Did not Match

[goingpsych]

Hello everyone,

I've been mainly a lurker on this forum but have posted just a few times.
So I did not match again this year. This was my 2nd time applying and although last year my application was very rushed and I did not expect to match, this year I was somewhat confident.

I had 11 interviews in psychiatry (1 of which was a program that only pre-matched, so it did not end up on my rank list) and 2 interviews in FP (did not apply to many of these programs). I ranked 9 of those psychiatry programs contiguously and the the last was ranked at the bottom after 2 FP programs were ranked. I received a couple of letters from programs telling me that I would be ranked high on their list (1 of these programs I ranked #1).

I am a US-IMG/carib grad. The red flag on my application is a 2nd attempt on Step 2CK, which I originally missed passing by a couple of points but then passed it soon after by about a 40 point increase. I have no other red flags on my application. I have outstanding letters of recommendation and a good personal statement (as I was told by a few faculty members during interviews). I have honored all of my clinical rotations. I have been doing research for the past 5 months at a psychiatric research institute as well (this was the major addition to my application this year, as compared to last years application which was late and with a non-passing step 2ck score-which was replaced by a passing score very late in the interview season).

I thought my interviews went relatively well (however I will have to figure out ways to further improve them since I was able to get 11 interviews, but not match).

At this point, being a US-IMG I am taking part in SOAP but have not heard from any programs. I'm not quite sure about what to do at this point. I have about 6 months before Sept 15 and want to strengthen my application the most I possibly can. On the same note, after 2 unsuccessful matches, I also feel somewhat broken and am wondering what would be realistic for me. Any advice, suggestions, or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

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[vistaril]

Hello everyone,

I've been mainly a lurker on this forum but have posted just a few times.
So I did not match again this year. This was my 2nd time applying and although last year my application was very rushed and I did not expect to match, this year I was somewhat confident.

I had 11 interviews in psychiatry (1 of which was a program that only pre-matched, so it did not end up on my rank list) and 2 interviews in FP (did not apply to many of these programs). I ranked 9 of those psychiatry programs contiguously and the the last was ranked at the bottom after 2 FP programs were ranked. I received a couple of letters from programs telling me that I would be ranked high on their list (1 of these programs I ranked #1).

I am a US-IMG/carib grad. The red flag on my application is a 2nd attempt on Step 2CK, which I originally missed passing by a couple of points but then passed it soon after by about a 40 point increase. I have no other red flags on my application. I have outstanding letters of recommendation and a good personal statement (as I was told by a few faculty members during interviews). I have honored all of my clinical rotations. I have been doing research for the past 5 months at a psychiatric research institute as well (this was the major addition to my application this year, as compared to last years application which was late and with a non-passing step 2ck score-which was replaced by a passing score very late in the interview season).

I thought my interviews went relatively well (however I will have to figure out ways to further improve them since I was able to get 11 interviews, but not match).

At this point, being a US-IMG I am taking part in SOAP but have not heard from any programs. I'm not quite sure about what to do at this point. I have about 6 months before Sept 15 and want to strengthen my application the most I possibly can. On the same note, after 2 unsuccessful matches, I also feel somewhat broken and am wondering what would be realistic for me. Any advice, suggestions, or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

the question that jumps out to me is this- what carrib school did you go to? There is a huge difference between an american img from sgu/ross vs an american citizen carrib img from somewhere other than this these two(and to a lesser extent AUC and maybe saba)....

 

[goingpsych]

vistaril-AUC

 

[st2205]

Only a fourth year so take this for what it's worth, but if I were in the situation and wasn't able to SOAP into a program, I'd try to scramble into a preliminary year, even of it's surgical. Reason being it's just one year and it would qualify you for a medical license. Options would be limited, but I'd much rather be doing a rural CHC or urgent care job in the meantime while still applying for psych/FP programs.

 

[cleareyedguy]

I think I'd try to do a medicine/rotating internship that starts on July 1. It doesn't matter where in regards to future psych programs (though it would matter to you). It will matter how you do (do well) and that you don't leave them in the lurch (I'd probably try to locate places where they are specifically looking for interns rather than looking for people who intend to complete a residency).

If you get that, then I'd probably write to the places where you interviewed and tell them your specific plan for the coming year with the hope that they keep you on the radar for a potential PGY 2 spot in July 2014. I'd then apply for PGY 2 spots in the fall.

I'd also keep in mind that if you are applying to psych places that don't have a track record of people from your medical school, then their biggest concern is potential risk. Are you going to fail them or be difficult in some way? If you are arriving as a PGY 2 with a strong interest in psych, thenm the risk drops significantly.

While it doesn't mean much coming from a stranger, I know people who have done exceptionally well within psychiatry whose early phase resembles yours. If you know what you want, keep chugging...

 

[vistaril]

Only a fourth year so take this for what it's worth, but if I were in the situation and wasn't able to SOAP into a program, I'd try to scramble into a preliminary year, even of it's surgical. Reason being it's just one year and it would qualify you for a medical license. Options would be limited, but I'd much rather be doing a rural CHC or urgent care job in the meantime while still applying for psych/FP programs.

that arent a lot of urgent care jobs who will hire people who only completed a pgy-1 preliminary or transitional year and are NOT currently in a pgy-2 year....

there are pgy-2 fm/im people who do get moonlighting positions...but they are typically in good standing and actively working in a categorical pgy-2 program. Not pgy-1 and done transitionals....

Also, in a lot of states getting a clear and unlimited medical license may be a bit difficult with a 1 and done transititional because you would be applying for that license currently unattached. Many state medical boards would want to know why you are applying for an unrestricted license as someone not in a current program and only having done a transitional or prelim year, and I could see issues there.

Of course your advice about just trying to find a spot somewhere is valid though, but for other reasons. The big thing is you don't want this massive gap in your medical training...because as years go by it may only get harder.

 

[vistaril]

vistaril-AUC

tough break....it seemed the odds would have been in your favor.

In the future, I would really try to target schools who have large numbers of carrib imgs. And not just sgu/ross ones.

 

[Lavenlian]

I'm a US-IMG that graduated from one of the better known Caribbean med schools in May 2012. I didn't match last year, but this year I made it.

Please feel free to PM me, because I know exactly what you're going through and I have definitely walked a mile in your shoes (unless you were stilettos).

 

[HirsuteAnthony]

tough break....it seemed the odds would have been in your favor.

In the future, I would really try to target schools who have large numbers of carrib imgs. And not just sgu/ross ones.

Are you saying AUC is much harder to match from than SGU and Ross?

 

[notdeadyet]

that arent a lot of urgent care jobs who will hire people who only completed a pgy-1 preliminary or transitional year and are NOT currently in a pgy-2 year....

This is true. A lot of moonlighting applications specify one of the qualifications as either board certified, board eligible, or in residency.

 

[vistaril]

Are you saying AUC is much harder to match from than SGU and Ross?

it's definately harder....just how much harder is probably up for debate.

I think the general consensus is SGU/Ross >> AUC >> Saba >> everywhere else

(some would say SGU gets a very slight edge on ross, but if so the gap between sgu and ross would be less than the gap between ross and auc)

 

[mdninja]

it's definately harder....just how much harder is probably up for debate.

I think the general consensus is SGU/Ross >> AUC >> Saba >> everywhere else

(some would say SGU gets a very slight edge on ross, but if so the gap between sgu and ross would be less than the gap between ross and auc)

I would take this with a grain of salt. The match results are posted on the websites and speak for themselves. AUC has much smaller class sizes then Ross but in terms of rotation locations and residency placements there is no major discrepancy. AUC and Ross both owned by devry now anyways.

 

[vistaril]

I would take this with a grain of salt. The match results are posted on the websites and speak for themselves. AUC has much smaller class sizes then Ross but in terms of rotation locations and residency placements there is no major discrepancy. AUC and Ross both owned by devry now anyways.

I've always heard of sgu and ross as the two best carrib schools....I think that is a common viewpoint.

Also, how many emergency medicine and anesthesia(two generally mid level competitiveness fields that tons of people want to do) do Ross and SGU get? A non-trivial amount. Whereas for AUC, it is a trivial/negligible amount. This to me is telling. It is pretty darn difficult to get em or gas from SGU/Ross, but doable and for good students who work hard not an impossibility. Whereas at AUC, that possibility is less reasonable.

 

[goingpsych]

Thank you everyone for your responses and support thus far. I'll definitely stay optimistic and focus on keeping a look out for unfilled positions and if that doesn't work out, I'll plan on continuing to improve my application for next season by continuing my research efforts and taking step 3.
Any other advice, opinions, or direction would be much appreciated. Thanks again.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

it's definately harder....just how much harder is probably up for debate.

I think the general consensus is SGU/Ross >> AUC >> Saba >> everywhere else

(some would say SGU gets a very slight edge on ross, but if so the gap between sgu and ross would be less than the gap between ross and auc)

I think that the difference between all of them is negligible when it comes to comparing individual applicants--we're going to pretty much lump all US-citizen Carib grads together and decide who to interview based on board scores and LORs. (Now I suppose that vistaril will rebut that SGU/Ross students have an edge on getting "better" clinical rotations to get those LORs, so I'll just have to shrug and say "whatevs.")

Once you get to the interview though, we aren't going to dock you for being from Saba vs St Eustasius vs SGU vs brand-new-stateside-med-school-I've-never-heard-of-before-today. We're looking for a more subjective "goodness of fit", teamwork, actual desire to work with the mentally ill, absence of pi$$y entitled attitudes, etc...

 

[psychattending]

Thank you everyone for your responses and support thus far. I'll definitely stay optimistic and focus on keeping a look out for unfilled positions and if that doesn't work out, I'll plan on continuing to improve my application for next season by continuing my research efforts and taking step 3.
Any other advice, opinions, or direction would be much appreciated. Thanks again.

My advice would be

1) Instead of doing research try to arrange some type of oberservership at a program. If you do not have any major issues, this would be the best way to catch a program's eye and get you moved up their rank list. If you have the flexibility, I would do it at a program to which you did not apply.