Getting into top specialties from top schools

[rickyricardo]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I've heard more and more about how hard the "top" specialties are to get into, like derm, rads, radonc, etc. Now, I'm not really sure about what I want to be in (and probably not something like rads which has low patient contact), but do people from top med schools have an easier time getting into these specialties?

For example, I've heard you need to be in the top 5% of your class to get into one of these specialties. Does that hold true at Harvard, Hopkins, UCSF, etc.? It seems like it shouldn't, but a pre-med from an undergrad which has a lot of smart students and tough grades doesn't get a break when applying to med school...

 

[Disinence2]

Don't worry about it now.

Of course there is a self-selection factor, those with scores high enough to get into top schools will likely score well on step 1, which is crucial to these competitive specialties. However most schools now don't do a true "Ranking".

Basically... Chill out for a bit. You can get into any specialty from any US based MD school if you work hard enough.

 

[thesauce]

I've heard more and more about how hard the "top" specialties are to get into, like derm, rads, radonc, etc. Now, I'm not really sure about what I want to be in (and probably not something like rads which has low patient contact), but do people from top med schools have an easier time getting into these specialties?

For example, I've heard you need to be in the top 5% of your class to get into one of these specialties. Does that hold true at Harvard, Hopkins, UCSF, etc.? It seems like it shouldn't, but a pre-med from an undergrad which has a lot of smart students and tough grades doesn't get a break when applying to med school...

Going to a top school helps a lot but is by no means a requirement. Top 5 percent is an exaggeration. In fact, I'm pretty sure more than half of students with average step 1 scores that apply to radiology get a spot. Radonc and derm are a bit harder, but I'd say top quarter of your class with strong boards and research will give you a good
chance for those.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I have the specialties ranked as follows:

1. EM
2. Radiology
3. IM (pathway to cards, since I have become an ultrasound ***** during my research this summer)
4. Anesthesiology
5. ENT

I don't know where you got your specialty rankings

 

[thesauce]

I have the specialties ranked as follows:

1. EM
2. Radiology
3. IM (pathway to cards, since I have become an ultrasound ***** during my research this summer)
4. Anesthesiology
5. ENT

I don't know where you got your specialty rankings

Are you joking? I'll assume you are, but just for the sake of others, take a look at: http://www.nrmp.org/data/chartingoutcomes2007.pdf

 

[muhali3]

The most competitive are

Neurosurgery
Plastic Surgery
Dermatology
Radiation Oncology
Otolaryngology
Orthopedic Surgery
Urology

 

[DrYoda]

Step 1>>>>>>class rank