Hard to match OB/GYN?

[strandpige]

Does anyone know average scores/grades/LORS of latest match?

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[doc05]

how would you describe an "average LOR?"

obgyn is not hard to match into.

 

[cyanocobalamin]

Ob/gyn back in the day was a competitive match. Today's medical students are very lifestyle sensitive, add on top of that a malpractice crisis and ob/gyn has turned into a relatively uncompetitive match with IMGs making about one third of the last few PGY classes.

Washington University competitiveness website
article on malpractice crisis

 

[doprogressive]

The statement about OBGYN not being competitive is correct and incorrect at the same time. Although fewer people are considering OBGYN as a specialty and the IMG/FMG ratio is higher in the specialty than in the past, OBGYN is still more competitive than FP or IM. Moreover, Certain programs and certain regions are still competitive within OBGYN applicants : the West, California etc... The minimum USMLE scores that most PD's will interview is still higher than in other primary care feilds. This year, the match actually was more competive than in the past, with a higher percentage of filled spots than in previous years. (Radiology had a greater percentage of unfilled spots this year than obgyn). As more women enter the feild, the lifestyle of graduates from obgyn residencies is changing. physcians are joining larger groups of 7 or 9 with call q7 or q9. thats better than a lot of other specialists. There are also large hospitalist groups in some larger metropolitan areas (shift work). The backlash from current perceptions about the specialty will take time to change. If you have USMLE scores less than 200 or 210 OBGYN may be out of your reach, and especially in areas with few numbers of residencies and desirable locations (Western US).

 

[cyanocobalamin]

Although fewer people are considering OBGYN as a specialty and the IMG/FMG ratio is higher in the specialty than in the past, OBGYN is still more competitive than FP or IM.

True.

Moreover, Certain programs and certain regions are still competitive within OBGYN applicants : the West, California etc...

And California is more popular for all other specialties too (even medicine at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital!) for the simple reason that Californians there want to stay, others want to return, and others want to see what the fuss is about.

This year, the match actually was more competive than in the past, with a higher percentage of filled spots than in previous years. (Radiology had a greater percentage of unfilled spots this year than obgyn).

Looking at the data I believe the unfilled spot ratio is comparable (looking at rads PGY2 versus OB PGY1), but the overwhelming anecdotal evidence points to radiology being far more competitive in 2005. You had rads people applying to more programs per person as well as there being a greater IMG:AMG ratio for ob/gyn vis-a-vis rads. Geez, my ob/gyn chief resident and surgery attending even told me to consider IR because of all the neat things they do. GFF anyone?

http://www.nrmp.org/2005advdata.pdf
http://www.aamc.org/programs/eras/programs/statistics/residency/obgyn.htm
http://www.aamc.org/programs/eras/programs/statistics/residency/diagrad.htm

As more women enter the feild, the lifestyle of graduates from obgyn residencies is changing. physcians are joining larger groups of 7 or 9 with call q7 or q9. thats better than a lot of other specialists. There are also large hospitalist groups in some larger metropolitan areas (shift work). The backlash from current perceptions about the specialty will take time to change. If you have USMLE scores less than 200 or 210 OBGYN may be out of your reach, and especially in areas with few numbers of residencies and desirable locations (Western US).

As ob/gyn becomes mostly women with men really not considering it, it has excluded most of ~49% applicants, making it an easier match by sheer numbers.

One "problem" with ob/gyn remains unsolvable. You make it such that you either A) live a manic life and do your own deliveries or B) do shiftwork and possibly do some of your own deliveries. Now imagine a surgeon doing the workup for a patient only to have someone else do the surgery. I couldn't imagine doing all the prenatals for a woman only to have someone else deliver her.

I wouldn't worry about 200 or 210 cutoffs, THIS is the best time to apply for ob/gyn if you really love it as many programs DO need people and the reality is that they cannot be as picky as they might want to be. It's probably the best time to be pleasantly surprised during the match and if you don't apply you'll never know.