Chances for Anesthesia with Failure First Year

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projectzero

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Med school: mid tier MD
Step 1: 249
mostly high pass on rotations with few honors
research m1/m2 summer
failed 1 block M1 year, remediated in summer

What are my chances at matching into a top 30 anesthesia residency? Will my first year failure affect me extremely negatively?

Thanks.

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Unfortunately "gaps in medical education" is ranked as a top tier factor (70-99% of programs directors selected it as such) for Anesthesiology Residency. Then again, USMLE Step 1 and Clinical Honors are in that category. This is from The Succesful Match 2017 by Rajani Katta MD and Samir Desai MD and it can be found on Amazon.

I would think you should apply and it'll be a yellow flag, but not a red one. I predict you'll probably get a decent amount of interviews and get ranked by decent programs (not sure about top 5, top 25, top 50, etc.). All you can do at this point is figure out how to answer that question on the spot and how to frame it briefly in your PS. Nothing else you can do at this point. Nothing else I'd imagine you'd have an interest in (IM/EM/etc.) would be any different.
 
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Anesthesia isn't very competitive right now. With your Step score and a broad application, you'll match.
 
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Unfortunately "gaps in medical education" is ranked as a top tier factor (70-99% of programs directors selected it as such) for Anesthesiology Residency. Then again, USMLE Step 1 and Clinical Honors are in that category. This is from The Succesful Match 2017 by Rajani Katta MD and Samir Desai MD and it can be found on Amazon.

I would think you should apply and it'll be a yellow flag, but not a red one. I predict you'll probably get a decent amount of interviews and get ranked by decent programs (not sure about top 5, top 25, top 50, etc.). All you can do at this point is figure out how to answer that question on the spot and how to frame it briefly in your PS. Nothing else you can do at this point. Nothing else I'd imagine you'd have an interest in (IM/EM/etc.) would be any different.
He had to repeat a course over the summer, not repeat a year. He's fine.
 
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He had to repeat a course over the summer, not repeat a year. He's fine.

Yup. Thanks. I still think it'll be a yellow flag because there are other top factors that'll be affected by that class failure but I think you should still match WELL. Also, I echo MJ's sentiment that judging by match lists, MD anesthesia match lists seem stacked.
 
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Probably best answered by someone who is in anesthesia at a upper-mid tier program or higher. You'll match definitely and I don't think that is the focus of your question.

We have to remember this is the elite of the crop and so OP's competition will all be having top scores and top grades. So the tough question here is will they knit pick about that one failure at these top residencies, since PDs don't have much else to knit pick on? Again, a person who has been on the interview trail at these programs would be best to answer this question.
 
Appreciate all the responses and looking to hear more thoughts. Thank you guys.
 
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I dunno top 30 anaesthesia particularly but a first year failure won't really matter.
 
I'm not sure which anesthesia programs are top 30, but I've known several people in the last few years who soaped into top 30 medical school's anesthesia programs after failing to match into ortho or ENT.
 
If you apply broadly you'll be fine. You remediated a course, not repeated a whole year.

Even as a US MD with a Step 1 of 240+, if you had failed a whole year you could STILL match into anesthesia somewhere.
 
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It's not going to hurt you much at all imho. It's a first year course and you've showed a pattern of continued achievement since. Plenty of people have tough times adjusting to medical school. I personally know people with early failures who have matched fantastically.
 
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Agree with the top posters. You'll do great. However, just be aware they may ask you about it and be prepared.
 
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Failing a class will not matter if its inconsistent with the rest of your app. You will be fine.

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