How much would low board scores from med school impact application for sub-specialties?

[ayjaystudent]

Let's say you're an IM trying to get into competitive specialties like Cards. Or let's say you're a Derm wanting to apply for Moh's. Or a Radiologist wanting to do Neuro fellowship.

EDIT: I meant, Steps 1 and 2 (because they were in medical school).

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[LucidSplash]

Let's say you're an IM trying to get into competitive specialties like Cards. Or let's say you're a Derm wanting to apply for Moh's. Or a Radiologist wanting to do Neuro fellowship.

By board scores do you mean Board Certification exams? Does IM hand out a score for board certification? For general surgery I just got a notification of passing. And by the time I took my Gen Surg boards I was already in my fellowship.

Or are you referring to in-training exams, which would not typically be referred to as “board scores.” If you’re referring to in-training exams, good scores are usually very important for those pursuing competitive fellowships.

 

[ayjaystudent]

Oh, I meant Steps 1 and 2 (because they were in medical school).

 

[ThoracicGuy]

Oh, I meant Steps 1 and 2 (because they were in medical school).

At least on the surgical side, no one cares about the score for fellowship, only that you passed.

 

[LucidSplash]

Oh, I meant Steps 1 and 2 (because they were in medical school).

Oh. Probably not. They will want to know your in-training exam scores from residency.

 

[guytakingboards]

Let's say you're an IM trying to get into competitive specialties like Cards. Or let's say you're a Derm wanting to apply for Moh's. Or a Radiologist wanting to do Neuro fellowship.

EDIT: I meant, Steps 1 and 2 (because they were in medical school).

For radiology, assuming you passed all the steps, it doesn't matter at all. As long as you are licensed/can get licensed and can do the clinical work, the fellowship programs have no interest in looking for reasons to turn people away. Heck, radiology fellowship programs may or may not care if you've passed the radiology core exam.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

It's going to depend on circumstances. For the competitive IM subs, they matter. They also impact the type of IM residency you get into, and that matters also. How much they matter is unclear and will vary by field and program. As mentioned, in some fields they may not matter at all. More than this becomes impossible to say.

 

[dozitgetchahi]

Oh. Probably not. They will want to know your in-training exam scores from residency.

In IM, the ITE scores cannot be released to prospective programs and can’t be used to determine promotion or admissions to fellowships.

 

[LucidSplash]

In IM, the ITE scores cannot be released to prospective programs and can’t be used to determine promotion or admissions to fellowships.

Interesting. Technically for surgery they can’t be released to fellowships by the residency program or the ABS, but in my experience for vascular at least, the applicant is required to submit pdf copies of the score reports with fellowship applications.

 

[comp1]

There's such a wide variety of competitiveness in subspecialties (like specialties). Some are so competitive that everything matters. Some just require a pulse and a license. Look up how many open subspecialty slots were left after a given match and that will likely tell you how important any given item about yourself will be. Ultimately by the time you are applying for a subspecialty, your steps are what they are and long in the past. You apply and you match or you go practice the general specialty. You'll be paid well regardless.

 

[dozitgetchahi]

Interesting. Technically for surgery they can’t be released to fellowships by the residency program or the ABS, but in my experience for vascular at least, the applicant is required to submit pdf copies of the score reports with fellowship applications.

Definitely forbidden in IM. The scores are only supposed to be used for “educational purposes” ie, to help the trainee realize what else to brush up on, and to help the programs identify what they need to teach better.