cards chances?

[mudshadow]

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[Scottish Chap]

Board scores are important, but they become far less important as you get closer to fellowship. You have several things on your side right now: 1) you're MSIII so you still have the opportunity to get good clinical grades (CRITICAL for a strong IM residency) and a good Step 2 score; 2) you have publications in the field you desire to enter - a huge advantage for academic programs. Do your best from this point onwards, take Step 2 early, and try to get into the strongest medicine residency possible. That's most important. Good luck!

 

[dragonfly99]

Some/numerous cardiology fellowship programs don't even ask you to submit USMLE scores, so you definitely should not give up at this point. You could just avoid applying to programs that require the USMLE scores if yours turn out not to be so hot...I had pretty good step 1 and higher Step 2 and 3 scores, and I honestly think it only helped me minimally in the fellowship match.

You need to try and do better on Step 2, though...you don't want people to think you have a weak knowledge base. Step 2/3 test clinical diagnosis and reasoning more than Step 1, which is more basic sciency. Also, many people don't study as much for 2 and 3, so if YOU do, then I think you have a relative advantage in getting a better score (vs. Step 1, which everybody pretty much studies for).

3rd and 4th year grades and LOR's matter >> step scores in getting a good medicine residency, though with your step 1 score, you probably would have a hard time getting into the very "top" ranked IM programs. Supposing you do better on Step 2, like 220's or so, and do well in medicine clerkship and your subI, then getting into good academic programs (I'm not saying Harvard, I'm just saying solid, well known university programs) would not be that hard. Getting into a solid IM program and having some publications and getting good LORs are what will get you cards...not having high step scores, though it wouldn't hurt.

 

[dadr]

Bottom line is to do the best you can from here on out to offset the low Step 1. The first step is to get into IM residency, so most critical is honoring medicine + as many other clerkships. Yours is the one case where you want to take Step 2 early enough to submit it with your app, hopefully having done significantly better (> 220).

Medicine residency is a buyer's market. Even with a Step 1 of 199, by making up some ground you can easily get a spot at an academic program. The score alone can limit you from many top programs, but unless you want to go to a top 5 cardiology program, you don't need a top 10 medicine residency anyway, just a solid academic program. If you shine (clinically) in such a residency, and add to your already impressive publication count, your Step 1 matters not and you would be a great candidate for many, many cardiology programs.

 

[cardsfellow2007]

Okay so give it to me straight.
I am MS3 (AMG), 4 pubs (3 in cards), 3 cards posters, 1 national abstract
But....STEP 1 = 199!!!
Do I still have hope in applying to cards when the time comes? Or is my step 1score too much of a red flag? Should I start considering other careers before I apply to residency match???

You will have a great application for a lot of cardiology programs. Your step I isn't a deal breaker for all programs, but you will have to get at least above an 85 on Step II and III to get an interview at some programs and a 90 at others. At my program we average the three together and you have to get at least an 85 to get an interview. Top ranked programs just care about your research and where you went to residency and not at all about your scores. I know two former chief residents with scores on all three steps around 200 who ended up at great programs!

 

[mudshadow]

You will have a great application for a lot of cardiology programs. Your step I isn't a deal breaker for all programs, but you will have to get at least above an 85 on Step II and III to get an interview at some programs and a 90 at others. At my program we average the three together and you have to get at least an 85 to get an interview. Top ranked programs just care about your research and where you went to residency and not at all about your scores. I know two former chief residents with scores on all three steps around 200 who ended up at great programs!

So is it fair to say that a MAJORITY of programs use Step scores as an initial screening criteria?

 

[dragonfly99]

I doubt that there's any official data on this. I kind of doubt that the majority of them screen with USMLE, but that might be true. I can tell you that some places didn't even ask us to send them a copy of the scores, so in that case they can't be screening people based on step scores, can they?

 

[CaffeinePRN]

Speaking of cards credentials, how much do post-interview 4th year grades matter in applying to cardiology fellowships? I honored most of my third year rotations and all of my sub-i's but don't think the trend will necessarily hold for some of my later 4th year rotations (not necessarily because of the senioritis of 4th year, but some of our required 4th year rotations are surprisingly tough to honor).

Thanks!

 

[dadof2]

With regard to Cardiology fellowship. Medical school grades matter a lot less than you think, as do USMLE scores. They do matter when it comes time for a residency (grades and USMLE scores). Residency in turn matters for fellowship. So, in that way, grades matter, but they have very little direct bearing on getting a fellowship. I would concentrate on getting into a solid academic residency program first. You will do fine based on the credentials that you listed. Once you are in residency, concentrate on doing well in your rotations and try and continue to be productive in the way of research. Relax.

 

[dragonfly99]

caffeine,
some cardiology fellowships don't even want a copy of your med school transcript. Your grades are good in any case so don't worry if the 4th year grades aren't perfect.

I did not rank highly in my med school nor honor many 3rd year clerkships at all and did not have a high class rank, but did get a cards fellowship at a good solid place. However, my med school is well known so perhaps having the "name" on my application helped even though I wasn't AOA.

Some fellowships do require your med school transcripts to be sent, so if you did well (as it's clear you have) I wouldn't worry about them seeing it, even if you don't honor everything in 4th year. Residency and fellowship programs know that grading varies from school to school and that it's somewhat subjective, so I don't think they really sit there and count up how many "honors" clerkship grades you have, although I'm sure if they look @your transcripts the general pattern matters.

 

[cardsfellow2007]

So is it fair to say that a MAJORITY of programs use Step scores as an initial screening criteria?

Nope. The whole application is usually viewed. Where you went to medical school and residency factors in. Research >>>>>> USMLE scores. Several first author publications (actual research...not case reports/review articles) and you could match at a top ten program.

 

[Cards21aceking]

Not to hijack the thread, but could anyone comment on how much should I push for research while in residency if I'm currently sitting on a >230 step 1, one abstract, one national conference presentation, and one pub (first author) (all in cards).

 

[dragonfly99]

cards22
You have enough research right now to get in, though more never hurts.
The most important thing for you now is to get good LOR's from cardiologists... cards division chair> cards program director > any full professor > any associate professor > any cards assistant prof or other medicine attendings who aren't cardiologists.

 

[CaffeinePRN]

Thanks for the helpful info Dragonfly!

 

[cardsfellow2007]

Not to hijack the thread, but could anyone comment on how much should I push for research while in residency if I'm currently sitting on a >230 step 1, one abstract, one national conference presentation, and one pub (first author) (all in cards).

I would be "working" on something when interviewing, but you should have no problems getting a spot.

 

[Cards21aceking]

I would be "working" on something when interviewing, but you should have no problems getting a spot.

Is that while interviewing for my IM residency or my Cards interviews? thanks for the feedback btw.

 

[cardsfellow2007]

Is that while interviewing for my IM residency or my Cards interviews? thanks for the feedback btw.

For your Cards interviews. For medicine they are going to be very impressed that you were able to accomplish this during medical school. If you have papers published and are currently working on more projects when you interview for Cards the interviewers will be impressed...I would be. If you stop all research after those publications it could look like you were doing the research just to check a box instead of pursing academic medicine, with is what they like to hear.

 

[ProgCoordinator]

For your Cards interviews. For medicine they are going to be very impressed that you were able to accomplish this during medical school. If you have papers published and are currently working on more projects when you interview for Cards the interviewers will be impressed...I would be. If you stop all research after those publications it could look like you were doing the research just to check a box instead of pursing academic medicine, with is what they like to hear.

Yep. We note when research started, duration, subject, and whether the candidate is still active.