Interested in anesthesia but low step 2 score

[randomwallows]

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I am an MS4 at a mid-tier medical school interested in anesthesia

I got a 244 for STEP 2 and am feeling a bit down about this.

US-MD at mid tier medical school
Passed STEP 1
Clinical rotations: 3 honors (surgery, peds, OBGYN), 3 high passes (family med, psych, and IM)
1 publication, 2 case reports (1 published, 1 pending), 3 poster presentations (one of the presentations was at ASA annual conference)
Volunteering experience: significant volunteering experience at organization since preclinical.
Leadership experience: 1 leadership experience
No red flags.

Is my application DOA for anesthesia residency based on this STEP 2 score?

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

I would not say DOA. There are students who match anesthesia with below average scores, but I would definitely do your homework on which anesthesia programs have residents with lower average step 2 scores. Best thing you can do for yourself is get very strong letters of recommendation from anesthesia faculty. That can help swing things in your favor. I would also recommend applying to a backup specialty just because anesthesia has become so competitive.

 

[randomwallows]

I would not say DOA. There are students who match anesthesia with below average scores, but I would definitely do your homework on which anesthesia programs have residents with lower average step 2 scores. Best thing you can do for yourself is get very strong letters of recommendation from anesthesia faculty. That can help swing things in your favor. I would also recommend applying to a backup specialty just because anesthesia has become so competitive.

Would it be okay to apply for mid-tier academic programs considering my application as a whole?

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

Would it be okay to apply for mid-tier academic programs considering my application as a whole?

you could certainly throw some in there, but just realize your highest chance of matching will be through utilizing your signals appropriately. Be very diligent with your signals and how you choose to use them. I would mostly target programs where your step II score is not an extreme outlier. There are programs which are extremely step II heavy. Then there are other programs which just require you to more or less hit their threshold. I would put most of your eggs in the basket of lower tier programs and sprinkle in some mid-tier academic programs. Anesthesia has become very competitive and using your signals appropriately is your best chance. Just do your research on where you think you have a realistic chance of matching based on current resident stats.

 

[randomwallows]

Got it. Couple more questions: where would we find information about which programs are top tier vs mid tier vs low tier.

And were there any sources you used to determine whether the step II score is an outlier?

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

Got it. Couple more questions: where would we find information about which programs are top tier vs mid tier vs low tier.

And were there any sources you used to determine whether the step II score is an outlier?

As far as I know residency explorer and texas star are the best resources. I would look into those and then keep looking around to see if any more resources which provide objective data have come about.

 

[cytomegalovirus123]

Dude you are fine

 

[Bemosaidit]

I am an MS4 at a mid-tier medical school interested in anesthesia

I got a 244 for STEP 2 and am feeling a bit down about this.

US-MD at mid tier medical school
Passed STEP 1
Clinical rotations: 3 honors (surgery, peds, OBGYN), 3 high passes (family med, psych, and IM)
1 publication, 2 case reports (1 published, 1 pending), 3 poster presentations (one of the presentations was at ASA annual conference)
Volunteering experience: significant volunteering experience at organization since preclinical.
Leadership experience: 1 leadership experience
No red flags.

Is my application DOA for anesthesia residency based on this STEP 2 score?

The application looks solid - strong clinical work, research, and leadership. A 244 in Step 2 is still competitive for anesthesia, especially with your other accomplishments. If you want to improve your knowledge of statistics, here is an excellent article https://edubrain.ai/statistics-homework-help/ that explains how to break down complex concepts and improve your understanding. I will keep pressing forward; my dedication and experience are shining through.

Your achievements and dedication are strong assets! A 244 STEP 2 is respectable, especially with your clinical honors and research. Focus on strong letters and interviews. Many anesthesiology candidates match with similar scores! Keep your head up!