what are the typical board scores for people who get into the top tier programs? is a 250+ the usual number? does being AOA offset a slightly lower board score, or would a 250 be used as a screening cutoff?
board scores at top programs?
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you can't make these type of generalizations. remember it's the whole picture of the applicant and what they can bring to the table that counts. USMLE plays a role. AOA can only help you. however, there is a lot of emphasis on letters of rec, how you present yourself in your application and on your interview, prior research experience and the caliber of medical school you come from. if 250 was a cutoff, i would not have interviewed at the places that i did.
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My PD (top 20 program) says that to decide on interviews, they weight the letters of rec 75%, and the remaining 25% as board scores/grades/etc...
Obviously things like AOA, MD/PhD, etc... factor in.
Obviously things like AOA, MD/PhD, etc... factor in.
F
fatman41
There is no way anyone is going to read your LORs before they have screened you with step I or something objective. You need the numbers before they look at the rest
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A very close friend of mine is a radiology resident at Mass Gen Hosp (very competitive of course). He told me that the initial screening process at most programs is based on your Step 1 and 2 scores (if available), medical school name and sometimes the first paragraph of your personal statement. After that initial screening, then they will go deeper and start looking at the LOR's, complete PS, research and those details that make you unique. IOW, if you are from a top 10 school (not me) and have boards of >250 (not me) you are very likely to pass that initial screening process. For the rest of us (humans), it's all about luck and impressing the right person with the right quality. Apparently, my stats are not impressive for most programs so far. Actually, only one was impressed…
Not to sound rude, but that sounds, well, ridiculous!
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you're right, they won't read the whole letter, but they will look to see who it is from. don't kid yourself there are a lot of subjective factors that go into this whole process. that being said, should the person with a USMLE 1 score of 199 be realistic about applying to a "top" ophthalmology program, yes! but the person with a score of 260 with LORs from a community ophthalmogist and no ophtho research or experience should not expect to receive interviews at all the top programs either. remember it's the whole package. if you lack in one area (like USMLE), make up for it in another (like research, being AOA, etc).
