DO interested in oculoplastics - transfer to MD and research?

[jojo100]

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(note: I posted a similar thread in the Derm forum b/c I am interested in both derm and ophtho).

I've finished my 2nd year and taking Step 1 in a few days. My scores are no where near what I am aiming for. And the "DO" is starting to worry me in regards to matching and or getting fellowship (i.e. oculoplastics).

My question - should I take a year off, studying for another month, get my scores up, and do research for the remainder of the year in hopes of a publication or linking up with a bigwig for a nice LOR?

I am very concerned that if I don't have the boards scores I need (by taking the exam in the next few days), my chances will be slim to nil, and adding the DO to it will make it near impossible.

If not transferring, but at the least doing research, and getting board scores up - is it worth it to take a year off for this?

 

[orbitsurgMD]

(note: I posted a similar thread in the Derm forum b/c I am interested in both derm and ophtho).

I've finished my 2nd year and taking Step 1 in a few days. My scores are no where near what I am aiming for. And the "DO" is starting to worry me in regards to matching and or getting fellowship (i.e. oculoplastics).

My question - should I take a year off, studying for another month, get my scores up, and do research for the remainder of the year in hopes of a publication or linking up with a bigwig for a nice LOR?

I am very concerned that if I don't have the boards scores I need (by taking the exam in the next few days), my chances will be slim to nil, and adding the DO to it will make it near impossible.

If not transferring, but at the least doing research, and getting board scores up - is it worth it to take a year off for this?

Shooting for a post-residency fellowship at this point in your education is probably not the best use of your time.

At this point, you haven't done any clinical rotations. How can you be so sure that you want ophthalmology, let alone oculoplastics (especially if you are also wanting derm)?

Getting an oculoplastics slot is difficult no matter what you do. Doing well at the basics--your courses-- and your boards is what matters right now.

It sounds as if you are trying to game the un-gameable.

 

[jojo100]

Shooting for a post-residency fellowship at this point in your education is probably not the best use of your time.

At this point, you haven't done any clinical rotations. How can you be so sure that you want ophthalmology, let alone oculoplastics (especially if you are also wanting derm)?

Getting an oculoplastics slot is difficult no matter what you do. Doing well at the basics--your courses-- and your boards is what matters right now.

It sounds as if you are trying to game the un-gameable.

You are right. I don't know for sure if ophtho is for me until I actually rotate in it, but I don't want to close any doors either. My point is, would you recommend taking a year off to get my boards up (i actually only need a few more weeks) and try to work with someone notable in the field or settling for whatever happens on test day (which is not what I'm hoping for at this point in my studying, based on my nbmes) and trying to maneuver my way in later?

 

[JMK2005]

Personally, an extra year off to study for the USMLE is unlikely to change your score tremendously. A few weeks might. You might ask your school to delay the start of rotations for you. I say take the test and see how you do. Only you will know how prepared you are.

The scoring on the practice exams can be misleading. I did fair on my pratice tests, but did well on the actual test.

 

[jojo100]

Personally, an extra year off to study for the USMLE is unlikely to change your score tremendously. A few weeks might. You might ask your school to delay the start of rotations for you. I say take the test and see how you do. Only you will know how prepared you are.

The scoring on the practice exams can be misleading. I did fair on my pratice tests, but did well on the actual test.

Well I am getting around 220 on the practice exams. I am shooting for a 240. So I will be taking a big risk taking the exam right now hoping for a 240. I will probably have to take a year off because I already delayed 1 of my rotations (our school's rotation schedule is terrible, we don't have any vacation time from 3rd-4th year). If I delay another one, they might tell me that it will be too much to make up, hence the extra year. I'm not sure how that works.