Help building school list (IM, 242)

[doctry23]

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USMD (mid tier) here with 242, step 1 PASS, clinicals all high pass except 1 honors in psych, applying IM.

Where can/should I apply and how many places should I apply to? I go to school in the mid-atlantic but would love to apply all over north east and pacific (no family in either location, I'm from Mid Atlantic, do have friends living all over NE and Pacific though). I'm thinking of geographically signaling these 3 regions but need help in figuring out where to send my gold and silver signals!

I know I’m not competitive for the top 10-20 programs so looking for some real advice on which academic programs I’d have a shot at!

 

[pigsinacloth]

I am not in IM, but residency explorer has step scores now. It might be helpful for you to check that out and then also talk to your school about what places in those regions would be good for you

 

[doctry23]

I am not in IM, but residency explorer has step scores now. It might be helpful for you to check that out and then also talk to your school about what places in those regions would be good for you

I feel like residency explorer doesn't help too much because it's a range so a 242 is interviewed by most programs despite it being in the lower range (5-15th percentile) including T20 so not sure how to use that information

 

[pigsinacloth]

If you click on the programs it gives you the percentiles. So for example since you said northeast, umass baystate has 225, 234, 244, 253, and 261, as its 10th, 25, 50, 75, 90th, percentiles to get an interview. So basically you are right around their 50th percentile for an interview so they would be a good target program for you most likely. If you see programs that you're only in the 10th percentile then yeah it might be a bit more difficult since those people might have connections to the program or something else in their app that makes them stand out, but otherwise I feel like it's fine.

Also remember that board scores have some huge standard error so a difference of 2 points 242 vs 244 is essentially meaningless, unless it crosses into some barrier like 248 and 250 because 250 is a score that they could use as a cutoff.

 

[Avoiding_Involvement]

Using step 2 to determine "target" program feels a bit ill advised. IM programs take class rank and grades into huge account.