Board Score

[Friendly]

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I always hate these kind of posts, so please be kind. I am wondering how many residency programs I should apply to and, actually, my likelihood of matching in ophthalmology at all.

I scored a 220s on Step 1 and all high passes with a couple of honors in clinicals so far.

Basically, my MSIII and MSIV schedule is unusual in the sense that taking Step 2 early is simply not an option and I cannot do an away rotation (two rotations in ophtho completed at my home institution). Historically, I've always done extremely well once I've secured an interview. For personal reasons, I cannot risk not matching. So my question is this (for the seasoned applicants/residents please): am I borderline for securing interviews in ophthalmology?

Thanks for your time.

 

[JMK2005]

I think you should do should do OK if you play it smart. A good step 2 score may help bolster the 220, but the step 1 alone won't kill your application. Get good letters of rec. Apply to a range of programs, both good ones and smaller programs.

It's a matching process. Though people complain about how random the process is, I think if you interview a place you like and they like you, you'll match.

It's unclear in your post. Have you already finished your ms3 and ms4 years and also finished those 2 ophtho rotation... meaning you took a research year or some other time off?

goodluck.

 

[Friendly]

Hey thanks for the advice. For clarification, I'm nearing the end of MSIII. I'm still in medical school. An ophthalmologist suggested (without knowing my background) that taking a year out to do ophthalmology research would be a huge plus but there's no way I'm going to do that. It won't make me a better clinician, though I appreciate that it might marginally improve the appearance of commitment to the field - at least on paper. Thanks again.

 

[ophthal3]

"There is another medical specialty that I would excel in and I will definitely match, so my question is this (for the seasoned applicants/residents please): am I borderline for securing interviews in ophthalmology?"

You will never know if you are borderline or not without applying and seeing for yourself. Anything anyone else could say on here would only be speculation.

 

[speyeder]

I always hate these kind of posts, so please be kind. I am wondering how many residency programs I should apply to and, actually, my likelihood of matching in ophthalmology at all.

I scored a 220 (91) on Step 1 and all high passes with a couple of honors in clinicals so far. I have a couple of graduate research degrees, and 15 publications (clinical and basic research; nothing in ophtho). I attend a generic state school. I have multiple basic and clinical research awards at top U.S. research programs.

Basically, my MSIII and MSIV schedule is unusual in the sense that taking Step 2 early is simply not an option and I cannot do an away rotation (two rotations in ophtho completed at my home institution). Historically, I've always done extremely well once I've secured an interview. For personal reasons, I cannot risk not matching. There is another medical specialty that I would excel in and I will definitely match, so my question is this (for the seasoned applicants/residents please): am I borderline for securing interviews in ophthalmology?

Thanks for your time.

If you can't take Step 2 early and can't do outside rotations and can't risk not matching in ophtho, then apply to the "other medical specialty" as back-up. Although it's certainly possible to match with your credentials, another way to look at it is that your Step 1 score is 13 points below the average successful applicant last year. By this fact alone you may get screened out by many programs.

 

[Friendly]

If you can't take Step 2 early and can't do outside rotations and can't risk not matching in ophtho, then apply to the "other medical specialty" as back-up. Although it's certainly possible to match with your credentials, another way to look at it is that your Step 1 score is 13 points below the average successful applicant last year. By this fact alone you may get screened out by many programs.

Thanks for your reply. Yeah, I know the match from one year ago had a mean Step 1 of 231. Are you saying the mean is 233 for the recent match? I'm having a hard time believing that many programs would screen for a step 1 score of 231+. I'd expect that from maybe the top 10 programs. If that's the case, thanks for the eye-opener (no pun intended), and I welcome other comments and advice.

The other specialty I'd consider going for is not in the SF match. Other then issues with the logistics of interview, what are the chances that ophthalmology programs might find out an applicant is ranking opthalmology and regular (non-prelim) categorical residencies in the regular match? An answer to this would be great.

 

[JMK2005]

Even though the SFmatch is "early", the interview process overlaps quite a bit with the regular match.

When you apply to the same institution for those 2 specialties, there's a chance that program directors may talk.

So, are you applying to the other specialty because you're afraid of not matching or because you like the specialty?

 

[ophthal3]

The mean for the 2008 match was 232. The mean at individual programs, though, could vary quite a bit. Progs don't disclose their cutoffs. Its not unheard of to match with a 220, look at the 2008 match thread. I think most scored substantially better on Step 2 though.

 

[Friendly]

The mean for the 2008 match was 232. The mean at individual programs, though, could vary quite a bit. Progs don't disclose their cutoffs. Its not unheard of to match with a 220, look at the 2008 match thread. I think most scored substantially better on Step 2 though.

Yeah, the threads on here are not representative - they are skewed to the right.

On reflection, I have an otherwise competitive application and I know I will get into an ophthalmology program somewhere. I guess I was just hoping for a response from a wide spread of applicants who have actually gone through the match and can speak authoritatively about it. Thanks to those who responded.