Hi! any good stories about being bottom of your class and getting into surgery? Looking for some hope and inspiration right now.

[Mr.Confused]

as the title says lol. im bottom quarter of my class. hate the whole dialogue about how you are more then your grades and more then a number, while also being told you dont have the grades for surgery

ALSO, what is the least competitive surgical residency or residency that does some surgery?

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[DOVinciRobot]

as the title says lol. im bottom quarter of my class. hate the whole dialogue about how you are more then your grades and more then a number, while also being told you dont have the grades for surgery

ALSO, what is the least competitive surgical residency or residency that does some surgery?

The people I know who were bottom quartile and matched surgery had board scores at or above the matched average as well as research and were overall good rotators who had strong LORs. In essence, the rest of their app was discordant with their class rank.

General surgery is the “least” competitive of the surgical fields but is still solidly above average in competitiveness.. there is no such thing as a non-competitive surgical specialty.

 

[Mr.Confused]

The people I know who were bottom quartile and matched surgery had board scores at or above the matched average as well as research and were overall good rotators who had strong LORs. In essence, the rest of their app was discordant with their class rank.

General surgery is the “least” competitive of the surgical fields but is still solidly above average in competitiveness.. there is no such thing as a non-competitive surgical specialty.

that makes sense. i kinda got similar recc from an advisor to score 260 on step 2. just hoping i can achieve well on step 2. my grades are slightly improving during my 3rd year, started really REALLY low, and improving now, even have some A- 's finally. can only try my best and improve from previous days. hoping I can make it into surgery.

last question--should I try and get research in (i'm in third year, only have little research experience from undergrad days) or focus on grades? Im happy with my progress with grades and am starting to prepare for step 2. Finally have gpa at 3 now and only trying to continue to bring it up with the remaining blocks I have.

 

[DOVinciRobot]

that makes sense. i kinda got similar recc from an advisor to score 260 on step 2. just hoping i can achieve well on step 2. my grades are slightly improving during my 3rd year, started really REALLY low, and improving now, even have some A- 's finally. can only try my best and improve from previous days. hoping I can make it into surgery.

last question--should I try and get research in (i'm in third year, only have little research experience from undergrad days) or focus on grades? Im happy with my progress with grades and am starting to prepare for step 2. Finally have gpa at 3 now and only trying to continue to bring it up with the remaining blocks I have.

Keep up the work with grades, but you need to get at least something in the research column.

I’m going to say if you can get a 600+\245+ and audition hard at former DO and community programs that aren’t in super desirable locations you have a shot. Of course a 260 would be nice, but it isn’t what I would use as a cutoff for if you actually pursue surgery or not.

 

[Mr.Confused]

Thanks dude! I appreciate it. Dean I talked with said i should apply family med and only apply surgery if i have 260 on step 2 so I am glad you responded to me.

 

[DOVinciRobot]

Thanks dude! I appreciate it. Dean I talked with said i should apply family med and only apply surgery if i have 260 on step 2 so I am glad you responded to me.

Rule #1 of DO school is to ignore your DO school.

 

[Goro]

as the title says lol. im bottom quarter of my class. hate the whole dialogue about how you are more then your grades and more then a number, while also being told you dont have the grades for surgery

ALSO, what is the least competitive surgical residency or residency that does some surgery?

Honestly, MrC, hope is not a strategy.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

My question would be how you plan on scoring 260+. From my understanding step 2 builds upon preclinical/step1

 

[Mr.Confused]

Honestly, MrC, hope is not a strategy.

even people with a strategy and great scores and grades and LORs, etc, can still not match. having hope doesn't hurt. As I mentioned, I have improved my grades and am continuing to do better with every block, as I better understand how to prepare for shelfs, and I figured out my way of studying.

 

[Mr.Confused]

My question would be how you plan on scoring 260+. From my understanding step 2 builds upon preclinical/step1

"don't give up, don't ever give up"

 

[Rapsidy]

"don't give up, don't ever give up"

It’s not about not having hope or giving up, it’s about planning properly so you don’t end up not matching because you put blind hope into something that wasn’t realistic.

You need a backup, is there something else besides surgery that you could see yourself being happy with? Even apps that are much more competitive than yours usually have backups in mind. Not saying you will be a bad doctor or a bad surgeon, there are just plenty of apps that don’t have the struggles you have had with grades and have a lot more research than you at this point.

 

[Mr.Confused]

Yah I am planning on applying parallel