How do I do better?

[linkin06]

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hey, i think i'm interested in going into peds heme/onc. i'm worried though because, though i know it's still really early, i didn't do super hot on ob as my first rotation. i'm in IM second now and feel like i'm getting much more positive personal feedback, but i am studying little if none right now. i can envision the shelf going poorly, especially since it's one of the tougher ones. i have a decent step one of 232 and go to a top 40 school, but i'm worried i'm never going to be able to get any honors or letters in a rotation. i've heard it's very subjective on peds here esp. i just don't see how at any given time i'll be in the top 10% in the bunch. i just don't like playing the third year game and am absolutely far away from a gunner. any recs? i know i'm not giving much to work with here. i guess i will admit i'm usually lazy. first two years, i would just do about average to a little below average but never exerted myself. i did work hard for step one and was happy to see it show, but overall, i am not one to gun in school or in life.

 

[DrSnips]

i am studying little if none right now.

There's your problem. To remain competitive you should study some if not a lot.

 

[username456789]

hey, i think i'm interested in going into peds heme/onc. i'm worried though because, though i know it's still really early, i didn't do super hot on ob as my first rotation. i'm in IM second now and feel like i'm getting much more positive personal feedback, but i am studying little if none right now. i can envision the shelf going poorly, especially since it's one of the tougher ones. i have a decent step one of 232 and go to a top 40 school, but i'm worried i'm never going to be able to get any honors or letters in a rotation. i've heard it's very subjective on peds here esp. i just don't see how at any given time i'll be in the top 10% in the bunch. i just don't like playing the third year game and am absolutely far away from a gunner. any recs? i know i'm not giving much to work with here. i guess i will admit i'm usually lazy. first two years, i would just do about average to a little below average but never exerted myself. i did work hard for step one and was happy to see it show, but overall, i am not one to gun in school or in life.

"Gunning" is not the same as working your ass off. Gunning involves sabotaging other students to get ahead. Just FYI.

It's too late for my primary piece of advice, which would've been "demolish first/second year/Step I to create such a lasting and broad fund of working knowledge that the 4th year of med school has to exert all its effort to pry it from your grasp." So, I'll point you elsewhere. It doesn't take the same necessary set of "skills" to honor two different rotations. Sure, being bright is helpful and important. But so is understanding how to play the games. And by games, I mean both the nuances and daily work flow of a given specialty, and also the petty personality issues you will encounter. Some people may flounder in one rotation and thrive in another with hardly changing a thing; it is just their personality/approach that is rebuked by one group and welcomed by another. That said, the people who seem to honor most of their rotations often have a keen sense of self-awareness and are able to fluidly shift between specialties and tailor their behavior/skill sets to that specific area/group of people. More specifically for you, pediatrics may (or may not) be more receptive to an individual who displays (and even vocalizes) a sincere and strong interest in entering their field. When I was a third year, I remember pretty much all my classmates (except the ones who ended up doing peds) always talking (to each other, not attendings) about how much they hated peds/kids/etc. Surely this attitude seeped into some of their daily work. Making it clear you want to do pediatrics and going the extra mile to try to impress them will work in your favor.

You will also want to start studying more. I know it's difficult at the end of a long day, but these shelf exams aren't gonna take themselves. And depending on your school's grading structure, you may need to really rock the exam in order to be eligible for honors.

All that said, the most important thing to keep in mind is that pediatrics as a specialty is not particularly competitive. Of course, the top hospitals (CHOP, Boston Children's, etc) are very competitive and you would be vying against 250/AOA types for sure. But if your ultimate goal is to be a pediatric subspecialist, there should generally be a position for you at a reasonably strong pediatric residency if you are a US graduate of a US medical school.