Grades and Board Scores for Path

[Pace]

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I have been digging through posts on this site and others to try and get an idea of what a competitive Step 1 score and competitive GPA might be to obtain a good path residency. I understand some people get frustrated by these kinds of posts, but I don't understand how someone can begin the application process without knowing where they stand.

My step 1...241
GPA...3.4

Thanks.

 

[yaah]

I'm not sure what a med school GPA means, I haven't heard it discussed a lot. Most people just refer to how many honors grades they got and if they marginal passed or failed any sections. I guess honors for you would be an A? I dunno. I guess I would assume that you have a couple of honors grades, and more passes?

It also depends on whether you are at a US medical school or not. If so, your stats are fine and are certainly not going to hold you back. I wager your step I score is higher than the majority of applicants to path.

It is not solely about step I and GPA. IMHO, those are more important for getting interviews (which yours should get you interviews at most places you apply). The rest of your application (LORs, interview performance, research, etc) are what gets you ranked.

 

[ilovepath]

i've also heard that doing a path ai is good..........esp if you do it @ the program you have your heart set on. i guess doing an ai means that you're going above and beyond regular electives

 

[Pace]

I am a student at a school here in the USA. I have some anesthesia research experience with no publication (yet). I any case, I appreciate your input.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I think you'll be fine Pace. Don't be shy as to where you apply.

 

[drPLUM]

My step 1...241

Hmm... pathology may be a tough match for you with this sort of Step 1. 🙄

Anyway, pace, I think you will be fine. I think you will be strongly considered for interviews at most any of the "top" path programs nationwide. I'm not sure what "med school GPA" is either but 3.4 doesn't sound too bad. My school only keeps up with class rank and we don't have a formal GPA that I know of.

There is an old thread that has the stats of past applicants and where they interviewed/matched. You might want to search for it; it was helpful to me when I was going through the process.

 

[mlw03]

some of ya'll have mentioned class rank as a factor for being competitive at the 'top' path programs. any thoughts as to what % this approximates - top 1/3? top 25%? top 10%?

and i certainly hope that 241 is considered a strong step I score for such top programs, as my score is in the same ballpark.

 

[drPLUM]

some of ya'll have mentioned class rank

"ya'll"! Dude, you must be from around my area of the country. After all...
nut mini er dees folk 'round dees parts nos any kinda vocabulery like at rit thar.
Mes and yous frum de same country eh?

Heh, no seriously, I always appreciate the ya'lls and references to sweet tea when I hear them.

To answer your question, I think class rank is important but less important than other criteria. Some people consider class rank to be subjective from school to school and find it hard to compare candidates this way. If your Step 1 is in the "same ballpark" then your class rank is probably fine unless it is like dead last or something. But take this with a grain of salt because I haven't even started residency yet, only been through the match recently.

EDIT: Oh, and it is technically "y'all" to abbreviate "you all" for all the confused yankees out there. 🙂

 

[mlw03]

"ya'll"! Dude, you must be from around my area of the country. After all...
nut mini er dees folk 'round dees parts nos any kinda vocabulery like at rit thar.
Mes and yous frum de same country eh?

Heh, no seriously, I always appreciate the ya'lls and references to sweet tea when I hear them.

To answer your question, I think class rank is important but less important than other criteria. Some people consider class rank to be subjective from school to school and find it hard to compare candidates this way. If your Step 1 is in the "same ballpark" then your class rank is probably fine unless it is like dead last or something. But take this with a grain of salt because I haven't even started residency yet, only been through the match recently.

EDIT: Oh, and it is technically "y'all" to abbreviate "you all" for all the confused yankees out there. 🙂

well the part of florida i'm from certainly isn't quite the truth south, but i suppose it's not connecticut either. however that first sentence completely lost me...

thanks for the advice, one "southerner" to another.

 

[Cabbage Head]

well the part of florida i'm from certainly isn't quite the truth south, but i suppose it's not connecticut either. however that first sentence completely lost me...

thanks for the advice, one "southerner" to another.

It's true: Florida is part of the Northern US/Canada. Parts of it anyway. To prove this: In, say Georgia, if you go into an Arby's (or whatever) and order an iced tea, it will be sweetened. If you specifically ask if the tea has sugar in it, you might be asked by the person working the counter why it wouldn't be. This is true all over the south, but in the North, the default iced tea is not sweet. Florida: unsweetened tea.

 

[deschutes]

In, say Georgia, if you go into an Arby's (or whatever) and order an iced tea, it will be sweetened. This is true all over the south, but in the North, the default iced tea is not sweet. Florida: unsweetened tea.

You must drink a lot of iced tea 🙂 Is Nestea conceptually different from "iced tea"?

 

[MossPoh]

Depends what area of Florida! South Florida might as well be a warm version of New York and Jersey...but North Florida (Wakulla County type area) is a whole other ball game. Sweet Tea, Muddin', Fishin', Huntin', gun racks a plenty, and more confederate flag hats, stickers than you can shake a stick at! Boiled Peanuts as well.

 

[Cabbage Head]

Depends what area of Florida! South Florida might as well be a warm version of New York and Jersey...but North Florida (Wakulla County type area) is a whole other ball game. Sweet Tea, Muddin', Fishin', Huntin', gun racks a plenty, and more confederate flag hats, stickers than you can shake a stick at! Boiled Peanuts as well.

True enough! I should have been more specific than "parts of it anyway". Georgia should just annex the top of the state.

 

[ariwax]

there are also parts of south florida which aren't like a warm new jersey OR like georgia... the backwater towns down near the keys. the most menacingly hallucinogenic place i've ever been.