Bottom half of the class

[Chemical X]

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I have a decent although not impressive Step 1 score (218) and mediocre grades, especially from the first two years. I never failed anything, I just got a lot of satisfactory grades. My clerkship grades are better (a mix of honors and near honors), but it still sounds like I'm going to end up in the bottom half of my class. Taking Step 2 at the end of this month. I am interested in some competitive programs like Denver, DC Childrens, Boston, and Northwestern. Do I have a realistic shot at these residencies given my lower class ranking? Thanks for the input, my dean's office and PD at my school have been kind of vague- I know a lot of factors go into this, but it would be nice to get a sense of how much of a disadvantage my grades put me at.

 

[CrazyPeds527]

There are plenty of people who got great placements and interviews with scores of barely 200, and less honors than you.

There are some programs (Boston, Stanford, OHSU come to mind) that have strict Step 1 cut offs that you might not grab interviews at, but you will get most interviews you ask for. The reason your dean's office has been so vague is because so much goes into whether or not someone gets an interview somewhere, particularly in peds, where the step one score just isn't weighed as heavily as, say, surgery or radiology.

Check out the FAQ for more on this topic, but seriously - you have nothing to worry about. And in all honesty - if you are screened out of an interview for something as silly as your step 1 score on basic sciences; did you really want to go there? 🙂

 

[twilburys]

What are the Step 1 cutoffs for Standford and OHSU? I just looked on their websites and couldn't find any information about it.

 

[CrazyPeds527]

This is info I gleaned from speaking with students from these institutions. It is posted nowhere, and if you likely ask them, they will tell you that "Many things go into a competitive application" without lying to you; they will not confirm or deny.

Im not sure what the numbers are, but i know there are a small handful of programs that do screen, but those programs are few and far between.

 

[Chemical X]

Thanks for the info Crazypeds. Even for schools that have step 1 cutoffs for interviews, do you think my 218 wouldn't make it? That seems a little harsh when my score is (ever so slightly) above the mean for matched US applicants (per the 2006 NRMP data anyway). Do schools have GPA cutoffs for interviews too?

In any event, I was less concerned about my step 1 score being the problem than my class rank. I will likely be in the bottom half due to my mediocre performance in the first 2 years, and I'm concerned that this may keep me out of good programs that I am interested in. It seems like you are saying I have a reasonable shot at these programs even if I'm not in the top of my class. Did I understand you correctly? Any other opinions/experiences? Thanks!

 

[pathfme30]

I do not think there is a step1 cutoff. I went to grad school at Harvard and a med student rotated through a derm rotation (a friend-saw her score 205). They liked her and she matched in derm at MGH. Harvard isn't so numbers rigid. Students like to say that to either hint why they are there or not. Harvard's big focus is research, leadership etc.

 

[CrazyPeds527]

I'll take the word of pathfme on this one; i don't know about Boston as much as I do the west coast; that was just a general feeling across the interview trail last year that there was a cut-off.

Then again, you might be right, it might just be a way for those of us (i.e. me) to make ourselves feel better that we didn't get interviews 🙂

ChemX - regarding your first 2 years, i think that matters much less than your clinical years. It is hard for me to say "Yes you will get an interview" being that im not on the selection committee and my interview season N = 1. However, i think you will find yourself to be a competitive applicant. Feel free to PM me with specific questions.

Good luck!

 

[umass rower]

Regarding the "strict cutoff" for Boston Children's, I have it on good authority that people with low board scores can get in there (good authority being someone I know who got in with low scores). I imagine that your resume should be more impressive to compensate, though, as hers was.