Competitiveness for Pediatrics

[meerkatmd]

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Hello, all!

I just want to start out by saying that I never considered pediatrics as a possible career choice until I rotated in third year, and as such, I don't really have much of an idea what factors they really harp on to make a candidate competitive. I had always been pretty gung-ho about going into surgery, but finally sat back and thought about which rotation I felt happiest on. The answer shocked me, it was peds. Honestly it was the only rotation I was happy on. So I think I may be radically switching my potential career path.

So, to get down to the nitty gritty of it all, my stats are as follows:

STEP 1: 242
First year grades: 9 honors, 1 high pass
Second year grades: 2 honors, 2 high pass, 5 pass (2 were p/f)
third year grades: medicine P, surgery P, peds high pass, neuro (haven't gotten grades back, likely high pass), family medicine (currently on this rotation), still have ENT, geriatrics, OB/GYN and psych to do.

extracurricular stuff:
2 years med school flag football team
trained for 2 half marathons during school (one during third year)
vice president and co-founding member of an organization promoting education of different religious practices in medicine
one month family medicine preceptorship during summer after first year
volunteered occasionally (when time permitted) during first and second year feeding homeless at a church near our school
one year ENT preceptorship during second year
Paper pending publication on management of giant goiters (ENT)
avid punk rock guitar player (heh heh)

I feel like I could get some pretty solid letters out of the pedi faculty at my school. I tend to be a more quiet and reserved person, but came out of my shell a bit more on this rotation because I felt comfortable.

Our school has a system in place for third year where we have grade deflation. It is set up such that a good student gets pass, and a superb student gets honors, but only 5-10 percent of our class can get honors. It's kind of ridiculous, at least to me, and that really is my main fear going forward that it will make me look less competitive. Additionally, I feel like my target locations to match are relatively narrow due to family considerations (I want to be near my fiancee). I'm looking really hard at University of Arkansas and UT Memphis programs, so I'm particularly interested in how I might match up to these programs. (If it means anything, my areas of interest would tend to lean more towards procedural subspecialties)

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate anyone taking the time to help me out.

 

[Valentine Mott]

I'm looking really hard at University of Arkansas and UT Memphis programs, so I'm particularly interested in how I might match up to these programs.

I'm assuming this is your primary question. Peds in general is not that competitive. These are two excellent programs, but I don't see any reason why doors would be closed for you as far as interview offers. I would wager you'd be plenty competitive.

 

[justdoit31]

I think with your current CV you will be fine at the level of program you listed (Arkansas and Memphis) and could get some interviews at more competitive places too. I know my school had some issues with 3rd year graded as well- our grade was basically 100% determined by your NBME- if you didn't high pass or honor it you couldn't do any better than a pass in the course. As a poorer test taker I had straight passes but got interviews to both of those programs and several others of equal or higher reputation,

I would recommend an away at either or both of those programs- I really enjoyed my ER rotation at Arkansas and it really gave me a great feel for program and confirmed that it would be a great residency program for me. Also, I was able to meet with the chiefs during the rotation in a much more low-key setting than an interview (this year they did lunch or coffee). In the same tone I had other aways where I left and said- "no I wouldn't want to be here for 3 years"

 

[GoSpursGo]

FWIW, in general your Dean's Letter should have a page explaining exactly what the grades mean (ie, "For this clerkship, X% of the class got honors, Y% got high pass, and Z% got pass"), so when they review your app they'll be able to tell that it was very difficult to get honors.

As the other posters have said, while peds has become more competitive over the last few years (as all specialties have given increasing med school class sizes), it's still not generally considered "competitive;" while honors and high board scores obviously always help, having a strong impression that you would be a "good fit" at the interview is equally if not more important at most places, IMO. If you are mostly looking for programs based in that geographic region rather than trying to go to the US News Top 10 hospitals, I think you are definitely competitive--your grades are fine, and obviously your board score is excellent. Try to honor a peds sub-I, do an away at one or both of those places to really make sure they know who you are, and I think you will be on your way 🙂

 

[meerkatmd]

Thanks, y'all! I really appreciate your insight.