Board Scores / Residency

[spme]

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Hi everyone,
I am a 3rd yr medical student thinking of pursuing PM&R residency.
However, I am not sure if my scores / grades are good enough.
Here is my stats.

USMLE Step 1 202
COMLEX Step 1 468
Class Rank 50% percentile with "good" pre-clinical grades and "superior" clinical grades
Decent number of extracurricular activities / honors / awards
Scheduled to have 3 elective PM&R rotations...

Basically I am in "slightly below average" category as far as numbers go.
Planning on taking Step 2s in July.

Any advices as to which programs I should apply?
Specifically, which programs to shoot for and which to rank so that I won't end up without residency?

Thanks for your time!😀

 

[SportsMed09]

The answer to your question will come after you take step 2 and do your pm&r electives. If you do well on those, you may be able to get top tier interviews. Elective performance carries alot of weight, so if you demonstrate knowledge as well as enthusiasm, your letters of recommendation will take you pretty far. Apply broadly and rank 8, as this seems to be the magic number to ensure you will match. Remember that fit between you and a program is what you should look for when you rotate and eventually go on interviews.

 

[spme]

Thanks for your repoly SportsMed!
I am currently scheduled to do a rotation at Mt. Sinai.
Is it a good program?
I was fascinated by the fact that they had 2 model programs / curriculum both for TBI and SCI...and the fact that PD is a sports med guy. But I don't know much of anything else.
Any other programs that I should consider? Considering my scores / grades etc, if there is any advice / suggestion, that would be appreciated!!😀

 

[PMR 4 MSK]

Unfortunately, "slightly below average" for med school translates to "slightly above average" for PM&R. You're DO, but PM&R is one of the more DO-friendly fields.

You'll get in. You'll get ranked well if you interview well. Apply to the programs that best meet your career plans, or broadly if you are not sure. 8-10 should do it, make sure a couple are "back-ups."

Is that Mt Sinai NY or Chicago?

 

[spme]

Thanks for your reply MSK!
It is Mt. Sinai in NY.

 

[Ludicolo]

You’ll likely get some decent interviews just w/ the stats you have now. But if you excel in your electives and do better on Step 2, you’ll be a lot more competitive. If you also interview well, you’ll end up somewhere quite nice.

Mt. Sinai in NYC is a solid program, and the PD (Dr. Herrera) is a stand up guy. You’ll have a good experience there. I’ll also echo the recommendation of applying broadly, unless you have an underlying geographic restriction.

 

[spme]

Thanks for your reply/advice Ludicolo.

I have heard about Dr. Herrera and yes, he is one of a few reasons I decided I wanted to go all the way to NY just for a month. I am not sure exactly how he is special etc but, as I understand, he works in sports medicine setting as well, correct?

Is there anything that you would recommend me doing prior to going into my audition rotations? Any books that you recommend for someone new to PM&R?

Also another question that I have is...what kind of personality / person will fit well with the field of PM&R? Obviously the answer to this is very subjective, and experience-dependent. But no matter how subjective it is, I would like to hear what experienced physiatrist / residents thinkg of what ideal physiatrist should possess as his / her characteristics...

I feel that I have what it takes to be a decent physiatrist, but I may be completely wrong.... 😀

Thanks again for taking time to respond!!🙂

 

[Ludicolo]

I have heard about Dr. Herrera and yes, he is one of a few reasons I decided I wanted to go all the way to NY just for a month. I am not sure exactly how he is special etc but, as I understand, he works in sports medicine setting as well, correct?

Yes – sports, spine, MSK stuff. He’s the residency PD as well as the interventional spine/sports fellowship director.

Is there anything that you would recommend me doing prior to going into my audition rotations? Any books that you recommend for someone new to PM&R?

You don’t need to go out of your way to learn new stuff prior to your rotations. You’ll learn plenty during the auditions. Review what you already know. Review your musculoskeletal and neuroanatomy. Show up on time. Don’t leave early. Read up on your patients. Help out where you can. Smile.

If you must read something, maybe a good physical exam book such as Hoppenfeld’s Physical Examination of the Spine and Extremities. Choi’s Pocketpedia might be handy to carry around with you during your rotations.

Also another question that I have is...what kind of personality / person will fit well with the field of PM&R? Obviously the answer to this is very subjective, and experience-dependent. But no matter how subjective it is, I would like to hear what experienced physiatrist / residents thinkg of what ideal physiatrist should possess as his / her characteristics...

Intelligent, competent, the ability to see the big picture. Responsible, respectful, approachable, adaptable, compassionate, composed, patient, persistent. Intellectually curious. A problem solver. A team player and a team leader. Practical, with more than a little common sense. Someone who fully embraces the term “quality of life” – both professionally and personally.

A thick skin helps as well, as does a good sense of humor. Throw in some business savvy and you’ve got yourself a pretty good physiatrist.

 

[spme]

Someone who fully embraces quality of life....I really like that part Ludicolo. That is why I want to go in to this field!
I often hear pts with Muscular dystrophy referred as (by us med students)"a boring case" "depressing" and I really feel there is something wrong with these insensitive comments esp. from future doctors. We are here to help them but not to judge them. They may not be able to breathe on their own but I am sure they are living for reasons and I am sure there are happy moments in their lives. And we are just there to help.

Thank you very much for all the replies. I will probably come back with more questions😀

 

[PMR 4 MSK]

Someone who fully embraces quality of life....I really like that part Ludicolo. That is why I want to go in to this field!
I often hear pts with Muscular dystrophy referred as (by us med students)"a boring case" "depressing" and I really feel there is something wrong with these insensitive comments esp. from future doctors. We are here to help them but not to judge them. They may not be able to breathe on their own but I am sure they are living for reasons and I am sure there are happy moments in their lives. And we are just there to help.

Thank you very much for all the replies. I will probably come back with more questions😀

FLEAS and surgeons, and their respective future counterparts, often look at the whole field of PM&R that way, until we succesful treat their patients, or until they, a family member or friend aquire a disabling or painful condition. Then they learn what we can do.

These same doctors will refer to a case of Hodgkin's Lymphoma or osteomylitis as "A very intersting case" if only because they have the tools and training to treat that. An interesting case to me is one where I can improve their function and QOL.

 

[spme]

Hi everyone...
I came up with another question that might have been asked in the past many times.

I was wondering what separates a good program from not-so-good program.
Obviously it has to do with what you want to get out of it. But if you are an applicant to a residency program who want a well-balanced exposure b/c you don't know what specific area of PM&R you are interested, then which programs would be good for this imaginary person?

I hear names like RIC institute, Columbina-Cornell, Spaulding, Johns Hopkins etc but I wonder how these are different from say NYU programs, Albert Einstein programs, etc.

I was looking at interview thread to find the reason why these are "well known" but could someone tell me which programs are top programs and why they are popular?

Thank you very much for your time!
😀