Damned to hell?

[Sartre79]

---

Members do not see this ad.

What happens to those students who are in the bottom 1/3 of the class? We always hear that grades are linked to USMLE sucess, so are those people in the lower third doomed to a horrible residency? Failure of the boards? Practicing medicing in the middle of nowhere? (I know I'm using extremes, but really, what happens to those who aren't AOA, and perform/score below average?).

 

[gstrub]

Don't worry dude...you aren't doomed. You may need to forget about the really competitive specialties (bottom 1/3 = cross of neurosurg, ENT, plastics, ROAD), but you can certainly match in most of the others. Focus on other aspects of your application...research, LORs, etc, and you will be fine. Don't come into the match with TOO much geographical baggage. Keep an open mind about what will make you the happiest.
-G

 

[Sartre79]

Don't worry dude...you aren't doomed. You may need to forget about the really competitive specialties (bottom 1/3 = cross of neurosurg, ENT, plastics, ROAD), but you can certainly match in most of the others. Focus on other aspects of your application...research, LORs, etc, and you will be fine. Don't come into the match with TOO much geographical baggage. Keep an open mind about what will make you the happiest.
-G

I think I am going to go into IM, but does this mean that some specialties will be crossed off? (cardio, gastro, etc) I'm only an M1, so this may change.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

I think I am going to go into IM, but does this mean that some specialties will be crossed off? (cardio, gastro, etc) I'm only an M1, so this may change.

Not at all. Matching an IM isn't super competitive. Supposedly it is competitive for the really top programs, but everyone matches somewhere. If you match at an academic hospital (including your home program) and do well, you're still in the running for the fellowships. I'm not sure, but I would think things like research during residency would be important for the competitive IM subspecialties.

 

[Sartre79]

Not at all. Matching an IM isn't super competitive. Supposedly it is competitive for the really top programs, but everyone matches somewhere. If you match at an academic hospital (including your home program) and do well, you're still in the running for the fellowships. I'm not sure, but I would think things like research during residency would be important for the competitive IM subspecialties.

I would like to stay in the Central Midwest (currently in Omaha). So, like NE or MN. I'm guessing these aren't super competitive, but I"m not sure.

Ice Nine, I'm not trying to be a downer, but it kinda bites when you work hard and your "place on the curve" is kinda subpar. I didn't have a science background (other than the MCAT prereqs), so it's the first time I have seen a lot of this...takes me a bit longer. A lot of people here went to med school...before they actually went to med school.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

I would like to stay in the Central Midwest (currently in Omaha). So, like NE or MN. I'm guessing these aren't super competitive, but I"m not sure.

Pass your classes and pass the boards, and I think you'll be fine. Also, while your grades now really don't matter, you might find that your place on the curve will change as time goes by.

 

[45408]

Ice Nine, I'm not trying to be a downer, but it kinda bites when you work hard and your "place on the curve" is kinda subpar.

This happens to a lot of people. Believe it or not, half of your class is below average, and some of them probably study even harder than you do. I'm not saying it isn't a bit of a shock at first, but you CANNOT expect to just roll into med school and assume your usual undergrad position at the top of the class.

As for residencies that are open to most grads, you could go into psych, peds, IM, family practice, OB/GYN, and more. If you wanted to do cardiology, I have a feeling that you need to shine during your residency, not during med school.

 

[njbmd]

I think I am going to go into IM, but does this mean that some specialties will be crossed off? (cardio, gastro, etc) I'm only an M1, so this may change.

Make sure that you match into a solid Internal Medicine Residency Program where you can get outstanding instruction, research and good letters of recommendation from the faculty. After that, do well on your In-Training exams as they are one measure of your performance in residency. GI and cardiology are fairly competitive fellowships but a strong performance in residency coupled with good letters and some well-placed phone calls should get you matched into fellowship.

Even if you are at the very bottom of your class, you can do a solid review and get a good USMLE Step I score. Make sure that you thoroughly master your coursework and review adequately for this exam. If your Step I is not great, you can rock on Step II (both parts). Also remember that if you want a good match in IM, you need to have a strong performance in your IM clerkship along with good faculty letters.

Any grades that are behind you are just that, behind you. You can decide right this minute that you will do everything possible to master your coursework so that your USMLE Step I study is truly a review and not a learning session.

 

[Re3iRtH]

I would like to stay in the Central Midwest (currently in Omaha). So, like NE or MN. I'm guessing these aren't super competitive, but I"m not sure.

Ice Nine, I'm not trying to be a downer, but it kinda bites when you work hard and your "place on the curve" is kinda subpar. I didn't have a science background (other than the MCAT prereqs), so it's the first time I have seen a lot of this...takes me a bit longer. A lot of people here went to med school...before they actually went to med school.

I would suggest you just forget about residency and try to learn as much
medicine as you can from now until 4rth year. Some IM folks are downright
amazing clinicians, and know a crap load of medicine. Just forget about
grades and try to learn the medicine.