Originally posted by dammit2
Congratulations to all that matched this year. Seemed like a tough year, especially with matched board scores are getting higher and higher.
I'm sure this has been asked at some point, but...
I did poorly on Step I (I only got the mean) but did a little better on Step II (230s). My question is -- does anyone even care about Step II? Or is my Step I score going to hold me back from ophtho?
Just wondering if anyone (esp. those in the know, like Dr. Doan) can provide insight...
You should go for it. Garp makes a good point that half are under the mean of ~228. When I applied, my Step I was slightly above the mean, but I had many other unique things on my application.
For instance, I started an E-Bay business during medical school where I sold electronics and Pokemon cards. I purchased the Pokemon cards from Wizards of the Coast in Seattle for about $10, but because they were always sold out across the US, people would turn to E-Bay to buy Pokemon cards. I got the idea when it took me 6 hours to find two decks for my nephews from a mall specialty store that sold them for double the retail price. I reasoned that if I had to spend 6 hours of my time to end up paying double for something; then, why not go to eBay and pay double there, only spend 5 seconds placing my bid, and the item comes to my home! I have just saved 6 hours of my time; thus, if I was someone making $20/hour, then I just saved $120. I placed ~5-10 decks per day on auction starting at 1 penny, and people would bid the decks to $15-$40 per deck. The Pokemon craze lasted for months, and I used the profits to buy electronics to sell. It was a small family business for 2-3 years.
I did NOT mention the business in my personal statement, but instead, had it under my hobbies as an "internet business with my wife".
At almost every interview, I was asked about this business in great detail. Interviewers were more interested in the eBay business model than my PhD, publications, or ophthalmology clerkships.
My point is that the board scores help with the interview selection; however, once you get the interview, then it's a whole new ball game. You will also be surprised when a hobby or extracurricular activity will help you stand out from the rest of the group. Good luck!
