Chances at getting into EM residency with only COMLEX

[therealest15]

So I got my comlex level 1 score back and it was 485. If I do a little better than this on comlex level 2 and do good on rotations do you think I have a good shot at landing some ( not at all picky about where it is located or what type of institution it’s at) residency in EM? At this point really do not have the energy to study for and take step so would like to stick with only comlex if at all possible. Have 1 research paper and plan on at least one more before next year have plenty of volunteer experience and good LORs too.

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[DrStephenStrange]

It will be hard especially with your low comlex score. You'd be very limited in your choices, and you'd have to audition hard especially at old DO programs. Your best bet would be to prepare and take step 1 scored or P/F and then improve on Level 2/Step 2. I know it's hard because I myself had to take Step 1 during 3rd year rotations after scoring low on Level 1 as well, but it is very doable.

 

[deleted898021]

It will be hard especially with your low comlex score. You'd be very limited in your choices, and you'd have to audition hard especially at old DO programs. Your best bet would be to prepare and take step 1 scored or P/F and then improve on Level 2/Step 2. I know it's hard because I myself had to take Step 1 during 3rd year rotations after scoring low on Level 1 as well, but it is very doable.

Ehhh with the current Em Job market, OP will match fine, I agree that they should apply broadly though and to a bunch of former aoa programs. But they won’t have to audition at like 5-6 places. They need a good SLOE since that is the most important thing in EM. The competitiveness of EM is going to dip quite a bit this upcoming cycle. Our deans are actively discouraging students to avoid EM, I assume this is happening across the country.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Ehhh with the current Em Job market, OP will match fine, I agree that they should apply broadly though and to a bunch of former aoa programs. But they won’t have to audition at like 5-6 places. They need a good SLOE since that is the most important thing in EM. The competitiveness of EM is going to dip quite a bit this upcoming cycle. Our deans are actively discouraging students to avoid EM, I assume this is happening across the country.

Yes, the job market is bad, but from what I've seen last cycle, EM is still very much competitive. I guess we'll see how it goes this cycle.

 

[deleted898021]

Yes, the job market is bad, but from what I've seen last cycle, EM is still very much competitive. I guess we'll see how it goes this cycle.

Won’t be competitive, can almost guarantee it haha, last cycle was competitive because it wasn’t evident till later in the cycle that EM job market is doomed for years to come. This cycle almost everyone knows about it(unless you live under a rock or something)

 

[DOVinciRobot]

In case you haven’t heard EM is an absolute dumpster fire right now, and it’s not going to get better anytime soon.

My suggestion would be to not do EM

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Won’t be competitive, can almost guarantee it haha, last cycle was competitive because it wasn’t evident till later in the cycle that EM job market is doomed for years to come. This cycle almost everyone knows about it(unless you live under a rock or something)

I still know several people gunning for it lol

 

[deleted898021]

I still know several people gunning for it lol

Lol atleast they will match very well then even if they don’t have good scores or extracurriculars but yea Op unless you absolutely cannot see yourself doing anything else I won’t do EM. IM or FM and even Peds have much better job options right now. Even psych would be possible if you can show interest in it and do a few aways, psych doesn’t care about boards scores as much.

 

[calvinhobbes]

Do IM. You can work anywhere, plus fellowship opportunities.
Don’t do EM. (Just check the EM forum for why you shouldn’t. People can’t find jobs already! You will be limited to urgent cares and still won’t find a job).

 

[bioarchaeologist]

Like what everyone else said, I would actually do IM instead of EM if I were in your shoes. EM job market is a mess right now and even if that was doing fine it doesn't have much flexibility outside of the ED especially if you burn out when you get older. IM has some similarities with EM, offers more career options and also easier to match into in your case as well.

 

[DO2015CA]

I still know several people gunning for it lol

That’s unfortunate. They were given the writing on the wall and chose to ignore it. One of my good friends is having to do a fellowship they don’t have interest in to hopefully get an academic job afterwards

 

[DOVinciRobot]

That’s unfortunate. They were given the writing on the wall and chose to ignore it. One of my good friends is having to do a fellowship they don’t have interest in to hopefully get an academic job afterwards

Yep. People don’t realize just how different the EM situation is from other ebbs and flows that occur in other specialties. The possibility of being unemployed after training is very real, and is only going to get worse from here on out unless residencies start closing en masse

 

[therealest15]

I am reluctant to consider IM mainly for the much lower average salary I see online, and then there are fellowships that have a more comfortable lifestyle but I hear there is not good work/ life balance for a lot of them. Need to pay off my massive student loan mess I got going on.

 

[deleted898021]

Lol atleast they will match very well then even if they don’t have good scores or extracurriculars but yea Op unless you absolutely cannot see yourself doing anything else I won’t

I am reluctant to consider IM mainly for the much lower average salary I see online, and then there are fellowships that have a more comfortable lifestyle but I hear there is not good work/ life balance for a lot of them. Need to pay off my massive student loan mess I got going on.

Lol hospitalists are out here making 300k+ easily while EM docs can’t even get a job… you won’t have a job after your em residency to pay off any loans. With your scores IM and possible fellowship is your best bet…

 

[deleted898021]

Like what everyone else said, I would actually do IM instead of EM if I were in your shoes. EM job market is a mess right now and even if that was doing fine it doesn't have much flexibility outside of the ED especially if you burn out when you get older. IM has some similarities with EM, offers more career options and also easier to match into in your case as well.

I don’t think decent IM programs will be easier to match then EM. No decent candidate will want go to EM anymore. IM is fairly competitive due to fellowship options.

 

[DOVinciRobot]

I am reluctant to consider IM mainly for the much lower average salary I see online, and then there are fellowships that have a more comfortable lifestyle but I hear there is not good work/ life balance for a lot of them. Need to pay off my massive student loan mess I got going on.

Salaries in EM are tanking. You cannot go off of what current attendings get paid, the hourly rate is consistently going down.

 

[drducky.]

I don’t think decent IM programs will be easier to match then EM. No decent candidate will want go to EM anymore. IM is fairly competitive due to fellowship options.

Good IM programs with in house fellowships will be competitive, but your run of the mill IMG sweatshop will still be a dime a dozen.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Do FM—> addiction med fellowship. Tons of money. Sweet lifestyle.

My preceptor got her loans paid off by the state for agreeing to stay at her job for X years, which was already high-paying anyway.

 

[DO2015CA]

I am reluctant to consider IM mainly for the much lower average salary I see online, and then there are fellowships that have a more comfortable lifestyle but I hear there is not good work/ life balance for a lot of them. Need to pay off my massive student loan mess I got going on.

Having a job at a lower salary is more money than no job at all

 

[Captain_Falcon]

Do FM—> addiction med fellowship. Tons of money. Sweet lifestyle.

My preceptor got her loans paid off by the state for agreeing to stay at her job for X years, which was already high-paying anyway.

Can you message me about this? I didn't know addiction medicine was lucrative

 

[Ho0v-man]

Also consider geriatrics. If you do that stuff, you can make FM money, working FM hours, and your only overhead is your travel to different facilities and a laptop. Easy.

 

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Won’t be competitive, can almost guarantee it haha, last cycle was competitive because it wasn’t evident till later in the cycle that EM job market is doomed for years to come. This cycle almost everyone knows about it(unless you live under a rock or something)

You'd be shocked at how many people are ignorant of the EM burn. Probably close to half my class is gunning for EM

 

[Lexdiamondz]

EM attending here.

I wouldn't recommend applying EM with your scores.

As it stands, the EM job market sucks and you will absolutely need to get into a reputable residency with a solid alumni network to secure a decent job. Most of those places are going to require that you either a) take USMLE or b) at bare minimum have a competitive COMLEX score and you currently have neither of those things.

Can you match? Probably. Especially given competitiveness in EM is likely to go down significantly in the coming years.

The important question, however, is will you match somewhere that will get you a job in EM. Your application essentially makes you a candidate for newer/lower tier programs but not much else.

 

[deleted898021]

EM attending here.

I wouldn't recommend applying EM with your scores.

As it stands, the EM job market sucks and you will absolutely need to get into a reputable residency with a solid alumni network to secure a decent job. Most of those places are going to require that you either a) take USMLE or b) at bare minimum have a competitive COMLEX score and you currently have neither of those things.

Can you match? Probably. Especially given competitiveness in EM is likely to go down significantly in the coming years.

The important question, however, is will you match somewhere that will get you a job in EM. Your application essentially makes you a candidate for newer/lower tier programs but not much else.

I don’t even know if a good university program is enough. Our dean is boarded in EM and has heard stories of many graduating residents from big time university programs in big cities like Chicago, DC, NY, not being able to find good jobs anywhere except in small rural towns 1-1.5 hour out of a big city… EM is in a bad place right now

 

[Lexdiamondz]

I don’t even know if a good university program is enough. Our dean is boarded in EM and has heard stories of many graduating residents from big time university programs in big cities like Chicago, DC, NY, not being able to find good jobs anywhere except in small rural towns 1-1.5 hour out of a big city… EM is in a bad place right now

A good university program with at least 10 years of existence will have a robust enough alumni network and enough of a reputation regionally to get you a job.

That being said, there's a good chance it won't be your dream job. Hell, there's a likelihood that by the time OP is in the job search, their dream job won't exist.