Board score of 209

[catco]

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I've been wanting to do ophthalmology from the beginning of med school, mostly just because I love the eye. Obviously, a step 1 boards score of 209 is very disappointing. Do I have any chance of matching in ophthalmology now? I'm at a top 10 med school, but this kind of score seems likely to shut me out. I just started 3rd year, so I do not have any other stats (other than one Honors in Psych during 2nd year).

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.

 

[Buck Strong]

I'm only a lowly MS4 who is hoping to match this year, but i think i might have some decent advice.

3rd year:
-Honor as many rotations as you can, make sure to pick up some good letters along the way.
-Be open to all your rotations and show interest, not only will it help you do better during third year, but you may find a field you may enjoy as much as ophtho...you can apply to more than 1 specialty in case you're worried about going unmatched.
-Start getting to know the ophtho people at your home school, maybe do a third year elective (if offered) and try to impress the attendings
-Plan to take step 2 early in 4th year


4th year:
-Rock step 2 and make sure you do it early enough for the sfmatch
-The programs that are most likely to overlook step one are the programs that really know you, ie: your home program and programs where you did away rotations. Consider rotating at 1-2 programs where you think you have a good shot. For example, I wouldn't do both aways at wills and bascom-palmer. However, there is the argument that you may want to rotate at 1 great program in hopes of getting a great letter from someone well known...
-get your application in early, and make sure you apply to a broad range of programs


There may be more things, and I'll add them to the list as i think of them

 

[catco]

Your comments help a lot. Any other suggestions you might have, please send them my way.

I'm only a lowly MS4 who is hoping to match this year, but i think i might have some decent advice.

3rd year:
-Honor as many rotations as you can, make sure to pick up some good letters along the way.
-Be open to all your rotations and show interest, not only will it help you do better during third year, but you may find a field you may enjoy as much as ophtho...you can apply to more than 1 specialty in case you're worried about going unmatched.
-Start getting to know the ophtho people at your home school, maybe do a third year elective (if offered) and try to impress the attendings
-Plan to take step 2 early in 4th year


4th year:
-Rock step 2 and make sure you do it early enough for the sfmatch
-The programs that are most likely to overlook step one are the programs that really know you, ie: your home program and programs where you did away rotations. Consider rotating at 1-2 programs where you think you have a good shot. For example, I wouldn't do both aways at wills and bascom-palmer. However, there is the argument that you may want to rotate at 1 great program in hopes of getting a great letter from someone well known...
-get your application in early, and make sure you apply to a broad range of programs


There may be more things, and I'll add them to the list as i think of them

 

[Kannen1979]

I've been wanting to do ophthalmology from the beginning of med school, mostly just because I love the eye. Obviously, a step 1 boards score of 209 is very disappointing. Do I have any chance of matching in ophthalmology now? I'm at a top 10 med school, but this kind of score seems likely to shut me out. I just started 3rd year, so I do not have any other stats (other than one Honors in Psych during 2nd year).

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.

I don't have any advice, but I wish you the best of luck, I'm in a similar predicament, although I want a different ultra-competitive surgical subspecialty . . .if you hear any good advice please pass is my way!

 

[Ophtho24]

I think Buck Strongs advice is pretty solid. I think you should go to programs you think you can match at though. I am on away rotations now as a MS4 and am finding it kind of hard to get letters from well known faculty. Many of these people do a lot of research which will mean less clinic time for you impress them. Little exposure makes it hard to get letters. I think going somewhere you are likely to match at and letting them know that you really want to go there is your best bet. Some programs may have cutoffs though that may get you eliminated (ie Step I must be >220) so really emphasize that you want to go so that you don't get cut by the computer program. Hope this helps. Other people I have talked to also told me that they found it rough to do well at the big name programs, so I thought you should know that.

 

[AlconMD]

Some programs may have cutoffs though that may get you eliminated (ie Step I must be >220)

😱
is this true? is 220 the number we have to be above for our application to even come across their desk?

 

[Ophtho24]

😱
is this true? is 220 the number we have to be above for our application to even come across their desk?

I was giving that number as an example. However, I do know that programs have cutoffs for interviews. They kind of have to when they are getting like a few hundred apps for only a few seats. A student at a med school with a good rads program said that the program director for radiology told him that they had a cutoff of 240. Obviously every program will have a different number, but some probably will have cutoffs of 220.

 

[7ontheline]

This may not be what you want to hear unfortunately, but I know that my program wouldn't interview anyone with a board score that low. I would assume a lot of programs are like that - our committee gets a lot of applications and board scores are a quick way to filter them. I doubt that any one aspect of anybody's application is a complete dealbreaker for every program, but I would be very surprised if you got into a "top" or "name" program. Sorry. That said, many less well known programs will provide good training.

 

[wright]

You need to do as many externships as possible...programs are willing to overlook your board score if they realize you're a hard worker and get along well with the residents....it will be hard, but it is possible...I agree with taking your boards early and trying to make the best score possible...bust it this year and learn as much as possible to give yourself the opportunity of bumping your score up....good luck!