Incomplete Residency Application

[Gotti]

Hey guys,
Because I rejoined MS3 in the middle of the school year and also chose to do some clinical research in the middle of the year, I won't have a complete application for residency with all my core rotations. This will also probably lead to a few gaps in my Dean's letter. Has this hurt anyone in the past? Should I just apply a year later? I am going for a top residency and would like a good application.
The reason I chose to do some additional clinical research in the middle of my clinical rotations was that I only have one first-author pub from my PhD, although it was in X-ray structure in biophysics, which is renowned for grad students with one pub or none. What do you guys think? I figured most people have clinical grades, some schools don't even give clinical grades, but not everyone has research, basic or clinical, and doing both now gives me a better edge than having a full course load on my application. I am going to have Medicine and Surgery by the time of application though.

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[Rocky22]

what residency program are you applying for? It is important to have done a rotation in the field you are trying to go into and to get letters of recommendation from people in that field. Personally, I think I would wait a year- ms3 rotations not only are important to fill up your transcript but also to help you make the best decision on what field to specialize in. Good luck!

 

[Neuronix]

I know this is happens somewhat frequently at my school for specialties that aren't so competitive or are MD/PhD lovers like Pathology. For your question I would really talk to the advisor in that specialty at your school. You might consider posting in the residency forum here for that specialty. I don't know if you'll get the best advice because it somewhat of a unique situation.

Good luck!

 

[gbwillner]

Hey guys,
Because I rejoined MS3 in the middle of the school year and also chose to do some clinical research in the middle of the year, I won't have a complete application for residency with all my core rotations. This will also probably lead to a few gaps in my Dean's letter. Has this hurt anyone in the past? Should I just apply a year later? I am going for a top residency and would like a good application.
The reason I chose to do some additional clinical research in the middle of my clinical rotations was that I only have one first-author pub from my PhD, although it was in X-ray structure in biophysics, which is renowned for grad students with one pub or none. What do you guys think? I figured most people have clinical grades, some schools don't even give clinical grades, but not everyone has research, basic or clinical, and doing both now gives me a better edge than having a full course load on my application. I am going to have Medicine and Surgery by the time of application though.

Doode,
Don't fret- you'll be in GREAT shape provided you have (by the time applications are submitted in September):

1. SOME clinical grades- you already mention 2. May not be much, but if you honor either that's pretty huge.

2. LORs from at least 2 people in you field and your PI.

3. Your Step 1 score.

Your Dean's letter won't go out until November, so by then you will definitely have more grades in there, plus, just by being an MD/PhD you will have a good Dean's letter (trust me). You definitely DO NOT need all your core clerkships- I was missing 3 from my application (Psych, OB/GYN, and FM) and I interviewed at every place I wanted.

If you apply a year later you will be kicking yourself for a year. Plus you may run out of MD/PhD funding and have to support yourself or graduate early and have nothing to do for 6 months.

 

[Neuronix]

Plus you may run out of MD/PhD funding and have to support yourself or graduate early and have nothing to do for 6 months.

Does this really happen at many schools? I've never heard of this where I'm at, and I've been discussing options for the next couple years a lot with my MD/PhD advisors.

 

[gbwillner]

Does this really happen at many schools? I've never heard of this where I'm at, and I've been discussing options for the next couple years a lot with my MD/PhD advisors.

YES.

At Baylor we get 17 months paid medical school for MS3/4. That means we typically come back January (miss half of third year). It's OK because we've already done 6 months of cores. If you need more time, it is possible ask for 2 additional months of funding, but you need a reason.

It actually works out pretty well- if you return to med school after April it is impossible to finish by the following May, And if you come back before December you will have a lot of free time. Students either prolong Grad school until they approach January (can be work, can be vacation), or graduate in December and then take a LOA from med school to do a short Post Doc until graduation, which actually pays better. Al lot of students do the latter since it gives them more time to prepare for residency applications and take the steps.

 

[Gotti]

That's the best thing I've heard in a while and definitely convinces me to go ahead and apply. I will only be missing one rotation by November. I am going to try and honor Surgery and Medicine in the meantime. What about class rank? Some schools I heard don't have such ridiculous things.

 

[gbwillner]

That's the best thing I've heard in a while and definitely convinces me to go ahead and apply. I will only be missing one rotation by November. I am going to try and honor Surgery and Medicine in the meantime. What about class rank? Some schools I heard don't have such ridiculous things.

Immaterial unless you are at the very top and applying for a traditionally large competitive field like Derm, ortho, or plastics.

 

[Neuronix]

At Baylor we get 17 months paid medical school for MS3/4. That means we typically come back January (miss half of third year). It's OK because we've already done 6 months of cores. If you need more time, it is possible ask for 2 additional months of funding, but you need a reason.

Interesting. We also do the 6 months of cores before going to clinics (we copied your cirriculum after all), but I'm being told I have to go back in the beginning of November. You can go back whenever you want though as long as it's sooner. For example if you wanted to go back in March I understand you can be funded to do all the extra clinical electives until it's time to graduate.

It would be nice to be a post-doc for awhile maybe, with all the extra money that would entail, but I doubt my boss would go for that

 

[gstrub]

We also have the same funding issue (although not us luck F30 fellows).

Hell yeah I would love to do a 6 month cush postdoc...I've never earned over 30K in a year and I'm almost 30. Jeebus...