Intern performance for PGY2 applicants

[ArmyDawg]

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Hey there for those of us reapplying it was told to me our “score” consists of what was previously there as a med student, plus our performance so far as an intern/step 3 score (together in the same category). Also since we are still interns the points for that are a max of 3 vs. 5 for those who have completed intern year. My questions for those that are aware, how much consideration is taken into account of our step 3 score?

I’ve crushed intern year so far but my step 3 score was below average. Does that mean I would be “scored” as a 2 vs. a 3? Score is in quotations bc I’ve also been told the points aren’t necessary the deciding factor either.

 

[DrMetal]

Hey there for those of us reapplying it was told to me our “score” consists of what was previously there as a med student, plus our performance so far as an intern/step 3 score (together in the same category). Also since we are still interns the points for that are a max of 3 vs. 5 for those who have completed intern year. My questions for those that are aware, how much consideration is taken into account of our step 3 score?

I’ve crushed intern year so far but my step 3 score was below average. Does that mean I would be “scored” as a 2 vs. a 3? Score is in quotations bc I’ve also been told the points aren’t necessary the deciding factor either.

You're largely judged on your medical school performance and the same application you submitted for PGY1. There's no way 2 months of internship count for all that much (for better or worse). Likewise with respect to Step 3, as some haven't event taken it.

The point system is a suggestion. Don't make too much of it.

 

[pawprint]

I was selected as “intern of the year”, and my specialty only had 2 straight through spots and I didn’t get picked to fill either of them. My stats were also above average but a couple folks had higher step scores than me and they were the ones who got selected to go straight through.

So, from my personal experience, performance during intern year has little bearing on the GME selection board unless you do something to hurt yourself. Being the top performing intern didn’t help me at all.

 

[backrow]

As noted by others your intern “performance” is being judged based on all of about 3 months of performance of which the program has maybe received one or maybe none of the end of rotation evaluations for yet. Your PD will do the best they can in the intern eval, but they have almost nothing to go on to separate people into quartiles.

I can’t tell you the number of interns I’ve seen over the years who started “slow” and were rockstars at the end or who seemed to be amazing at the beginning (probably had to do with doing lots of rotations at that hospital/knowing the system/etc) who ended up being middle or bottom of the pack at the end. I think only once in the last ten years have I seen a clear “all star” at the beginning of the year stay so far ahead of the pack that they were the intern of the year at the end.

So, all of that to say, if you are currently an intern your current performance doesn’t have much of an impact (unless it’s very negative), but keep up the good work because it can have an impact down the road.