Competeiveness of Psychiatry

[prominence]

How competitive is Psychiatry among US medical students?

What kind of USMLE Step 1 scores do you need to be competitive? (For example, you need at least a USMLE Step 1 score of 220 to apply to most ER programs if you want to get an interview).

How difficult is it for USIMG to get a Psychiatry residency position(anywhere), if the applicant has mediocre grades? (i.e. USMLE Step 1 < 80, 3rd year gpa= 3.0, and good but not stellar letters of recommendation)

Any feedback would be appreciated.

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[Chianti]

Psych filled 62% with US grads this year, an all-time high.

You'll easily get a psych spot. You have a great chance to get a spot at a middle-tier university program. Your interview and personal statement are far more important than your board scores or grades for psych PDs. If your easy to talk to and generally "cool" you'll probably get some pre-match offers too.

 

[PsychNOS]

I agree with what Chianti said. However, after having gone through the process, I know that some of the top-tier academic programs do care about your grades and board scores. Matching at a place should not be a problem. Matching at a "name-brand" place is difficult. Good luck!