Concerned about matching

Started by Psych_hopeful
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Psych_hopeful

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Long story short I only have 2 interviews at this point. My step I score is 198 and my step II scores are pending.

Part of the problem was it took a while for my LORS to be submitted to ERAS. One of my letter writers nearly gave up. However the letter was eventually uploaded

Should I be freaking out now?
 
AMG? DO? Other?

How many apps sent out? Where to?

Where are your interviews at? Is one your home institution?

To answer your question: nobody knows. You have had that low Step 1 hanging over your head for a couple of years, so you should have gotten Step 2 done sooner than this - in the very least CK. It was the one thing in your control to have potentially mitigated the bad Step 1 score.

I would only be freaking out in your shoes if I had zero interviews in hand.
 
AMG. I sent out 91 applications. One is at Baystate and the other at East Tenessee. I haven't heard from my home institution.
 
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91 applications? wow

edit: sorry I guess I should try to be more helpful. Good luck. I think things will get better when step 2 scores come in if they are solid and people get their hands on LORs. Not having either of those things and a low step 1 means you're not gonna make the first cut for interviews. The field will thin out a bit when people start canceling interviews, then you can send brief personal notes to targeted programs to hopefully get some December interviews. Even if you don't match, there is SOAP to look forward to.
 
One of my friends from med school failed step 1, barely passed Step 1 on 2nd attempt, failed a year of med school, failed multiple clerkships, and then matched at Ohio State University for psych. US MD with no research.

Make sure to do well on your interviews, but matching at many places is possible.
 
You mean "The" Ohio State,... go Buckeye psych. Despite all of the crazy this year, I still don't think the competition is all that different than last year.
 
Maybe this year will be similar to what happened in ObGyn last year - an unexpected surge in applications. Curious to hear what PDs think this time of year compared to this time 1 or 2 yrs ago.
 
Psych_hopeful said:
Thanks for the responses. I just want to ask how do you know if you've done well in the interview process.
Click to expand...

You ever watch Olympic snowboard cross country? It's always the guy who leads the pack at the start of the race who 99% of the time finishes in the top 3. It's kinda like that. You know early on if you're strong because 1. you'll receive invites to at least 50% of your list, 2. you'll have at least one PD tell you at the interview (or email you after) saying how much they like you. If you get 1. and 2., you're strong and can stop worrying. If you don't have 1. and 2., you're in the "so-so" group or the "hmmmmm" group. Some are in the "don't even open it" group. This is an over-simplification, but I like to be cut and dry sometimes.
 
Leo Aquarius said:
You ever watch Olympic snowboard cross country? It's always the guy who leads the pack at the start of the race who 99% of the time finishes in the top 3. It's kinda like that. You know early on if you're strong because 1. you'll receive invites to at least 50% of your list, 2. you'll have at least one PD tell you at the interview (or email you after) saying how much they like you. If you get 1. and 2., you're strong and can stop worrying. If you don't have 1. and 2., you're in the "so-so" group or the "hmmmmm" group. Some are in the "don't even open it" group. This is an over-simplification, but I like to be cut and dry sometimes.
Click to expand...

I think the OP meant to ask how one "does well" as in: how does one leave a good impression during his/her interviews.
 
Update: I got my CK score back and it's a 221. I was wondering what should I say to programs I am interested in but havent heard from yet.
 
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Psych_hopeful said:
Long story short I only have 2 interviews at this point. My step I score is 198 and my step II scores are pending.

Part of the problem was it took a while for my LORS to be submitted to ERAS. One of my letter writers nearly gave up. However the letter was eventually uploaded

Should I be freaking out now?
Click to expand...
something is wrong with your application and its not the step 1 score alone. many people with that step 1 score get interviews at great places. it is also telling you didn't get an interview at your home institution. so what are you not telling us? if you can't think of anything then you need to find out what people have written about you. i would be concerned that you have negative letters because it's unusual to get this few interviews and to not get interview and your own program.
 
I got an interview with my home institution now, which now brings the total interview count up to 3, and as far as I know, two of my attendings that submitted their letters told me they wrote strong letters of recommendation. I'm also waitlisted at another institution so I'm waiting on that to open. I did also wait to take CK to make sure I did as well as I could.

So I really don't know what it is. I did have to take a year off to address a medical issue so maybe that's it. Or maybe I submitted my stuff late?
 
Last edited:
splik said:
year off from medical school would be a red flag. not sure if you discussed reason but people will assume it was because of mental illness and unfortunately psychiatrists are the worst when it comes to stigmatizing mental illness. combine with low step 1 and not having a complete application (was this longer than a month, a few weeks late is not really an issue) may have harmed your application. if you have lackluster clerkship grades and lack of evidence of commitment to psychiatry then that may have sealed the deal.

yes you should absolutely contact the programs you are most interested in to let them know that your step 2 is now passed with score of 221 and this should be updated in ERAS this is a solid passing score. you may also want to write BRIEFLY (i.e. <200 words) why you are interested in the program and little bit about yourself and what you think you bring to the table.
Click to expand...


I'll do that. Thank you.
 
Yeah, I wanted more until I did 4 in 2 weeks. Now, I am happy sitting on my 9 out of 20. May get one more invite (sitting on 3 waitlists) but I am happy with any in my top 4. Have one I really prefer but it is the match.

But once, you get to that 8-10 range it starts to get old really quick. Congrats on getting a solid overall number.
 
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