Chances, Away Rotations

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

Midway through MS3, all in on Rad Onc (yes I've read the doom and gloom threads), time to start planning for aways. I am planning to do 2 aways, in addition to a month at my home program. Ideally, I would do my aways at programs where I would be able to get a letter of recommendation from well-known faculty, but also have a shot at matching at those places as well.

With that in mind, I am trying to gauge the type of Rad Onc program I would be competitive for. If anybody could provide some guidance here, it would be greatly appreciated. Here is my info/stats.

Medical School: mid-tier public school in the southeast with solid Rad Onc program. Not MD/PhD.

Step 1: 255, have not yet taken Step 2

Research:
- abstracts: 2 ASTRO abstracts, 2 other abstracts submitted to ESTRO 2018, 1 oral at med school research day (received award for outstanding presentation), 1 poster at med school research day
- publications: 1 invited manuscript submitted (4th author), 3 other manuscripts in progress (all 2nd or 3rd author), 2 other projects in progress (will be 1st author on manuscripts). (nothing published yet...)
- also have another big project going that should net a 1st author ASTRO abstract and a high authorship position on manuscript in high impact journal.
- Also have a few abstracts/orals from undergrad unrelated to rad onc.

Grades:
- preclinical: all H
- Clinical: H in medicine, HP in OB/Peds (combined rotation at my school), have not yet completed/received grades for other rotations. Probably won't be junior AOA.

Obviously my biggest point of emphasis for the near future is to tie up all loose ends to get manuscripts submitted (as far as I can control).

I was looking into doing away rotations at programs such as Mayo Rochester, Yale, Michigan, University of Wisconsin, Penn, maybe west coast (UCSF, Stanford, UCSD). Would I be competitive at programs like these? I understand that I have essentially zero shot at places like Harvard/MSKCC/MDACC, but maybe I would be competitive at the next tier down.

Any advice on selecting aways, my competitiveness, advice for matching in general would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this!

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[Ray D. Ayshun]

I'm pretty sure in recent history both MSK and MDA have taken folks from mid-tier public schools in the Southeast with solid radonc programs, of which maybe 3 or 4 come to mind. I think I've met ppl on the trail from at least 2 of those places who matched at MSK and MDA. Harvard's generally tougher bc they have and keep their own. With your numbers and grades, you're competitive anywhere, and you're right, pubs are the only hole right now. Also, as you're at a school in the SE, you might wanna think about just how much you'd enjoy the ****ty winters of the first few schools you mentioned...In any case, you'll be fine.

 

[medgator]

. Also, as you're at a school in the SE, you might wanna think about just how much you'd enjoy the ****ty winters of the first few schools you mentioned...In any case, you'll be fine.

Good way to confirm and make you appreciate SE weather... at least it was for me. You don't know how good you have it in the SE until you get 4 seasons of lake effect snow