confusing third year grades...and what planning for fourth year

[megatron88]

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So far I've gotten honors in obgyn, emergency med, peds, family med, most likely also honors in psychiatry; got a pass in internal medicine with comments like outstanding medical student, 91st percentile shelf score. Just got my grade for neuro, comments said outstanding medical student, near perfect shelf score (99% percentile) and my grade was .... high pass. I'm starting to feel like I have no control of my third year grades and I'm frustrated because I'm very interested in either neurology (probably my number 1 now) or internal medicine. I don't know how these grades will affect my chances. I have some research experience, good ECs, 260+ usmle score, did very well in my pre-clinical years. Anyway, just trying to figure out how my 3rd year grades may be viewed and how important they are in the process, especially high passing the specialty I'll probably try to match into and how this affects what I should do in 4th year. Thanks!

 

[cyanide12345678]

Eh...IM and neurology aren't competitive. That 260+ step score itself is good enough with decent clinical grades (which you have) for a bunch of interviews. You'll be fine 🙂 Just score 260+ step 2 as well.

 

[Dave89]

Cold, hard numbers like your terrific Step 1 score will speak more loudly on your app than your clerkship grades will. So if I were in your position, I'd be confident, especially since you're interested in Neuro and IM.

With that said, it sounds like you got screwed by a ridiculous grading system in your school. You might want to try appealing those grades.

 

[Cinclus]

Clerkship grades often make no sense and can be infuriating. As mentioned above, you should still be OK for either of those two specialties. Just keep doing your best. Kill Step 2, yadda yadda. I am glad to be done with med school grading...source of great frustration.

 

[Donald Juan]

Clerkship grades often make no sense and can be infuriating. As mentioned above, you should still be OK for either of those two specialties. Just keep doing your best. Kill Step 2, yadda yadda. I am glad to be done with med school grading...source of great frustration.

Just to piggyback off of this, with a 260, mostly honors in 3rd year, research experience, you will be better than ok for these two specialties...you will be a fantastic candidate for any specialty you want. Don't sweat a random pass/high pass. It won't even be noticed.

 

[sliceofbread136]

Clerkship grades often make no sense and can be infuriating. As mentioned above, you should still be OK for either of those two specialties. Just keep doing your best. Kill Step 2, yadda yadda. I am glad to be done with med school grading...source of great frustration.

Seriously, I think the 3rd year grading system needs some serious reform. The current system not only makes no sense it actively gets in the way of learning.

 

[Merely]

What the hell could you be worried about with a 260+ going for IM? Is this a joke?

 

[operaman]

While it's difficult to request a grade change without coming off as one of those super entitled types everyone hates, you may be able to do so carefully if you have a decent case. I would go through all your evals and the specifics of how your grade was calculated. If your IM pass was broadly reflected in your evals, then you're kinda stuck with it. On the other hand, if all your evals are honors save for one, you may be able to convince your clerkship director to reconsider your grade, especially if it was someone you didn't really work with much. And I would approach it by requesting that their eval be set aside given the lack of time spent together. You may also ask if you could be evaluated by an additional attending you worked with extensively. I'd sit down with the numbers and figure out the math and see where you stand and what it would take to put you over the edge.

If your total performance was solidly honors save for one eval from someone who clearly just clicked right down the pass column after working with you for all of ninety minutes, you may be able to find traction by asking either to have that eval tossed out or have another one substituted in its place.

All that said, you're still in great shape. Just do well on your sub-I and get great letters.

 

[JJArms22]

For a minute there I felt some concern for you, then I read 260 step...plus add everything else a competitive candidate has as well, and I lost any sense of concern. Seriously, you're worried that a P and HP will impede your chances at getting into IM or Neuro? Your resume is built to match into derm, yet you're worried about matching into noncompetitive specialties? C'mon man, there's no way you don't know you're a great candidate for anything.

 

[Psai]

I understand where you guys are coming from but a pass in internal medicine from someone who is likely applying to internal medicine hurts. OP is not totally wrong to feel a little apprehensive. The rest of his app does make up for it though.

 

[NWwildcat2013]

Just to piggyback off of this, with a 260, mostly honors in 3rd year, research experience, you will be better than ok for these two specialties...you will be a fantastic candidate for any specialty you want. Don't sweat a random pass/high pass. It won't even be noticed.

What the hell could you be worried about with a 260+ going for IM? Is this a joke?

Are people's responses a joke? The responses here show you why we get neurotic posts like this. Like the person who insinuated the Step 1 score will make up for OPs 3rd year grade...what?! There is nothing to make up for. These grades are solid.

Of course its ideal to honor IM for IM/neuro (actually does neuro even care?), but not honoring won't hold you back with a 260+ unless OP wants to match at UCSF. @Psai I agree that not honoring IM is something that needs to be made up for if you want top programs but do you really think the vast majority of good IM programs would see this as an issue for OP (I doubt neuro would at even the best)? I've seen derm hopefuls with a similar package. SDN posters love the old "Just do well on everything from here on out and you should be fine". It isn't wrong, but it isn't helpful either. Its given to everyone regardless of whether they have a 260 and honors or a 215 and no honors.

Personally OP, for neuro I think you are competitive at the some of best programs. For IM I think you may have issues at the very very top of the food chain but you will still easily land a fantastic residency that will allow you to pursue any subspecialty down the road.

 

[NWwildcat2013]

Clerkship grades often make no sense and can be infuriating. As mentioned above, you should still be OK for either of those two specialties. Just keep doing your best. Kill Step 2, yadda yadda. I am glad to be done with med school grading...source of great frustration.

OP is more than "OK" even without killing Step 2.


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[Psai]

OP is more than "OK" even without killing Step 2.


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Agree

 

[SilverCat]

How do you get a pass in a rotation with great comments and a 91st percentile shelf? What are your evaluation scores like? This really does not make sense.

 

[psychhopefull2016]

Should not hurt you too bad. Take some neuro or IM electives early in 4th year and try to get honors in those. At my school 4th year electives are pretty easy to honor and make you look good

 

[KinesiologyNerd]

How do you get a pass in a rotation with great comments and a 91st percentile shelf? What are your evaluation scores like? This really does not make sense.

Straight 3's will completely negate a home run shelf. Happens all the time.

 

[Crayola227]

3/10 humblebrag, because you threw people off