- Joined
- Aug 31, 2014
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 0
deleted
Last edited:
Hello distinguished soon-to-be medical colleagues,
Here is my fairly unique situation:
Just wrapping up an MPH year between M3 and M4. Am set up to apply to pediatrics but after working through some personal hangups and reflecting on my clerkship experiences and the kind of work I find fulfilling, I've finally realized that ENT is an excellent fit for me. Maybe I would subspecialize in peds, maybe not, but I like the adult stuff, too, and the opportunity to solve problems for both populations is just another huge plus for me anyway.
My rundown:
-Step 1: 259
-Step 2: 265, passed CS (took it at the start of the MPH year)
-Clerkships: H in IM/Peds/FM/SurgSubspeciality (including 3 weeks of ENT that earned me stellar evals from residents but not much attending facetime); HP General Surgery/Psych/OBGyn
-During my MPH year at my upper-mid-tier MD home school, I concentrated in biostats/epidemiology. Going to have a couple posters/potential papers related to neonatology stemming from the "practicum" portion.
-Other research: Have a first-author paper in PLOS One from an undergrad neuroscience lab (for which I performed inner ear surgery on birds! ), two co-author papers in Cancer Cell and PNAS from an ovarian cancer lab, and a poster and first-author paper in a mid-tier surgical journal from a retrospective chart review on breast biopsies. Briefly started chart review for a prospective ENT study back in M1 but the institute I was working at went through a change and my involvement ended at that time.
-Extracurricular stuff: I've been really involved in helping out the school- some work improving our health center, peer tutoring/counseling stuff, directing a preclinical material review course this year, was a co-author this year on the required student experience survey for the upcoming LCME re-accreditation cycle. Also some volunteering with health insurance exchange outreach stuff, etc.
-Haven't spoken to faculty yet and I'm unknown in the department, but got some feedback from someone, who just did a research year and matched, that my chances are great and I should go straight through with peds as backup while immediately getting involved in ENT database projects leveraging my new data analysis skills.
Advice/feedback/dire warnings? I greatly appreciate the wisdom on these boards.
Hello distinguished soon-to-be medical colleagues,
Here is my fairly unique situation:
Just wrapping up an MPH year between M3 and M4. Am set up to apply to pediatrics but after working through some personal hangups and reflecting on my clerkship experiences and the kind of work I find fulfilling, I've finally realized that ENT is an excellent fit for me. Maybe I would subspecialize in peds, maybe not, but I like the adult stuff, too, and the opportunity to solve problems for both populations is just another huge plus for me anyway.
My rundown:
-Step 1: 259
-Step 2: 265, passed CS (took it at the start of the MPH year)
-Clerkships: H in IM/Peds/FM/SurgSubspeciality (including 3 weeks of ENT that earned me stellar evals from residents but not much attending facetime); HP General Surgery/Psych/OBGyn
-During my MPH year at my upper-mid-tier MD home school, I concentrated in biostats/epidemiology. Going to have a couple posters/potential papers related to neonatology stemming from the "practicum" portion.
-Other research: Have a first-author paper in PLOS One from an undergrad neuroscience lab (for which I performed inner ear surgery on birds! ), two co-author papers in Cancer Cell and PNAS from an ovarian cancer lab, and a poster and first-author paper in a mid-tier surgical journal from a retrospective chart review on breast biopsies. Briefly started chart review for a prospective ENT study back in M1 but the institute I was working at went through a change and my involvement ended at that time.
-Extracurricular stuff: I've been really involved in helping out the school- some work improving our health center, peer tutoring/counseling stuff, directing a preclinical material review course this year, was a co-author this year on the required student experience survey for the upcoming LCME re-accreditation cycle. Also some volunteering with health insurance exchange outreach stuff, etc.
-Haven't spoken to faculty yet and I'm unknown in the department, but got some feedback from someone, who just did a research year and matched, that my chances are great and I should go straight through with peds as backup while immediately getting involved in ENT database projects leveraging my new data analysis skills.
Advice/feedback/dire warnings? I greatly appreciate the wisdom on these boards.
Fair enough. Just curious, to help my learning process for formulating my goals- what are the inherent trade-offs of not getting into a top program? Reputation of the name obviously, but in terms of training does it typically mean lower/less diverse caseload?In your situation, a year off doing research is the difference between matching at a top program and a mediocre one (if at all). Just my opinion though.
In your situation, a year off doing research is the difference between matching at a top program and a mediocre one (if at all). Just my opinion though.
I know ENT is competitive and all, but come on!
Assuming the OP can get known in his home department and get something ENT-related submitted for publication in the next few months, he/she should be very competitive to match.
Set up meetings with chairman/PD ASAP, try to shadow in clinic/OR, and start attending ENT grand rounds every week. This should not be hard to do with your MPH year and M4 cush schedule.
Fair enough. Just curious, to help my learning process for formulating my goals- what are the inherent trade-offs of not getting into a top program? Reputation of the name obviously, but in terms of training does it typically mean lower/less diverse caseload?
Another point in terms of a research year- will programs be put off that I've taken a whole 6 years to finish med school? Especially considering my step1 score would be >3 years old at the time of applying?
Well i certainly agree that if those things can be accomplished OP can match somewhere, I guess I just disagree on how feasible it is. He/she has nothing started in terms of ENT research, and is completely unknown to the department and will have a generic letter in all likelihood.
If the ERAS deadline was tomorrow, I'd definitely agree with you. It will take some hustling, but the OP certainly has the opportunity to correct these deficiencies in the next 5-6 months until applications are due.