mexican, did you know that?" LMAO


One of the things I really want to do as a resident is get involved in the selection/recruitment process. I'm sure you have a million interesting stories about that, UTSW.

 

[brendang]

hey OB...i can TRY to help you in this since my fiance just matched in anesthesiology at St. Lukes-roosevelt in NYC....yes...it IS getting VERY tough to get into anes these days (hell...there's even an cliche now: ROAD to success: Radiology, Orthopedics, Anesthesiology, and Dermatology)....anesthesiology took a hit when the nurse anesthetists were having more control, but its making a HUGE comeback ever since the scope of practice for nurses was reduced (I think--hell, I am an IM guy, and these things I hear from her)...but overall, it IS getting a LOT harder these days to go into anesthesiology...anyways....where is yorur friend trying to get a residency in? My fiance did VERY well in her clinical years (all H except for 1 HP) and she had some research also....i forgot her 3 digit score on step 1, but her 2 digit was 87 (whatever that comes out to)...she applied to nnumerous porgrams (all in the North East) and interviewd at (from south to north): U of MD, Georgetown, George Washington, Temple, Thomas Jefferson, St.Lukes-Roosevelt (obviously), Stony Brook, Albert Einstein-Yeshiva, UConn, and Harvard-BWH. She declined some interviews and I forgot where, but they were University based settings also....

1 thing I can say is that it is VERY confusing where you will end up interviewing...for example, she interviewed at Harvard, but was rejected from UMDNJs which makes no sense since one of the programs (RWJ, I believe) is on probation....one of her friends, who HAS lower scores, lower class rank and activities, and such but graduated with her interviewed at Yale and another interviewed at Johns Hopkins with similar credentials as her....She was rejected from SUNY-Downstate but interviewed at GW....rejected from MCP-Hahnemann, but interviewed at Jeff....

the point: TELL HER TO APPLY TO AS MANY PLACES AS SHE CAN (it's like palying the lottery....you'll never win unless you play) 🙄 😉

hope this helps...even a little

sorry to intrude here, but i always thought that the road included ophtho, not ortho...

 

[medlaw06]

sorry to intrude here, but i always thought that the road included ophtho, not ortho...

my apologies... 🙂 🙂

(but ortho isn't bad either)

and could the "R" also stand for rad onc? Don't know much about it, but I've heard that like's pretty cush there too....

 

[jetproppilot]

Bottom of their class (literally #202 out of 202, including failing the first year) and/or bizarre personalities ("Hi, I'm Mexican. Did you know that?"). Board scores also well below 200.

Did you reply I'M ONE OF THE ORIGINAL JEDI WARRIORS AND I"M ABOUT TO REDUCE YOU TO DUST. DID YOU KNOW THAT???

 

[jetproppilot]

sorry to intrude here, but i always thought that the road included ophtho, not ortho...

geez...
this is really stupid trivia.

 

[jetproppilot]

my apologies... 🙂 🙂

(but ortho isn't bad either)

and could the "R" also stand for rad onc? Don't know much about it, but I've heard that like's pretty cush there too....

I can't believe I'm reponding to this, but unless you do Lasik or a retinal fellowship, an ortho dude will blow an eye dude outta the water monetarily today. The cataract cowboy days are over.

 

[VentdependenT]

cataract cowboys? LOL

Where do all those lonely separated cataracts end up anyways.