!!! Can ANY Psychiatrist or Psych. Resident answer this, please? Need Help **

[MedCar@]

Hello:

I am an IMG from a Caribbean Medical School (Ross University). I need guidance related to a topic that is giving me anxiety and is interrupting my mental ability to study for step I.

I took 1 semester off (Jan-May 2017) before finishing my last semester of basic sciences on 2017 to solve a very urgent situation in my family (life or death - suicidal brother) I did not have any other option. Then I solved the situation and finish my second year strong in the summer semester ( May-Aug - an option given at Ross University).

My plan was to pass COMP and study for 3 months and given my COMP result of 205 and my residency choice: psychiatry, it was more than enough time to achieve a competitive score... but then life threw me a huge curve ball...

My country Puerto Rico was hit by 2 hurricanes and Puerto Rico was declared a disaster zone on October 7, 2017. This completely interrupted my study period and put me behind for almost 4 months. Although I studied with the FA it was ineffective; I decreased my score by 11 points because w/o electricity, internet, water services it was very, very hard to "effectively" study for Step I.

Another semester from Sept. to Jan. has passed and I re-started my USMLE Prep at the beginning of February, now with electricity, internet and the benefit of UWorld MCQ's. Now, here is the problem in order to pay for this services (UWorld and the Kaplan course) I've been working part-time because the financial situation was complicated by these unexpected events... It is taking me time to improve my score and based on my preparation plan I will finish UWorld by the end of June. I will take the Step I in July or August and continue to my Clerkships in September. If this does not work my last chance is to start clerkships in November, but I'm working for this to not happen...

If you summed up everything we are talking about a Gap of approx. 1 and 1/2 year before starting Clerkships. For those who understand the process of residency and have gone through it... How can this affect me (Residency-Psychiatry) given the circumstances because to be realistic this is not the typical gap planned for USMLE Study and Research?

Thanks in advance.

Note: Given the nature of RUSM curriculum I had to do a Withdrawal (W) after 6 months of the hurricane because it is the maximum time RUSM give to us to take the exam. Right now, I reapplied and they accept me back with 6 more months to study for the exam.

All these gaps will make me finish my M.D. in a time period close to 6 years. Any help or comment will be appreciated.

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[futuredo32]

It took me 6 years to get through medical school, I did the extended curriculum program (broke my first year up into two years) and I took a year off between my 5th and 6th year to care for my grandma so she didn't have to live in a nursing home. I also sat out a year after graduating from medical school and I matched. I explained the gaps and my situation in my personal statement. I definitely didn't match into a great residency program, but I did match. Apply broadly and do well on your USMLE's. Good luck.

 

[deleted480308]

Hello:

I am an IMG from a Caribbean Medical School (Ross University). I need guidance related to a topic that is giving me anxiety and is interrupting my mental ability to study for step I.

I took 1 semester off (Jan-May 2017) before finishing my last semester of basic sciences on 2017 to solve a very urgent situation in my family (life or death - suicidal brother) I did not have any other option. Then I solved the situation and finish my second year strong in the summer semester ( May-Aug - an option given at Ross University).

My plan was to pass COMP and study for 3 months and given my COMP result of 205 and my residency choice: psychiatry, it was more than enough time to achieve a competitive score... but then life threw me a huge curve ball...

My country Puerto Rico was hit by 2 hurricanes and Puerto Rico was declared a disaster zone on October 7, 2017. This completely interrupted my study period and put me behind for almost 4 months. Although I studied with the FA it was ineffective; I decreased my score by 11 points because w/o electricity, internet, water services it was very, very hard to "effectively" study for Step I.

Another semester from Sept. to Jan. has passed and I re-started my USMLE Prep at the beginning of February, now with electricity, internet and the benefit of UWorld MCQ's. Now, here is the problem in order to pay for this services (UWorld and the Kaplan course) I've been working part-time because the financial situation was complicated by these unexpected events... It is taking me time to improve my score and based on my preparation plan I will finish UWorld by the end of June. I will take the Step I in July or August and continue to my Clerkships in September. If this does not work my last chance is to start clerkships in November, but I'm working for this to not happen...

If you summed up everything we are talking about a Gap of approx. 1 and 1/2 year before starting Clerkships. For those who understand the process of residency and have gone through it... How can this affect me (Residency-Psychiatry) given the circumstances because to be realistic this is not the typical gap planned for USMLE Study and Research?

Thanks in advance.

Note: Given the nature of RUSM curriculum I had to do a Withdrawal (W) after 6 months of the hurricane because it is the maximum time RUSM give to us to take the exam. Right now, I reapplied and they accept me back with 6 more months to study for the exam.

All these gaps will make me finish my M.D. in a time period close to 6 years. Any help or comment will be appreciated.

Hope it goes well for you. The problems on the island were public enough that anyone who cares enough about timeline to ask should understand. But the detail freak in me needs to point out puerto Rico isn’t a country

 

[MedCar@]

But you matched in psychiatry?

It took me 6 years to get through medical school, I did the extended curriculum program (broke my first year up into two years) and I took a year off between my 5th and 6th year to care for my grandma so she didn't have to live in a nursing home. I also sat out a year after graduating from medical school and I matched. I explained the gaps and my situation in my personal statement. I definitely didn't match into a great residency program, but I did match. Apply broadly and do well on your USMLE's. Good luck.

 

[MedCar@]

Hope it goes well for you. The problems on the island were public enough that anyone who cares enough about timeline to ask should understand. But the detail freak in me needs to point out puerto Rico isn’t a country

XD heheh to be real is a nation that extends the geographical limits of the island but politically correct is a commonwealth.

 

[futuredo32]

But you matched in psychiatry?

Unfortunately yes.

 

[deleted480308]

XD heheh to be real is a nation that extends the geographical limits of the island but politically correct is a commonwealth.

Sorry, The US is a country. Puerto Rico isn’t. I’m all for statehood or Independance....but that’s not the current reality

 

[MedCar@]

Unfortunately yes.[/QUOT

Unfortunately yes.

I am curious, if it is possible for you to answer me ---> Why "unfortunately"?

 

[TexasPhysician]

It is always tough giving bad news, but it is for your benefit that I’m going to be honest.

Regardless of reason for the graduation delay, it will make matching much harder. The more competitive programs do not even look at applications in which the applicant had any gaps. There are just too many good applicants, and you have to reduce the # somehow.

Add the fact that you are not at a US med school or DO program.

You are at a severe disadvantage. Try to make the rest of your application as good as possible. Apply to lower tier psych and back-up programs. Consider prelim med/surg options and then applying for a pgy-2 psych position. Expect to spend quite a bit of money on applications.

Wish you the best.

 

[MedCar@]

It is always tough giving bad news, but it is for your benefit that I’m going to be honest.

Regardless of reason for the graduation delay, it will make matching much harder. The more competitive programs do not even look at applications in which the applicant had any gaps. There are just too many good applicants, and you have to reduce the # somehow.

Add the fact that you are not at a US med school or DO program.

You are at a severe disadvantage. Try to make the rest of your application as good as possible. Apply to lower tier psych and back-up programs. Consider prelim med/surg options and then applying for a pgy-2 psych position. Expect to spend quite a bit of money on applications.

Wish you the best.

Thank You for the honest response. It looks that like you said independent of the reason for the gap that is the way it is... I will make my best to achieve a competitive score in my step exams and combine it with excellent clerkships grades, LOR's and personal research projects (There is still a lot to do). I even have photographic evidence of the causes of the delays so' at the end is a matter of hard work and faith.

There is an opportunity for transfer to a US Medical School but the option is for a second year (MS-2) position, so I have to do all that again...: Do you think is a good move to try?

 

[littlefred]

Please do try to get into a US Medical School. You being Puerto Rican means that there are four LCME accredited medical schools (this means that they are basically US Medical Schools) in PR that you can apply to (UPR, UCC, SJB, PSM). Try to get into one of them, also if you have any questions about the Psychiatry Match in PR; just let me know. It's a completely different beast to the ones in the U.S.

Best of luck.

 

[MedCar@]

Please do try to get into a US Medical School. You being Puerto Rican means that there are four LCME accredited medical schools (this means that they are basically US Medical Schools) in PR that you can apply to (UPR, UCC, SJB, PSM). Try to get into one of them, also if you have any questions about the Psychiatry Match in PR; just let me know. It's a completely different beast to the ones in the U.S.

Best of luck.

What is the difference between matching in PR compared to the USA? Is harder? In what aspect it is different?

 

[futuredo32]

I realized I would have preferred family medicine. Second residencies are not easy to get. Nothing against psych I personally just find it repetitive and boring and I miss the rest of medicine. That's just me.

 

[MedCar@]

I realized I would have preferred family medicine. Second residencies are not easy to get. Nothing against psych I personally just find it repetitive and boring and I miss the rest of medicine. That's just me.

Last 2 Questions. You persevered during your 6 years and achieved a residency position; that is great... but you was an American med student? or an American international med student like me? If you was American med student --> Do you think it made a difference to increase your chances?

 

[futuredo32]

Last 2 Questions. You persevered during your 6 years and achieved a residency position; that is great... but you was an American med student? or an American international med student like me? If you was American med student --> Do you think it made a difference to increase your chances?

Im a D.O. NO clue. My application not so impressive. I applied to a lot of less desirable residencies and new residency programs.

 

[littlefred]

What is the difference between matching in PR compared to the USA? Is harder? In what aspect it is different?

There's two Psychiatry Residencies in PR. The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) program which is based in Carolina(inpatient)/Rio Piedras(outpatient) and the Ponce School of Medicine (PSM) program which is based in Rio Piedras (inpatient)/Ponce-Mayaguez (Outpatient). Both of them take 6 residents per year and they have their own pros and cons. With regards to the UPR program they have a strong bias for residents that did trainign at their own medical school. On the other hand PSM has residents from different local medical schools; sometimes even graduates from Mexican Medical Schools like UAG. I believe both of them select residents that did 3rd year rotation or 4th year sub-internships there, the UPR has a requirement of you rotating there as a medical student to be considered for a resident slot, they also have requirements such as writing an essay for them that is an extra requirement not included in your ERAS application.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

You're still 2 years from residency apps, so there's time to make up the deficiencies. There was a lot of email flying back and forth about making allowances for Carib med students this year, and PR med students who were cut off from interview season communications, etc. It was all over the news though--You will probably need to remind people 2 years from now that that it affected folks earlier in their training as well. I'd devote at least a paragraph of your PS to how hard you worked through this period of adversity, in order to leave no doubt in the reader's mind that you weren't "held back" for other reasons. Bottom line: nail Step 1 and be excellent on your clerkships. Good luck.

 

[SeniorWrangler]

Put it in your personal statement, put a brief reminder in your resume if you're allowed to by the format, don't worry about it as a factor in your application.

 

[MedCar@]

You're still 2 years from residency apps, so there's time to make up the deficiencies. There was a lot of email flying back and forth about making allowances for Carib med students this year, and PR med students who were cut off from interview season communications, etc. It was all over the news though--You will probably need to remind people 2 years from now that it affected folks earlier in their training as well. I'd devote at least a paragraph of your PS to how hard you worked through this period of adversity, in order to leave no doubt in the reader's mind that you weren't "held back" for other reasons. Bottom line: nail Step 1 and be excellent on your clerkships. Good luck.

Thank You! I really appreciate the time you took to read my case and answer it. One more Q: Based on your experience and given my specific case (applying with this unplanned 1.5-year gap before clerkships)... What score should I have to be in a good position for a Psych. residency even with this gap?

(I am doing my best, working really, really hard to achieve a competitive score. I know 220 or more is competitive for psychiatry; Ross students with 219 are matching in Psych. but given my scenario, I want to know...)

What score should I have to be in a good position for a Psych. residency even with this gap?

Note: I have a personal research project (currently on hold due to USMLE Prep) with good odds of being published, and I'll be the 1st author.

Thanks in advance.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

I would think 220 and up would be very adequate.
What you want the score to reflect is that, in spite of it all, you took care of business and got on to the next phase.

 

[MedCar@]

I would think 220 and up would be very adequate.
What you want the score to reflect is that, in spite of it all, you took care of business and got on to the next phase.

Thank You OldPsychDoc.
Have a great day.