How much does coming from a top school help into matching radiology?

[PrideOrPanthers]

Hi all, I was just wondering how much school name(top 15 school) is helpful for landing into solid academic programs. I’m not talking about the top 5 programs like Harvard/Hopkins/Penn. I mean matching into a solid top 25-40 program. I am being screwed over by prometric and have had my step exam cancelled 3 times and will possibly have to take it during rotations, so I’m worried how this will affect me? TIA

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[Aurum]

Being from a top 15 medical school helps immensely provided the rest of your application is up to snuff, especially for matching within the top 10ish programs. These "upper tier" programs may be tougher nuts to crack coming from lower ranked MD schools, but even then this is not out of the question if you're coming from a school with reasonable name recognition (e.g. a flagship state university's medical school).

You can match within the Top 40 coming from most US MD schools. DO schools may be a little trickier, but many programs I interviewed at outside of the top 10-20 had a couple of DO students coming from the more established DO schools.

If you are referring to Step 1, it is obviously in your interest to do the best you can and being on rotations doesn't help. Depending on what rotation you are on, I honestly would prioritize Step studying over whatever rotation you are on. DR does care about clinical grades, but not necessarily to the same extent as some other specialties.

 

[PrideOrPanthers]

Being from a top 15 medical school helps immensely provided the rest of your application is up to snuff, especially for matching within the top 10ish programs. These "upper tier" programs may be tougher nuts to crack coming from lower ranked MD schools, but even then this is not out of the question if you're coming from a school with reasonable name recognition (e.g. a flagship state university's medical school).

You can match within the Top 40 coming from most US MD schools. DO schools may be a little trickier, but many programs I interviewed at outside of the top 10-20 had a couple of DO students coming from the more established DO schools.

If you are referring to Step 1, it is obviously in your interest to do the best you can and being on rotations doesn't help. Depending on what rotation you are on, I honestly would prioritize Step studying over whatever rotation you are on. DR does care about clinical grades, but not necessarily to the same extent as some other specialties.

thank you for the reply! its extremely frustrating and stressful because I am at my goal on practice exams, yet my fate is determined by prometric who can cancel me up to 3 days before my exam and is completely out of my control. Your input was very insightful and eased my stress. I know you have to be an A1 applicant to match into the top 10 rads programs, I have 3 pubs in a surgical field but will start some rads research once I take this test. I just want a solid rads program and would be very happy at my home program. I just hope I can keep my date and not get screwed taking it during IM/surgery or something.

 

[m2k]

I think two things are most important: 1) Step score 2) Spend extra time in Radiology - and pretty much work more than Radiology resident. And get good recommendation letter(s) from Radiologist.

 

[tigga2013]

I would argue that any top 40 medical school graduate would have an advantage at baseline, granted the rest the the application is at least on par with average cohort. My heart truly goes out to everyone who is applying this cycle given the current situation. However, do keep in mind that most programs are just as anxious facing the unknowns of this recruitment season. For example, my department has cancelled all visiting student rotations and will move forward with a complete virtual interview process this year. It's pretty much a lose-lose situation. Good luck!

 

[m2k]

For example, my department has cancelled all visiting student rotations and will move forward with a complete virtual interview process this year. It's pretty much a lose-lose situation. Good luck!

Virtual interview process is defitely win for the applicants. Its crazy that you would fly out to 15 interviews. It costs a lot of money, time away from school. I bet if programs were required to pay for these costs, this would have been done a long time ago.

 

[CavsFan2016]

Would someone with a 240 step 1 and 256 step 2 ck be competitive for top 40 schools in diagnostic radiology? Just trying to get a feel for what I'm competitive for

 

[JRY6788]

Hi all, I was just wondering how much school name(top 15 school) is helpful for landing into solid academic programs. I’m not talking about the top 5 programs like Harvard/Hopkins/Penn. I mean matching into a solid top 25-40 program. I am being screwed over by prometric and have had my step exam cancelled 3 times and will possibly have to take it during rotations, so I’m worried how this will affect me? TIA

I'm an R3 at a current "top 10" DR program (based on Doximity rankings, so take that with a big grain of salt). Having been on our selection committee the past 2 years I think I can give a little perspective. The short answer to your question is yes and no. Top 40 med school status gives an advantage in receiving an interview invitation, but ONLY if you're comparing applicants with identical Step 1 scores / applications. Once you've secured an interview spot the playing field is essentially equal. To clarify, let's say applicant A is from Harvard and applicant B is from a non top 40 med school; both applicant A and applicant B have 240+ Step 1 scores, and similar research/rec letters. When programs create their rank lists, ranking applicant A vs applicant B is entirely based on the interview itself and any in-person interactions you had with program faculty, staff, etc during the interview day. Nobody cares that you went to Harvard or Johns Hopkins if you suck as a person. To tell you the truth, a lot of "top tier" med school applicants end up burning themselves during the interview by incessantly mentioning they went to 'X' school.

 

[Dave1980]

I'm an R3 at a current "top 10" DR program (based on Doximity rankings, so take that with a big grain of salt). Having been on our selection committee the past 2 years I think I can give a little perspective. The short answer to your question is yes and no. Top 40 med school status gives an advantage in receiving an interview invitation, but ONLY if you're comparing applicants with identical Step 1 scores / applications. Once you've secured an interview spot the playing field is essentially equal. To clarify, let's say applicant A is from Harvard and applicant B is from a non top 40 med school; both applicant A and applicant B have 240+ Step 1 scores, and similar research/rec letters. When programs create their rank lists, ranking applicant A vs applicant B is entirely based on the interview itself and any in-person interactions you had with program faculty, staff, etc during the interview day. Nobody cares that you went to Harvard or Johns Hopkins if you suck as a person. To tell you the truth, a lot of "top tier" med school applicants end up burning themselves during the interview by incessantly mentioning they went to 'X' school.

I wonder how doximity even comes up with these rankings. They put WashU at 13th but it is arguably the best program and department in the country. Disclaimer: I did not go there. I interviewed there and the facilities were amazing...St Louis not so much.

 

[Cognovi]

I wonder how doximity even comes up with these rankings. They put WashU at 13th but it is arguably the best program and department in the country. Disclaimer: I did not go there. I interviewed there and the facilities were amazing...St Louis not so much.

You're not looking at the right rankings. The Doximity ranking of radiology residencies puts WashU at #2.

 

[Dave1980]

You're not looking at the right rankings. The Doximity ranking of radiology residencies puts WashU at #2.

I'm using this:

Doximity Residency Navigator

Residency Navigator gives medical students a transparent look into U.S. medical residency programs, powered by over 315,000 peer nominations, ratings and hand-written reviews.

residency.doximity.com

and sorted by both "reputation" and by "research output". Neither one has WashU very high. What rankings are you looking at?

 

[Aurum]

I'm using this:

Doximity Residency Navigator

Residency Navigator gives medical students a transparent look into U.S. medical residency programs, powered by over 315,000 peer nominations, ratings and hand-written reviews.

residency.doximity.com

and sorted by both "reputation" and by "research output". Neither one has WashU very high. What rankings are you looking at?

If you sort by reputation alone WashU is #2

 

[Cognovi]

I'm using this:

Doximity Residency Navigator

Residency Navigator gives medical students a transparent look into U.S. medical residency programs, powered by over 315,000 peer nominations, ratings and hand-written reviews.

residency.doximity.com

and sorted by both "reputation" and by "research output". Neither one has WashU very high. What rankings are you looking at?

And if you sort by research output, WashU is #3.

 

[Cognovi]

I wonder how doximity even comes up with these rankings.

The methodology is a survey of Doximity users asking people to list the top 5 programs in their specialty. Votes for the program you graduated from are discounted to some degree.

 

[Dave1980]

I want to thank you all for setting me straight.

I might seem like an idiot at this point but I figured out what happened. I searched for my program under reputation (sadly not even top 25) then hit the "back" arrow. At this point the "specialty" box still says radiology but when you search again it shows anesthesia programs. So WashU is not a top 10 anesthesia program apparently.

Oops.