Help...Will I make it?

[Rosekey]

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I'm looking to match into Psychiatry....
But my performance in medical school has been really shot so far. I've had a lot of difficult things going on in my family and personal life, which unfortunately started right around my second semester of medical school. About one year ago, at the start of my 3rd year (and half way through core clerkships) I went through what was (and what I hope will stay) my first experience with serious depression...I've never experienced anything like it before. I took an LOA, got help. I'm on the other side of it now and have come to terms with my situation, which includes all passes throughout core clerkship year. I feel like I didn't absorb all that much during my time in medical school because it took so much of my energy to keep myself together as a person. The difficulties at home continue now and have evolved, but I know how to better protect my well-being.

I haven't yet taken STEP 1 (our school doesn't have us take STEP 1 until after core year). I took a lot of extra time since I made the mistake of going home during the school-wide dedicated STEP 1 time period. Things were very difficult at home and I ended up losing a life-long friend. Lots of scary, big changes threatening on the horizon in terms of my dad's health and my parents' marriage. At one point, I spent the night basically babysitting my mom who tends to take benzodiazepines when things aren't going well...last time she did this, I wasn't home. She was alone, and ended up with a big fall and a large scalp hematoma (nothing intracranial, thank goodness). When I was home during dedicated there was lots of tension, constant screaming, I stayed over at a friend's for a week...but ultimately I didn't get much studying done. I decided to take a year of research because 1) I really enjoy research and 2) I could continue to study for STEP 1.

Well, here I am running up against a deadline. If I don't take 2 more hours of credit this semester, I end up losing financial aid for the semester. I'm not supposed to take any advanced rotations until after I've taken STEP 1. I know I have enough saved up to pay rent and utilities from this semester without aid, but I don't think I have enough to pay for the 4 hours I've already taken early in the semester (core rotation that I had left over from my LOA in core year). My last NBME was a 217. I know I can do better if I had more time to prepare, though.

I'm going to go in to the dean's office, explain my situation, and ask if they could let me take the 2 week elective (radiology, also left over from core year LOA) or some other non-clinical 2 hour class so I can still get financial aid for the semester. If they say no....
I'm worried that with something around a 217 and all passes.... I wouldn't match anywhere....I'm terrified. What are my chances if they say no?
Please help.

TLDR: Would I match with all passes in clerkships and something around a 217 on STEP 1? Psych is becoming more and more competitive.

 

[Mass Effect]

How much time will you have spent in med school by the time you graduate?

 

[Rosekey]

How much time will you have spent in med school by the time you graduate?

Hi Mass Effect, I will have taken the regular 4 years + 1 year of research

 

[mistafab]

Instead of focusing, and being hard on yourself, about getting into psychiatry - take a deep breath and start doing your absolute best in prep for step 1. You do not have a score yet so do not think about what you will or won’t be able to go into after this. My suggestion is that you relax, go over the the step forums here and look at the step 1 experiences thread. Come up with a good strategy to attain your best “true” score. Best of luck. Also, if you have mental health issues, make sure to get help now.

 

[Philosopher Jagger]

I wouldn't place all the stock in the world on your NBME scores. Still do as many NBME's as you can, they are often said to be the best questions, but don't worry about the scores. Just worry about your trend. Shoot for higher on the next and call that a win.

(By the way, 217 isn't a bad Step 1 Score for Psych or Family Medicine -- this should be made very clear to you)

You're dealing with quite a lot here and you're doing your best, remember that. But far and away the most important thing you can do is not walllow in self-pity, but rather crush Step 1 with flying colors. Keep doing Uworld. Make Anki cards over your incorrects. Eat, sleep, and breath this stuff as long as you're taking time to rest here and there.

Show these psych programs that you won't be held back by adversity.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Psych has gotten more competitive, but even in your worst case scenario where you do get something in the 210s, 150/184 applicants with a score between 211-220 matched. That's 82%, which mathematically isn't all that different from the 87% if you're in the 220s or 92% in the 230s. AND EVEN THEN, if you don't match... it's really not the end of the world. You'll reapply, or go for FM and find something that makes you happy in that field.

I think it's very easy to get overwhelmed trying to play out a bunch of hypothetical scenarios years down the road, when really you just need to focus on the next step in front of you. Worrying about all the what-ifs is just going to cause you a lot of stress that may not be warranted. Your school is invested in your success, if there's any way that they can help you they probably will, and even if they can't like I said you have plenty of chances to have things work out.

 

[Philosopher Jagger]

Psych has gotten more competitive, but even in your worst case scenario where you do get something in the 210s, 150/184 applicants with a score between 211-220 matched. That's 82%, which mathematically isn't all that different from the 87% if you're in the 220s or 92% in the 230s. AND EVEN THEN, if you don't match... it's really not the end of the world. You'll reapply, or go for FM and find something that makes you happy in that field.

I think it's very easy to get overwhelmed trying to play out a bunch of hypothetical scenarios years down the road, when really you just need to focus on the next step in front of you. Worrying about all the what-ifs is just going to cause you a lot of stress that may not be warranted. Your school is invested in your success, if there's any way that they can help you they probably will, and even if they can't like I said you have plenty of chances to have things work out.

You just pointed out the main problem plaguing all medical students everywhere. Even reading it gives me anxiety

 

[mrbreakfast]

Hate to say it but I think you need some boundaries between your personal and academic lives. As everyone else has said, all the future hypotheticals don't matter until you actually get your step 1 score. To that effect, that's the sole thing you need to be worried about right now.

With a 217 on an NBME you should be OK. Many people here, including me, scored wayyy higher on the real thing than on NBMEs, and you have time to study. Also, it's psych. Might be wrong but I don't think they really care about how you did on other clerkships(?)

Just remember: the trouble with home/friends is a whirlpool, and you're on a boat circling it right now. If you hold the course, you'll get dragged further and further in. You gotta turn the tiller away, if just for now. Trust me, I watched classmates get sucked in every year - including one who failed fourth year and had to withdraw from the match - because they let other people's problems become their own. It's hard to do, but you already made your decision when you applied for med school.

tl;dr you're best shot will be if you:
1) Get financial situation resolved ASAP. At worst, take a loan.
2) Keep your mental health strong and find a little time to relax.
3) Determine how long you have left to study, and between now and then, only study. Talk to your family once a week. Let them know you need their support right now, not the other way around.

 

[mrbreakfast]

You just pointed out the main problem plaguing all medical students everywhere. Even reading it gives me anxiety

I spent many hours I shouldn't have during dedicated researching different specialties I hadn't considered previously because I was discouraged by my NBMEs. Went home after taking and the first thing I did was pull up Charting Outcomes and look up what I could match into with a <210 score. Spent the next few days wishing I had studied differently somehow so that I wouldn't have ruined my med school career.

I think everyone goes through it. Best part is after Step 1, it's all downhill (at least was for me).