Internal Medicine Residency with Low Step 1

[Saxappeal1]

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Let me ask you guys something that I've been embarrassed to ask but must because I want some seasoned advice: Barely passed step 1 on the first try, US MD school, passed all of my classes in 1st and 2nd year and have passed all of my shelves so far. Here are my questions:
1. Do I have a chance at any US IM residencies?
2. What step 2 CK score would I need to compensate for my bad step 1 score to actually have a decent chance?

Thanks for not judging my pitiful score.

Saxappeal1

 

[DBV]

If you apply realistically and broadly its no problem. You probably wont be doing your residency at hopkins or MGH though. Just do as good as possible on CK and you're set.

 

[Saxappeal1]

Realistically- I still don't have an idea what that means since programs won't publish their STEP 1 stats. Help clarify?

 

[DBV]

Realistically- I still don't have an idea what that means since programs won't publish their STEP 1 stats. Help clarify?

I mean don't just apply to top tier programs. You're going to need a healthy mix of community and mid-lower tier IM programs. No published rankings are 100% accurate but the Doximity ranks are a decent approximation.

 

[Saxappeal1]

Can you link me DBV?

 

[TypeADissection]

Take a deep breath. You are going to match somewhere. Apply broadly with a good mix of community programs. Take another deep breath. Cheers.

 

[DBV]

Welcome to Residency Navigator | Doximity

I think you have to create an account to use the residency navigator tool

 

[Saxappeal1]

Lol sorry TypeADissection I felt like I died when I got my step 1 score; Ill do much better on Step 2 since it seems more relevant to stuff
I actually know about. Do you guys have a few examples of where to apply to?

 

[Saxappeal1]

Also the residency navigator just confused me more- ranked by reputation but I think it might be...inaccurate? Idk

 

[Crayola227]

you really need to go ahead and swallow your pride (which you're doing here so far) and apply to a **** ton of community programs in a lot of flyover states or cities you've never really heard of

based on what you've told us, if you can get good letters, a convincing PS, a reasonable CK score, have CS passed well before ranking (mine was done by Oct I think), interview well, and are strategic with applying, and go to as many interviews as possible, rank almost all, you will likely be fine in IM

you can overcome a bad but passing Step 1 in IM, you just have to be reasonable about where it will take you

 

[TypeADissection]

Do you guys have a few examples of where to apply to?

LMGTFY

Sorry. I just couldn't resist.

 

[Osteoth]

I mean don't just apply to top tier programs. You're going to need a healthy mix of community and mid-lower tier IM programs. No published rankings are 100% accurate but the Doximity ranks are a decent approximation.

you really need to go ahead and swallow your pride (which you're doing here so far) and apply to a **** ton of community programs in a lot of flyover states or cities you've never really heard of

based on what you've told us, if you can get good letters, a convincing PS, a reasonable CK score, have CS passed well before ranking (mine was done by Oct I think), interview well, and are strategic with applying, and go to as many interviews as possible, rank almost all, you will likely be fine in IM

you can overcome a bad but passing Step 1 in IM, you just have to be reasonable about where it will take you

If someone is a below-average applicant applying to a specialty with an unwieldy number of programs like internal medicine, how many programs do they apply to?

 

[the argus]

Let me ask you guys something that I've been embarrassed to ask but must because I want some seasoned advice: Barely passed step 1 on the first try, US MD school, passed all of my classes in 1st and 2nd year and have passed all of my shelves so far. Here are my questions:
1. Do I have a chance at any US IM residencies?
2. What step 2 CK score would I need to compensate for my bad step 1 score to actually have a decent chance?

Thanks for not judging my pitiful score.

Saxappeal1

As others have said, take a deep breath, then look at this document,
http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Charting-Outcomes-US-Allopathic-Seniors-2016.pdf

Take another deep breath. You have already done the most important thing you can do to get an IM residency spot. You got into a US allopathic medical school. You have no failures anywhere, you will get an IM spot.

If you are limited by geography, then literally just apply to every single IM program in the area. Here's your list.
ACGME - Accreditation Data System (ADS)

If you're not limited by geography, then look at every single university IM program. Find the ones with lots of DOs, Caribbean grads, other IMGs, and apply to those programs. Apply to some programs a tier above those as well (i.e. university programs with mostly USMDs in undesirable locations). Also apply to a bunch of community programs in places you might want to live.

Remember, there's >7,200 categorical IM positions every year in >400 programs. >3,500 of those positions go to DO/US-IMG/foreign-IMGs. You have a leg way up as a USMD grad.

 

[slowlybutshelly]

I mean don't just apply to top tier programs. You're going to need a healthy mix of community and mid-lower tier IM programs. No published rankings are 100% accurate but the Doximity ranks are a decent approximation.

Doximity ranks? Never heard of it. Link please


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Obnoxious Dad]

If you go to FREIDA you can find those programs which purportedly accept people with low step 1 scores. You will have to dig a little.

First register with FREIDA. Then perform a search of "Internal Medicine" programs in the states where you would like to train. You will then see an array of programs. Click on each program page to see if the page provides just one screen of basic information about the program or if it provides seven screens of detailed information. If it provides seven screens, click on the "General Information" tab and scroll down. You will then see that program's minimum Step 1 score. For example if you perform this search of Michigan programs you will find 6 or 7 programs which don't have a minimum or the minimum is at or below 200. You will find about five programs like that in Ohio.

Don't give up the ship.

 

[Omeprazole-daily]

Let me ask you guys something that I've been embarrassed to ask but must because I want some seasoned advice: Barely passed step 1 on the first try, US MD school, passed all of my classes in 1st and 2nd year and have passed all of my shelves so far. Here are my questions:
1. Do I have a chance at any US IM residencies?
2. What step 2 CK score would I need to compensate for my bad step 1 score to actually have a decent chance?

Thanks for not judging my pitiful score.

Saxappeal1

I think you need something more than 240 for CK, and high pass for step 3. I had the tutor. He did a fantastic job;

helped me to get high scores. If interested, shoot me a message, I'll give you his contact information.

 

[andrek82]

I think you need something more than 240 for CK, and high pass for step 3. I had the tutor. He did a fantastic job;

helped me to get high scores. If interested, shoot me a message, I'll give you his contact information.

While it will help to show significant improvement in step 2 CK, there's no magical number cut off. Also, the OP will not be able to take step 3 prior to the match. This is not feasible (or necessary) for US grads.

I know the actual question was a couple wks ago, but figured the last post shouldn't be inaccurate.

 

[Saxappeal1]

a 240 on Step 2 to even get into a SINGLE IM program? I'm not sure that that's right. According to my friends if I apply broadly, do decently better on step 2, since I will be a US MD on first pass, I will get into somewhere; may not be my top choice, but at least one IM program would most likely accept me. But again, not totally sure.

 

[Omeprazole-daily]

I agree there is no magical score cut-off. I know applicants who even had one fail, and matched to internal medicine residency, so you have a good chance. But I think a high score of step 2 CK compensate the low step 1 score and increase your options more (especially for your top choices)

 

[neoevolution]

A barely passing score is still about 80% match rate into IM for US MDs, and a 200 is ~90%, so your odds aren't that bad if you apply broadly and to the right places. 98/112 matched in the 190-200 score range according to Charting Outcomes. Do you have a faculty or field advisor you can ask about your application?