So basically I bombed Step 1. This wasn't a "slack off and hope for the best", it was a study very hard and get way lower than all practice tests, but no excuses in the end, I own up to it. I ended up with a 208. Step 2 I got a 245. I didn't honor any clerkship. Just high passed them all. From what I understand, some schools barely honor anyone, and that's kind of what my school does, but I guess there's no way of showing that. So my dream has always been radiology. And obviously after my step scores it's an uphill climb. I did a month long rotation with a doctor that is the head of our department, and also worked here and there with other doctors. Obviously I am not amazing at reading scans, but I showed up early, left late ( I was the only one on the rotation), and tried to prove that I had good work ethic. The head of our department was very pleased, and he said he would make calls and go to bat for me. I was super excited, but then he asked for my CV, and my Step score was on there. He said that getting letters for residencies were contingent on step scores, so no one in the department will write one for me.
So this happened a while back, but I ended up getting letters from other doctors. I had 2 internal med doctors also turn me down based on score ( I specifically asked if it was anything else and they were just like " no you're a great candidate but your score is bad" . I feel like the dumbest human in existence for getting a score that bad, and I almost don't even want to be a doctor.
But can someone explain this? So basically I am probably going to have a tough time regardless even getting interviews based on my step score, but programs see the step score, it's not like they have no clue. So why is it that even getting a letter depends on the score? Isn't the letter on what the doctor saw when you were working with them?Like dedication, enthusiasm, ability to take criticism, etc? If I had known this was the policy, I never would have spent a month on the rotation. I guess I'm upset that not only is my step score screwing me for interviews, it's also screwed me for a letter, and the letter writer was able to look past step 2, clerkships, research, my rotation, etc and just see step 1.
So this happened a while back, but I ended up getting letters from other doctors. I had 2 internal med doctors also turn me down based on score ( I specifically asked if it was anything else and they were just like " no you're a great candidate but your score is bad" . I feel like the dumbest human in existence for getting a score that bad, and I almost don't even want to be a doctor.
But can someone explain this? So basically I am probably going to have a tough time regardless even getting interviews based on my step score, but programs see the step score, it's not like they have no clue. So why is it that even getting a letter depends on the score? Isn't the letter on what the doctor saw when you were working with them?Like dedication, enthusiasm, ability to take criticism, etc? If I had known this was the policy, I never would have spent a month on the rotation. I guess I'm upset that not only is my step score screwing me for interviews, it's also screwed me for a letter, and the letter writer was able to look past step 2, clerkships, research, my rotation, etc and just see step 1.
