Can I match?

[BlueElmo]

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Hey guys I just got my Step 1 score and got a 202. My preclinical grades are not very good either. If I do decently on my 3rd year rotations, especially Neurology/Psychiatry and decently on Step 2, do I have a good shot at academic hospitals? Location doesn't matter for me but I do want to go to a academic teaching center.
Should I do research or do more volunteer activities to boost my chances? I thought I would at least pull a 215 or higher, so I'm pretty dejected and disappointed.🙁 Do you think my chances are gone and I would be better off thinking of other specialites like Family or peds, psych?

 

[Mattchiavelli]

if it's any consolation I think there's like 1 neurology residency that isn't at an academic center.

If you can get good letters of rec from neurologists, do well in your clerkship, try to do an away and do well there, and take step 2 CK early and improve your score you should have no problem. I would say those are your goals in decreasing order of importance. Good letters open doors.

 

[bustbones26]

Hey guys I just got my Step 1 score and got a 202. My preclinical grades are not very good either. If I do decently on my 3rd year rotations, especially Neurology/Psychiatry and decently on Step 2, do I have a good shot at academic hospitals? Location doesn't matter for me but I do want to go to a academic teaching center.
Should I do research or do more volunteer activities to boost my chances? I thought I would at least pull a 215 or higher, so I'm pretty dejected and disappointed.🙁 Do you think my chances are gone and I would be better off thinking of other specialites like Family or peds, psych?

Can you match at Mayo? UCSF? MGH/Partners?

No!!!

Can you match in neurology?

Yes!!!

Please do not misinterpret what I am about to say next, but there are numerous neurology residents from abroad and foreign medical schools. You may have one up on them.

 

[darksideone]

Can you match at Mayo? UCSF? MGH/Partners?

No!!!

Can you match in neurology?

Yes!!!

Please do not misinterpret what I am about to say next, but there are numerous neurology residents from abroad and foreign medical schools. You may have one up on them.

You make it sound like every resident at Mayo/UCSF/Partners/Columbia/Hopkins is #1 in their class, MD/PhD, +260s board scores, +8 first author publications and helped cure cancer. That just isn't the case. Sure there are some programs that might care only about the numbers, but there are many (even some of those you listed) that care about the applicant as a whole, their LOR, how they did on their clerkships...etc.

OP, you shouldn't have a problem getting into neuro at all. This is neuro, not derm, neurosurgery, rad onc, plastics...etc.

 

[bustbones26]

You make it sound like every resident at Mayo/UCSF/Partners/Columbia/Hopkins is #1 in their class, MD/PhD, +260s board scores, +8 first author publications and helped cure cancer. That just isn't the case. Sure there are some programs that might care only about the numbers, but there are many (even some of those you listed) that care about the applicant as a whole, their LOR, how they did on their clerkships...etc.

OP, you shouldn't have a problem getting into neuro at all. This is neuro, not derm, neurosurgery, rad onc, plastics...etc.

Again, don't misinterpret my post. But hey, look around this forum, have you even seen a post, "what are my chances of matching at Viginia Commonwealth?" or "Hey, guys, do you think the University of Nebraska would take me?" I am just saying.

Hey, at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter. ALL programs have their strengths and weaknesses and you really end up teaching yourself anyways.

The whole applicant is important but bias is bias. Sorry, I have been doing this long enough now to know that the guy that performs poorly in medical school and on USMLE or COMLEX constantly is met with bias and has to fight a constant uphill battle. Yeah, I had been there, but if it makes you feel any better, I currently make twice as much money as my co-resident that scored 100th percentile on his RITE and all of my former attendings. Hey, not all hope is lost, as you said, neurology is not dermatology, ortho, or ENT.

 

[danielmd06]

Hey guys I just got my Step 1 score and got a 202. My preclinical grades are not very good either.

I really don't think you'll have terrible problems matching into neuro. It's true that some places are going to be pickier than others (just like IM and frankly all the other residency options). And it's true that the USMLE scores are climbing in subspecialty residencies. Still, I honestly doubt you'd fail to match into a neurology residency somewhere.

Just work hard for Step 2, interview broadly, and try to be clear and personable on the interview trail.

 

[BlueElmo]

Thanks a lot for the replies!