another chances thread...

[pev]

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Hey folks,

Long time lurker on these boards, just wanted to get a few opinions on whether anesthesiology is off the table for me.

- US M3 at an upper-mid tier school
- Step 1: 197
- Mix of pass/high-pass from clinical rotations (excellent evaluations but low shelf scores tanked me overall)
- no failures/remediations during M1-2 but overall was ranked low-average
- 2-3 publications in well respected journals (1st/2nd author)

I have a couple of anesthesia rotations scheduled for early in M4 and getting good LORs shouldn't be an issue *knocks-on-wood*. I also plan to take Step 2 at the end of August - currently going through UWorld meticulously and supplementing with only Step 2 Secrets + MKSAP 5 and ultimately hope to improve my score by as much as possible (although realistically a score of 210-220 may well be my limit).

Really interested in anesthesia because (in no particular order):
- I love being in the OR (but don't want to be a surgeon)
- good mix of procedures
- nice integration of physiology/pathology/pharmacology with a focus on immediate pt care not long term management (although pain/palliative care might allow a certain amount of this if I wanted it)
- possibility for ICU/critical care work which I enjoy
- busy work but decent lifestyle and earning potential

So do I have a shot and how many schools should I apply to?
Is late August going to hurt me in terms of getting my scores back in time for my application?
What are my chances of staying around the midwest area (Ohio due to family commitments)?

Please share any other advice you may deem useful and be as critical/scathing as possible!

Thanks and keep up the great work on this sub-forum!

TL😀R US-M3 with Step 1 of 197. Am I screwed?

 

[txhorn]

You are going to be automatically filtered out from the schools that set 200 as the cutoff, but a good step 2 score will help. For those programs, an email to the PD would be worth a shot just to get them to review your application. I had a classmate who matched at a NY program with a Step 1 score in the 190s. Good luck!

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

Good news: 50/66 (75%) of US seniors with a Step 1 between 190 and 200 matched in 2011.
Bad news: overall, 96% of US seniors applying to anesthesia matched, so 75% is significantly lower, and those people didn't have geographic restrictions when applying.

It's obviously not impossible, but you're behind the 8 ball. You're going to have to apply broadly and be active with the communication.

Poor Step 1 scores and poor shelf exams is a pattern. Programs want to know that you're going to be able to pass the boards, especially now that the format/timing is changing and your ability to even complete residency may be at stake.