getting into a top academic program w/o research?

[amherstguy]

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assuming everything else is good, how important are aoa status and research in getting into a top academic medicine program?

 

[BlackNDecker]

If I were a PD (or just reviewing your application) at one of these institutions, I would wonder exactly why you were interested in pursuing a spot in a "highly academic residency?" Especially if you haven't demonstrated academic interest up to this point.

Having said that, where you come from and who signs your LORs can go a loooooooooooooooong way. IMHO, AOA is still important for the IVYs...

 

[muscles]

AOA status and research will help but it's not as if you don't have a chance without them. Also, too many people on this forum equate IVY = top academic program, and if you're not at Harvard/UCSF/Hopkins, then there's no point in living.

I'd challenge you to see past this and realize that there are other "top academic programs".

 

[ResidentMD]

AOA status and research will help but it's not as if you don't have a chance without them. Also, too many people on this forum equate IVY = top academic program, and if you're not at Harvard/UCSF/Hopkins, then there's no point in living.

I'd challenge you to see past this and realize that there are other "top academic programs".

Being relatively new to the system, I just wanted to get an understanding of how the AOA system works. It seems like a lot of SDNers here are AOAs and have calls at the creme de la creme programs for IM (so much so that the 2009-10 interview thread is now less active than the thread that talks about interview confirmations from MGH, BWH, UPenn ).

But I just wanted to know what it takes to eventually reach that status of an AOA, something that along with great board scores, letters and evals, seems to open up a lot of doors for you 🙂.

Cheers to everyone on the interview trail!

 

[houstoncfh]

Yeah, I think for the tip-top programs, you have to be generally excellent. And rightly or wrongly, AOA is a relatively easy way to do this. I'd imagine that if you were to screen all the folks getting interviews from Hopkins, UCSF, MGH, etc, the vast majority (not all, though) would be AOA.

I think for great programs not in the top 25, it helps you write your own ticket, but it is by no means a requirement. Look at Vanderbilt's residency bios:

http://medicine.mc.vanderbilt.edu/Templates/TemplateDivision.aspx?qs=cElEPTI5Nw==

Taking a quick glance, it looks like the spread is pretty much half AOA and half not.

I doubt research is nearly as influential. I think it might be helpful for programs to see you've had some exposure, but I just don't think being 1st author on multiple pubs is a de facto requirement for any IM program.