Failed step 3...any chances at fellowship?

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croissant1919

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Just found out I failed step3 by 2 points, I feel very dissapointed. Im a PGY-2 at a big academic program in the NE. I'm interested in Hem/Onc only. I dont care about going to the big programs (msk, MD anderson and such) but i would like to know if I still have a chance or should I kiss my dreams of pursuing fellowship goodbye. I appreciate your thoughts...
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I’d focus on passing Step 3 before worrying about anything else. One thing is for sure, you can’t do a fellowship if you don’t pass Step 3 or if you get kicked out of residency.
 
croissant1919 said:
Just found out I failed step3 by 2 points, I feel very dissapointed. Im a PGY-2 at a big academic program in the NE. I'm interested in Hem/Onc only. I dont care about going to the big programs (msk, MD anderson and such) but i would like to know if I still have a chance or should I kiss my dreams of pursuing fellowship goodbye. I appreciate your thoughts...
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Well first, study and pass it. You kinda need it for your license.

Second, yes, you still have a chance. Do well in your residency, shine on your rotations, get good letters, maybe do a little research. All of that weighs more.
 
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DrMetal said:
Well first, study and pass it. You kinda need it for your license.

Second, yes, you still have a chance. Do well in your residency, shine on your rotations, get good letters, maybe do a little research. All of that weighs more.
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Hem onc…need to do a lot of research…
 
Might be worth looking into doing a chief year as well to give yourself more time to boost your app.
 
croissant1919 said:
Just found out I failed step3 by 2 points, I feel very dissapointed. Im a PGY-2 at a big academic program in the NE. I'm interested in Hem/Onc only. I dont care about going to the big programs (msk, MD anderson and such) but i would like to know if I still have a chance or should I kiss my dreams of pursuing fellowship goodbye. I appreciate your thoughts...
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Very hard and nearly impossible unless you have strong connections or do chief year. If you have a home program that likes to takes chiefs internally, doing a chief year may be the only way. In a competitive subspecialty, failing any Step exam on first attempt (or even any low score <220 for that matter) makes an easy and objective filtering criteria for many programs to screen you out.
 
For fellowship, more important than scores is who you know. Make really strong connections with people in high places. Try to find someone who still keeps in touch with their program director or knows a PD (which I'm sure you have since it's a big academic center). They'll be able to make calls and vouch for you. I know a couple of GI fellows that did had failure (step 1 failure and step 3 failure) that are about to be attendings. N = 2 but still, there's a chance.
 
croissant1919 said:
Just found out I failed step3 by 2 points, I feel very dissapointed. Im a PGY-2 at a big academic program in the NE. I'm interested in Hem/Onc only. I dont care about going to the big programs (msk, MD anderson and such) but i would like to know if I still have a chance or should I kiss my dreams of pursuing fellowship goodbye. I appreciate your thoughts...
Click to expand...
You didn't do yourself any favors but intuitively I don't think it's impossible. I agree that you need to focus 100% on passing, ideally with a decent score; from there trying to make connections in your home program, the research that comes with that, a chief year...all would help your case. Do as much of that as you can, apply very broadly and hope for the best. If you don't get it the first time, take a hospitalist job at a big academic center and apply again...and again and again until you get sick of it. If you can rally from this setback I think you have a decent shot. Good luck.
 
Low chances of matching, unless you know someone that wants you in their program or has pull and will vouch for you. I think they had zero spots in the soap, and the candidates usually have a strong background making it really tough for people with blemishes
 
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