CA residency help

[madamebovary]

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I'm a M3 from NYU and was wondering how should i proceed to help my chances for residency (ideally i want to be in southern California). I'm a California resident

step 1 score is 217
3rd year grades were all passes except one HP in internal med. got a pass in psych 🙁

At this point, what can i do to help improve my chances. I'm doing a subinternship in medicine coming up and trying to take STEP2 earlier before applying.

 

[Shikima]

Really, apply and wing it with strong LORs.

 

[675015]

I'm a M3 from NYU and was wondering how should i proceed to help my chances for residency (ideally i want to be in southern California). I'm a California resident

step 1 score is 217
3rd year grades were all passes except one HP in internal med. got a pass in psych 🙁

At this point, what can i do to help improve my chances. I'm doing a subinternship in medicine coming up and trying to take STEP2 earlier before applying.

A SubI in psychiatry from a place as reputable as NYU would help a lot, especially if you got a good grade and LOR.

 

[madamebovary]

Our school has us do 12 weeks of research before graduation and was wondering if doing a research project before submitting ERAS would be helpful for applying or should i do more psych elective/ psych subI's.

i didn't do any research in the first two years of med school but wondering how helpful it's

 

[notdeadyet]

If you have a particular program you are interested in in CA and can do an audition sub-I and shine, that will likely get you an interview at that school and other programs nearby may know the writer of the letter that you will get out of it. Your lack of honors and average Step I doesn't require you to do an audition (and the NYU helps), but a local rotation has the potential to kick open many more doors.

I feel that research is over-rated on an application unless you are research-bound. And I go to a research-heavy residency.

I'd prioritize making your self, abilities, and interests known early in MS-4 year via an audition if you will come across well. You hear the term "a known entity" and "locally vetted" a lot at residency selection committees. It does mean something....


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[ari202]

If you have a particular program you are interested in in CA and can do an audition sub-I and shine, that will likely get you an interview at that school and other programs nearby may know the writer of the letter that you will get out of it. Your lack of honors and average Step I doesn't require you to do an audition (and the NYU helps), but a local rotation has the potential to kick open many more doors.

I feel that research is over-rated on an application unless you are research-bound. And I go to a research-heavy residency.

I'd prioritize making your self, abilities, and interests known early in MS-4 year via an audition if you will come across well. You hear the term "a known entity" and "locally vetted" a lot at residency selection committees. It does mean something....


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Sorry to tail on the OP's post. However, I had a question regarding the absence of having a PD LOR or even an LOR from a school department chair (I'm at a small DO scool so we don't have one).

Is it a big disadvantage if you don't have it, and your LOR's are all from local community psychiatrists who you knew really well?

 

[675015]

Sorry to tail on the OP's post. However, I had a question regarding the absence of having a PD LOR or even an LOR from a school department chair (I'm at a small DO scool so we don't have one).

Is it a big disadvantage if you don't have it, and your LOR's are all from local community psychiatrists who you knew really well?

I didn't have a LOR from a PD or a department chair and I did just fine in the interview process (I can't tell you for sure til next Friday though). However, I DID have a letter from a factually at my academic hospital which I have heard is more advantageous than a local community psychiatrists so I can't help you.

Furthermore, I only had one letter from a psychiatrist... (one from an internists and one from a surgeon... I've very well rounded 🙂 ). Make sure they are strong. And remember, even if a community doctor really likes you, if they aren't used to writing letters, they may not write a "good" one (I've been told its a skill).

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

I had a question regarding the absence of having a PD LOR or even an LOR from a school department chair (I'm at a small DO scool so we don't have one).

I think letters from someone who knows you well will always beat impersonal thin letters from an academic demigod (unless it is a letter from your mother of course).

Your post doesn’t help support those who complain about D.O. discrimination very well.

 

[Dharma]

Your post doesn’t help support those who complain about D.O. discrimination very well.

I think if anything it shows some of the difficulties of being a DO student interested in psych at some schools. Not having resources that should be standard and easily accessible only highlights the necessity to go the extra step and push even harder to get where one wants to be. It shows resolve to some degree.

 

[675015]

I think if anything it shows some of the difficulties of being a DO student interested in psych at some schools. Not having resources that should be standard and easily accessible only highlights the necessity to go the extra step and push even harder to get where one wants to be. It shows resolve to some degree.

It shows some of the difficulties of being a DO interested in any field at SOME schools. However, the same poster recently said the notion of having to prove oneself as a DO at the competitive California residencies is absurd (paraphrasing). But saying that one's program doesn't even have a department and that one's evaluator is a community psychiatry certainly justifies a competitive program's desire for applicants from that program to "prove themselves". Again, its just the "known commodity" factor and the reality that there are more applicants than spots for these competitive programs.

 

[Dharma]

It shows some of the difficulties of being a DO interested in any field at SOME schools. However, the same poster recently said the notion of having to prove oneself as a DO at the competitive California residencies is absurd (paraphrasing). But saying that one's program doesn't even have a department and that one's evaluator is a community psychiatry certainly justifies a competitive program's desire for applicants from that program to "prove themselves". Again, its just the "known commodity" factor and the reality that there are more applicants than spots for these competitive programs.

Makes sense. I think most DO students know the game and play it the best they can with what they can. That said, I've known folks landing competitive ACGME spots w community doc LORs.

 

[madamebovary]

If you have a particular program you are interested in in CA and can do an audition sub-I and shine, that will likely get you an interview at that school and other programs nearby may know the writer of the letter that you will get out of it. Your lack of honors and average Step I doesn't require you to do an audition (and the NYU helps), but a local rotation has the potential to kick open many more doors.

I feel that research is over-rated on an application unless you are research-bound. And I go to a research-heavy residency.

I'd prioritize making your self, abilities, and interests known early in MS-4 year via an audition if you will come across well. You hear the term "a known entity" and "locally vetted" a lot at residency selection committees. It does mean something....


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Thank for the advice. I been looking at the VSAS (visiting student application service) for away rotations and saw that there is one at cedar sinai for consult psychiatry. i realize cedars dont have psych residency program but any opinion if working there would still help?

Most of the others one i see are at Keck and UCI. unsure why UCLA didn't post on VSAS.

 

[Leo Aquarius]

the bigger the name, the more interest generated, the less need for advertising.

 

[notdeadyet]

Agree with Leo. If you don't see a program on VSAS, contact them directly and EARLY. At the popular spots, rotations fill up many months to over a year in advance.


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