how much do grades in years 1+2 matter

[Downstatedoc]

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for residency do grades matter in years 1+2....who is better off, the student who just passes and nails step one or the one who honors a lot of does just ok on step 1....i understand this isn't a realistic example for a number of reasons...but i'm interested. For the top residency positions, do most people honor most of their pre-clinical courses, or is passing grades and strong board scores good for top programs?

 

[Gfunk6]

As far as the preclinical years are concerned, Step I is often used as a proxy for competence. Therefore I think a high Step I score + mediocre preclinical grades would be preferable to a low Step I score + high preclinical grades.

However, poor/mediocre preclinical grades will factor into your GPA/class rank which will make it difficult or impossible to attain things like AoA or top 10% of your class even if you perform well on clinical clerkships.

So, the bottom line is that it is better to have the complete package if you can do it. This will maximize your residency choice when it comes time to decide.

 

[Pir8DeacDoc]

I don't imagine a program would care about a specific grade but the more competitive programs/specialities want you to be within the top 25% or so of your class. Plus, they would like to see an application that speaks to your work ethic and competence. Personally I'd prefer someone who worked hard and did really well during pre-clinical years but might not have a stellar Step I for whatever reason. The work ethic/persistence exhibited by doing well in MS 1-2 coursework would serve one well during a surgical residency.

 

[yippyskippy]

definitely step 1 is more important.
that said, if you fail stuff or don't honor anything, that will stand out. as long as you're in the "average" range, few programs will notice one way or the other. It is a lot easier to do well on step 1 if you do well in classes, though... try to study first aid as you go along so it's all familiar! And, as the above poster noted, a high class rank looks good on apps as well.


I would also rather have someone who did well in all their classes than someone who did well on Step 1 -- but I just don't think they have time to look at that... maybe they do when they make their final rank, but the sad truth seems to be that, for all the blood, sweat and tears of the first two years, it mostly comes down to a standardized test.

Just my opinion...

 

[Downstatedoc]

anyone else?

 

[lord_jeebus]

Mainly in that they likely influence your Dean's Letter "adjective" and AOA eligibility. Obviously your knowledge base would be important for Step I.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

I think there's three groups for preclinical grades.

Group 1: All stars. Multiple honors, top of the class. Basically honoring everything

Group 2: Those who obviously struggled. Failures and repeats are common and obvious.

Group 3: Everyone else.

Group three includes everybody from those who got a "few honors" to those who just squeaked by. Basically, unless you did super well or very poorly, they're all viewed the same.

 

[distracted]

I think this also depends on the medical school and the style of grading. If you go to a med school with average prestige with A-F grading, then it is probably important to at least do moderately well your first two years. There's a big difference between mostly As and Bs and mostly Bs and Cs. However, if you go to a top 15 school that is H/P/Pass later (where only the top 20% of the class gets honors -- even if the mean grade is a 95% -- this annoys me to no end) then it is probably less important.

 

[IndyXRT]

I don't think the grades from years I-II are terribly important unless you are trying to match into something extremely competitive (where everyone's application is stellar, so things like a poor grade in biochemistry are all you have to differentiate people - on paper at least). As long as you are passing everything (failing classes does stand out), you should be fine.

 

[babel]

I've been concerned about this, too as I am (as a current MSI) a very average, right-in-the-middle of the class, solid pass type student (at a H/HP/P school). I've asked 3 different PD's about this recently, and they all basically said the same thing - that preclinical grades can really only hurt you (i.e. by failing). Other than that, they all told me that they are really not a big deal (in specialities including IM, General Surgery, and OB-Gyn). Clinical grades are a whole 'nother story, though.

Take this hearsay for what it's worth. 👍

 

[RockfordWF]

for residency do grades matter in years 1+2....who is better off, the student who just passes and nails step one or the one who honors a lot of does just ok on step 1....i understand this isn't a realistic example for a number of reasons...but i'm interested. For the top residency positions, do most people honor most of their pre-clinical courses, or is passing grades and strong board scores good for top programs?

Step I is the most important, and it was mentioned at almost all of my interviews. That C I got in gross anatomy was only mentioned in one of my interviews.

The grades that ARE important are 3rd & 4th year.