The Successful Match: Clerkship Grades
By Student Doctor Network
Posted on July 1, 2007
Filed Under The Successful Match
By Samir P. Desai, M.D., and Rajani Katta, M.D.
Authors of 250 Biggest Mistakes 3rd Year Medical Students Make And How To Avoid Them
Which of the following is the most important academic criterion used by program directors to select residents?
A) USMLE step 1 score
B) USMLE step 2 CK score
C) Pre-clinical course grades
D) Third-year clerkship grades
E) Membership in Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA)
In our own surveys, we have found that students almost always answer this question incorrectly. Students generally base their answer on information gathered from classmates, upperclassmen, residents, and discussion forums, among others. These are all useful sources of information. The ideal way to answer this question, though, would be to discuss it with those individuals directly involved in the residency selection processin particular, program directors in your chosen field. Ideally, this should be done early in your medical school education. With this knowledge in hand, you can make the most of your opportunities, placing yourself in a position to succeed and match with the specialty or program of your choice.
Fortunately, others have done this work and published their findings. A survey of approximately 800 program directors was performed by Dr. Wagoner, the former dean of students at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. These program directors represented 14 specialties, and were surveyed about the importance of various academic criteria used in the selection of residents.1 Dr. Wagoner and her colleagues learned that grades in required clerkships are the most important academic criteria used to select residents.
At most schools, required or core clerkships include internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, obstetrics/gynecology, and family medicine.Most medical students are surprised to learn that grades in required clerkships are ranked higher in importance than USMLE scores. In our inaugural column, we presented data from a survey showing that 44% of students from three U.S. medical schools perceived required third-year clerkship grades as moderately, mildly, or not at all important in the residency selection process.2
While many reasons exist for this disconnect between the perceived and actual importance of clerkship grades, we know that this can impact students efforts and attitudes during rotations.
As this article goes to press, we recognize that thousands of students across the country have begun, or are about to begin, their third year of medical school. Put simply, your performance this academic year can make or break your chances of a successful match.
Grades in required clerkships are the most important academic criteria used to select residents.
Number of honors clerkship grades was the second most important academic criteria used to select residents in the most competitive specialties.
Clerkship grades are the major determinant of class rank. The most competitive specialties rate class rank among the three most important selection criteria.
Clerkship grades are a major factor used by schools in electing students to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (AOA). Election to AOA is highly valued by many competitive specialties. In some programs, and in some specialties such as dermatology, membership in AOA is used as a screening tool to determine which applicants are even considered for interviews.
Comments made by attending physicians on the clerkship evaluation form find their way, often verbatim, into the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE). The MSPE, formerly known as the Deans letter, is often scrutinized closely by residency programs.
Clerkship performance and grades are important in securing strong letters of recommendation. In competitive residencies where many applicants have excelled academically, letters of recommendation take on additional importance.
We present one final question: Which of the following is the most important academic criterion used by ophthalmology program directors to select residents?
A) USMLE step 1 score
B) Alpha Omega Alpha
C) USMLE step 2 CK score
D) Grades in required third-year clerkships
E) Grades in the ophthalmology clerkship
If you selected choice D, congratulations. The correct answer is indeed grades in required third-year clerkships. In the Wagoner study, 46 ophthalmology program directors were surveyed. Grades in required clerkships and the number of honors grades were ranked higher in importance than grades from ophthalmology electives.
Is this finding surprising? In our experience, all students recognize the importance of grades in their chosen specialty. However, fewer understand the overall importance of grades in required clerkships. A review of various discussion forums reinforces this finding.
In our next column, well discuss the transition between the basic science and clinical years of medical school: what makes the transition such a challenge, and can be done to excel?
References
1. Wagoner NE, Suriano JR. Program directors responses to a survey on variables used to select residents in a time of change. Acad Med 1999; 74(1):51-8.
2. Brandenburg S, Kruzick T, Lin CT, Robinson A, and Adams LJ. Residency selection criteria: what medical students perceive as important. Med Educ Online 2005; 10:17.
The discussion thread for this article may be found here:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=5328043
