I could use some input. I am a MS4 at a respected, but non top tier medical school on the East Coast. Our match list is usually quite impressive overall, with many people making it to cali. I am originally from california (UCLA). I would love more than anything to match at a quality program in southern cal for internal medicine. I am not AOA, but I am around the top 25% of my class (honored almost everything 2nd and 3rd year including medicine and subi, but mainly just passed first year). I did 2 years of research in undergrad and have a couple of publications, but did not pursue research in med school. My step 1 score is a 247/99. I would appreciate some outside opinions...should I get my hopes up?
Cali?????????
- Thread starter calihope
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i think you'll makes it, if you're as good in person as on paper.
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you can def make it, just make sure you application get in early and your letters kick-ass too. originally being from CA helps you a whole lot
Thanks for the encouraging words...I know the real giants like UCLA/UCSF are reaches, but does anyone have any info on which programs might be "safer" (relatively speaking of course, I know nothing is really "safe"). Thanks
I have done two visiting rotation at cali programs...I am finishing the second one up next week. I will probably get a solid letter from one of them, but they were specialty consult rotations, so I don't know how much weight the letter will carry. I had a good experience at both and got along well with all of the fellows and attendings.
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well... i'm no expert in this area so take it for what it's worth, but as long as you are a normal person with good lor's then i think many programs in southern california would be "safe". programs that come to mind are usc, uci, loma linda, olive view. also possibly harbor ucla or cedars. i could be wrong, but i don't think internal medicine is really that competitive outside of a few top notch programs (e.g. ucla i'm sure is hard to get into).
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sorry but you're just wrong in this area....any cali program anywhere desirable (especially LA) is "unsafe". Safe in Cali = Fresno, bakersfield, Stockton and neighboring areas. Unsafe = greater LA area, Bay area, San Diego, Sacramento. IM isn't as bad as say, Surg, but still....just put your best foot forward and hope for the best, but put your feelers out there on a few neighboring states JIC. Good luck.
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from what i have heard, IM programs in cali such as USC and loma linda are not very competitive at all.
you sound like you wont have any difficulty matching at those programs, and are very competitive for others including UCI, harbor-ucla, ucsd
you sound like you wont have any difficulty matching at those programs, and are very competitive for others including UCI, harbor-ucla, ucsd
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well... maybe we just differ in what we mean by "safe". i don't think the programs i mentioned are a 100% sure bet or anything but the poster would be very competitive at them. perhaps it is harder if you come from outside of california (though he/she is from cali originally so that is helpful), but most of the the people i know who matched into those programs were not as competitive as the poster. i did a year of IM at one of the programs, and many residents in the program were academically not that strong. usc and loma linda are less desirable than the other programs i mentioned in terms of workload and location (loma linda), so they are easier to match than many other programs.
Thanks for the encouraging words. I just found out that I am in the top 20% of my class (not that it matters that much, but it puts me in a higher tier than I originally thought). I know that nothing is really a sure bet in a desirable location, and that places like UCLA/stanford/UCSF/UCSD will always be reaches for a vast majority of applicants. I was looking more at cedars sinai as my dream program. I know it is also competitive, but more achievable than the others I mentioned.
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247 step1? Top 20% I don't think there are any reaches for you in IM.
You likely will interview every program you apply to. Be smart and go for a reasonable number of dream programs and some middle of the road and rank accordingly.
You likely will interview every program you apply to. Be smart and go for a reasonable number of dream programs and some middle of the road and rank accordingly.
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Seriously. My wife and I are also displaced Californians trying to go back, and anyone I know with those numbers had no problems getting interviews in CA last year- not just for IM, but for Gas, EM, and even some Rads programs. A classmate that's applying for IM right now has lower scores/class rank than you (230s steps I/II), did no aways, and is pulling down interviews out west (Utah/AZ, etc) like its no big thing...and he's never stepped foot off of the east coast.
Good luck dude, expect plenty of interviews.
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