Here the facts, what do you think?

[ElliotAR]

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Hi,
I need a handsome dose of the truth and facts. I really want to do reconstructive plastic surgery, but wonder if my transcript is going to allow me to match directly into Plastics. I am bearing my soul and giving my scores and GPA below. I think step 1 and the GPA are going to sink my ship. Is it worth applying for or should I bite the bullet and apply to gen surg and take the traditional route. Is it stupid to apply to both?

Step 1 219
Step 2 241
GPA 3.42 (around top 40% in the class)
One year of hard science research (in general surgery) between MS2 and MS 3 (5 pubs) at a top 5 med school.

What's the verdict? Please be honest.
Elliot

 

[sscooterguy]

I don't know too much about plastics yet, but here's a link that was recently posted on the ortho forum about each specialty with some hard numbers on the 2005 match including break down by step 1, publication, and AOA: http://www.uicomp.uic.edu/Students/NRMP - Charting Outcomes in the Match.pdf

sscooterguy

 

[Jocomama]

Don't know they have GPAs in Med School
Talk to your program director and any plastics attendings at your program. That is the best advice - not this forum

Hi,
I need a handsome dose of the truth and facts. I really want to do reconstructive plastic surgery, but wonder if my transcript is going to allow me to match directly into Plastics. I am bearing my soul and giving my scores and GPA below. I think step 1 and the GPA are going to sink my ship. Is it worth applying for or should I bite the bullet and apply to gen surg and take the traditional route. Is it stupid to apply to both?

Step 1 219
Step 2 241
GPA 3.42 (around top 40% in the class)
One year of hard science research (in general surgery) between MS2 and MS 3 (5 pubs) at a top 5 med school.

What's the verdict? Please be honest.
Elliot

 

[mcindoe]

Talk to your program director and any plastics attendings at your program. That is the best advice - not this forum

couldn't agree more.

and if you want the honest truth, i am less interested in your numbers and more interested in reading your letters of rec. they will make or break your application, much more so than your numbers.

furthermore, the numbers will only play a role at programs that do a preliminary screen to narrow down the pile of applicantions they will end up reviewing. and that's usually done by a secretary, and the cutoff scores vary by program.

 

[GSresident]

I can't believe they published that data in the above link. It leaves little doubt what the most competative specialties are.
I agree that you should talk to a program director/section chief. Hopefully you know them well already.
If you end up deciding to go the general surgery route try to go to a program that has an attached plastic surgery fellowship and get to know the department from day 1, declaring your interest and getting involved in research from day 1. Start studying for the ABSITE exam on July 1. You absolutely have to do well on that for your first 3 years. THe 3rd year score is the last one that will show up on your application for fellowships. There are also general surgery residencies that have a good track record for the plastic surgery match. I would concentrate your applications on those types of programs.