What are the most desirable attributes of applicants?
-Does fluent Spanish help?
-Is no research a drawback?
How much emphasis is put on the USMLE step 1? Would a 215 kill your chances of being competitive in CA?
-Would I have to ROCK Step 2?
How is UCSD's program? What are the + and -'s? I am from SD actually and would like to go back there.
I'd say all the usuals for psych applicants, including diverse or rich personal experience, interpersonal skills, good academic record, and a fair or better amount of insight into themselves (strengths, weaknesses, future challenges -- and I'm not just talking about "I'm really bad at sports.) On top of that, just how do you fit with the program. Psych people tend to be a bit more social than other specialties, at least in my experience, and then each program has its own feel. Yale for example I remember feeling a little stifled, formal, and overly abstract at the cost of holding a conversation. All due respect of course because I met some great people there as well. I didn't quite fit there.
As for spanish-- it helps in actual practice, and might make a marginal plus point but nothing that would put you on either side of the fence if you're riding it.
No research isn't a drawback necessarily, but for UCSD and UCLA and probably the other biggees (UCSF, stanford, UW) research is a big part of the center. UCSD is even moreso, in that the whole school was created to be a research place, and so that has trickled down into every specialty. So research is there in everything you want to do and probably many things you didn't know existed. And if you volunteer interest while here there's always someone who wants to mentor you, but it's by no means required. In fact, I think more residents here are psychotherapy driven/interested than are research interested. Most of us are into clinical with maybe some part-time clinical research. At least that's the plan at this early point in our careers. Wow I'm wordy and ego-centric tonight.
As for step 1- it's like anything else. Some schools I think use step 1 to pre-screen, meaning if you don't get some minimum cutoff, no matter how fantastic you are otherwise, you won't get an interview. I had a 220 however (and a pretty competitive application in other areas including research, extracurriculars, damn solid personal statement), and got interviews at every program I applied except UCSF, stanford (go figure), UW, Columbia. I figure they had a 230 cutoff or something. But who knows. And rocking step 2 can only help you, obviously.
UCSD. hmm. I love the program. If for no other reason than that I love my co-interns. And I mean love. Like GREAT people. People that within a week you know you want to be friends with for the rest of your life. Other great residents of course too, but I see my co-interns more. Great teaching and gurus of psychopharm and research and free membership to NEI and blah blah blah. Psychotherapy heavy in 3rd year and beyond, CBT training more in 2nd year, get 2 psychotherapy patients of your own starting 2nd year and build from there. Many faculty, supervisors with extensive background in psychodynamic, CBT, child/adolescent, blah blah blah. Well respected program, easy to get into fellowship. VA hospital is close to one of the most beautiful beaches you'll ever see in your life. Opportunities to do research in anything you want and find funding for it. Lovable supportive PD with amusing idiosyncrasies. Tolerable call schedule (~q6 yr1, ~q10-12 yr2, q4-6wks yr3, no call yr4). $1500 housing stipend on top of salary. Are those all positives? I guess I'm saying there's a lot, and a lot of a lot so that you can find anything you want, you'll get intense but superb training that'll make you feel confident and competent in any possible clinical environment (really, and that didn't feel true about all other programs).
Minuses are that call is hard- you cover the ED consults, inpatient 18-bed unit X-cover, and hospital floor consults (often deferred til next day) all with only a med student and senior backup and attending avail by phone. You do tandem call for 2 months with an upper level showing you the ropes. Lemme tell you even only 6 months into internship I feel pretty comfortable dealing with quite a bit, from the violent psychotic to the chronically suicidal with questionable new stressors, active intoxication, off meds for week, slurred speech and no collateral available at 2am on a saturday night. The other challenge is the research slant - it's weighted heavier throughout the university and sometimes clinical areas miss out on things, never at the cost of patient care but maybe a little less teaching at times than we'd like (we're working on resolving some of this by next year).
