Away rotations making me depressed

[blackbird11384]

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Well truthfully I am having a blast on my away rotation at a top program but I am beginning to realize that I am not as competitive as I once thought. I have the 260, AOA some research blah blah, but the residents here are nearly all from top 20 schools and have interesting backgrounds (I am as boring and white as they come) in addition to being AOA (don't know their step 1 scores). Lowly me is from a mid tier school on the east coast.

I am beginning to think that these top programs heavily favor top medical school grads (I figured as much but didn't realize it would be so blatant). Oh well....

 

[UnderPar22]

Well truthfully I am having a blast on my away rotation at a top program but I am beginning to realize that I am not as competitive as I once thought. I have the 260, AOA some research blah blah, but the residents here are nearly all from top 15 schools and have interesting backgrounds (I am as boring and white as they come) in addition to being AOA (don't know their step 1 scores). Lowly me is from a mid tier school on the east coast.

I am beginning to think that these top programs heavily favor top medical school grads (I figured as much but didn't realize it would be so blatant). Oh well....

Can't change certain things. Maybe you should have studied harder for step 1?

Seriously though, don't sweat it. Why worry about something you can't change? Besides, you never know what's going to happen in March.

Good luck.👍

 

[2012mdc]

Well truthfully I am having a blast on my away rotation at a top program but I am beginning to realize that I am not as competitive as I once thought. I have the 260, AOA some research blah blah, but the residents here are nearly all from top 20 schools and have interesting backgrounds (I am as boring and white as they come) in addition to being AOA (don't know their step 1 scores). Lowly me is from a mid tier school on the east coast.

I am beginning to think that these top programs heavily favor top medical school grads (I figured as much but didn't realize it would be so blatant). Oh well....

As I keep getting passed over for IV's I wonder a similar thing about lack of med school pedigree hurting me.

 

[omarsaleh66]

Well truthfully I am having a blast on my away rotation at a top program but I am beginning to realize that I am not as competitive as I once thought. I have the 260, AOA some research blah blah, but the residents here are nearly all from top 20 schools and have interesting backgrounds (I am as boring and white as they come) in addition to being AOA (don't know their step 1 scores). Lowly me is from a mid tier school on the east coast.

I am beginning to think that these top programs heavily favor top medical school grads (I figured as much but didn't realize it would be so blatant). Oh well....

As long as you can jump, u have a chance

 

[rem6775]

Seriously, you guys cannot really be this paranoid.

 

[Asp]

Unfortunately pedigree is very important. It may be even more important than Step 1 score. We live in a shallow world.

But let's be honest here. Most people in medical school aren't very different. So why not take the person who went to the better school?

It's all about the page that lists the residents. Schools want to drop names on that page.

Regionality matters. Why? So PDs can brag about how they don't have to go low on the rank list.

Step 1 matters. Easy to brag about average Step 1 scores of residents.

AOA matters. x % of our residents were AOA.

I don't think letters, third year grades matter all that much unless there are red flags. Hard for PDs to brag about those.

 

[cowme]

Yes. If you didn't goto HMS, didn't get 260+ AND weren't AOA, you might as well kiss any program outside of Kansas goodbye. Sorry brah

 

[2012mdc]

Seriously, you guys cannot really be this paranoid.

With zero invites thus far, yes I can

 

[rem6775]

With zero invites thus far, yes I can

When December 1 comes, you tell me how many interviews you had to cancel because you had too many, deal?

 

[2012mdc]

When December 1 comes, you tell me how many interviews you had to cancel because you had too many, deal?

Deal

 

[officedepot]

As I keep getting passed over for IV's I wonder a similar thing about lack of med school pedigree hurting me.

my school insists that med school "reputation" matters. I think IV's are just hard because everyone who applies for rads applies to those places so they have a lot to choose from.

 

[PokerDoc]

Unfortunately pedigree is very important. It may be even more important than Step 1 score. We live in a shallow world.

But let's be honest here. Most people in medical school aren't very different. So why not take the person who went to the better school?

It's all about the page that lists the residents. Schools want to drop names on that page.

Regionality matters. Why? So PDs can brag about how they don't have to go low on the rank list.

Step 1 matters. Easy to brag about average Step 1 scores of residents.

AOA matters. x % of our residents were AOA.

I don't think letters, third year grades matter all that much unless there are red flags. Hard for PDs to brag about those.

I couldn't disagree more. A few elite programs may be like this, but the overwhelming majority of programs want a person they would like working with far more than the best test taker. They all take scores and prestige into consideration, but I think your hierarchy of importance is out of touch with reality. If two identical candidates are separated only by board score and med school locale, sure the better score wins. But go find me a program that'll chose a douchebag who does anything to get ahead and has AOA over the standup hardworking, affiable, well liked person with average stats.

I realize my post sounds like an attack on your opinion (it's not, I'm sorry), but I think you're severely undervaluing LORs, comments and personality.

 

[sexyman]

lets hope youre right poker

 

[jahbrony]

.

 

[PokerDoc]

In my limited experience so far, I think asp's post is on point for many of the top 25 to 50 radiology programs. Seems like geography, step 1 score, and AOA are what matter most to them to get an interview invite. They may be selling the fact that they care about the other stuff, but the way the invites are being divvied out to my friends and I, I don't buy it.

Which is why I mentioned the elite programs may be like that. But then again, my "numbers" suck, theyre posted all over SDN if you care to search me, but I am not an impressive applicant on paper if you don't look past my grades. Yet, I have 13 interviews, only 4 at places I'd call "lower tier". So either I am getting consistently lucky, or I'm onto something with my theory. I am certainly depending on PDs looking at my whole application to assess my value rather than my scores, otherwise I would have no interviews at all.

The bottom line is that none of us truly understand the process, and the program directors are all human beings too, so there is no standardized way to screen applicants.

The truth is probably somewhere between what Asp said and what I said.

 

[jahbrony]

Which is why I mentioned the elite programs may be like that. But then again, my "numbers" suck, theyre posted all over SDN if you care to search me, but I am not an impressive applicant on paper if you don't look past my grades. Yet, I have 13 interviews, only 4 at places I'd call "lower tier". So either I am getting consistently lucky, or I'm onto something with my theory. I am certainly depending on PDs looking at my whole application to assess my value rather than my scores, otherwise I would have no interviews at all.

The bottom line is that none of us truly understand the process, and the program directors are all human beings too, so there is no standardized way to screen applicants.

The truth is probably somewhere between what Asp said and what I said.

I do agree with you. 👍 I was just saying that for many of the so called "top tier" programs, I've found Asp's post to ring true.

 

[PokerDoc]

I do agree with you. 👍 I was just saying that for many of the so called "top tier" programs, I've found Asp's post to ring true.

Oh for sure, definitely.

 

[2012mdc]

In my limited experience so far, I think asp's post is on point for many of the top 25 to 50 radiology programs. Seems like geography, step 1 score, and AOA are what matter most to them to get an interview invite. They may be selling the fact that they care about the other stuff, but the way the invites are being divvied out to my friends and I, I don't buy it.

I think I'll be a good n=1 study of how this process works out. Strong step score, AOA, strong 3rd year grades but no big name med school. Originally from Cali (permanent address still there) but in the South for med school. I probably want to head back West but I applied all over (Seattle to SD to Boston to Miami and even some so called "flyover" states. I'll see what happens after the dean's letter goes out

 

[killinsound]

I think I'll be a good n=1 study of how this process works out. Strong step score, AOA, strong 3rd year grades but no big name med school. Originally from Cali (permanent address still there) but in the South for med school. I probably want to head back West but I applied all over (Seattle to SD to Boston to Miami and even some so called "flyover" states. I'll see what happens after the dean's letter goes out

Make that n=2. Reading your posts, I think me and you are very similar applicants, looking for the same things.