Is my COM advisor right or wrong about these things?

[medrednoct]

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[1ightningz]

1. Wrong
2. Depends how much your COMAT is weighted in your clinical grades. At my school it's the entire grade so they matter a lot.
3. Correct

 

[Goro]

In regards to match:
1. Now that STEP1 is pass/fail, pre-clinical grades/GPA matter a lot.

Wrong

2. Residencies heavily consider your COMAT.

Haven't heard that one yet.

 

[Bulliedinschool2doc]

@Goro If the individual goes to a P/F school like me, how does the residency/PD assess the applicant? Step 2 and ECs? I am still learning the ropes!

 

[DOVinciRobot]

@Goro If the individual goes to a P/F school like me, how does the residency/PD assess the applicant? Step 2 and ECs? I am still learning the ropes!

Step 2 is king. Research is a distant 2nd. No one cares about other ECs except to use them as interview fodder.

A P/F DO school is hurting it’s applicants honestly. I suspect you are still being ranked and this rank will be reported to residencies

 

[Bulliedinschool2doc]

Step 2 is king. Research is a distant 2nd. No one cares about other ECs except to use them as interview fodder.

A P/F DO school is hurting it’s applicants honestly. I suspect you are still being ranked and this rank will be reported to residencies

I’m sure the ranking is kept in a file by quartile but I heard the school told some students they do not send ranking to residencies.

I stopped getting caught up in the minutiae of things because at the end of the day I’m gonna be a practicing doc and most people I know are doing mediocre to below average and would love to be in my position.

people at my school have matched into neurosurgery, derm and IR but I’m sure it’s an uphill battle

 

[Goro]

@Goro If the individual goes to a P/F school like me, how does the residency/PD assess the applicant? Step 2 and ECs? I am still learning the ropes!

Step 2
Audition rotations
Networking

 

[FarmerToDoctor]

Step 2
Audition rotations
Networking

Why do you believe preclinical/clinical grades don't have an impact? What about a failed preclinical course or having to repeat a rotation?

 

[deleted1139416]

Why do you believe preclinical/clinical grades don't have an impact? What about a failed preclinical course or having to repeat a rotation?

It’s just a double standard. Those things will only impact you in a bad way. Some thing goes for Step 1 now that it’s pass-fail: passing it won’t actively help you, but failing it will get you kicked out of the pile at the majority of places.

 

[deleted1079620]

The COMAT thing isn’t true, some schools don’t even release COMAT scores, or only do so with the student’s permission.

 

[Goro]

Why do you believe preclinical/clinical grades don't have an impact?

PDs have said as much. Also, many schools are P/F themselves

What about a failed preclinical course or having to repeat a rotation?

Those will always be red flags

 

[h23]

Do things like preclinical and clinical grades matter based on what specialty that you're going into or is it fairly unimportant across multiple specialties? Cause I imagine that an individual's class rank may matter somewhat for certain specialties now that step 1 is pass/fail, although I feel that I could be wrong.

 

[DOVinciRobot]

Do things like preclinical and clinical grades matter based on what specialty that you're going into or is it fairly unimportant across multiple specialties? Cause I imagine that an individual's class rank may matter somewhat for certain specialties now that step 1 is pass/fail, although I feel that I could be wrong.

in the competitive specialties it tends to matter a small bit more, but is very PD dependent. Some places don’t care and some will screen for top quartile

 

[h23]

in the competitive specialties it tends to matter a small bit more, but is very PD dependent. Some places don’t care and some will screen for top quartile

is there a way potential applicants can find out which places do tend to care about things like that? I won't be applying for a while, but I'm assuming that it might be good to know early on, just in case. My assumption is just that it's basically Ivy leagues who will screen for top quartile, right?

 

[Ho0v-man]

is there a way potential applicants can find out which places do tend to care about things like that? I won't be applying for a while, but I'm assuming that it might be good to know early on, just in case. My assumption is just that it's basically Ivy leagues who will screen for top quartile, right?

You’d be amazed at the ridiculous standards a program you’ve never heard of will have because they truly believe that they’re the best program ever.

It ultimately doesn’t matter do your best. Apply broadly and hope it works out.

Clinical grades are usually important because they’re much more about being a tolerable human who shows up on time than anything else.

 

[DOVinciRobot]

is there a way potential applicants can find out which places do tend to care about things like that? I won't be applying for a while, but I'm assuming that it might be good to know early on, just in case. My assumption is just that it's basically Ivy leagues who will screen for top quartile, right?

Most are open about those requirements. No it’s not just Ivy League. I know of DO programs in ENT/ortho with that cutoff. I’ve even seen a few university GS programs with that cutoff.

Some programs will require an honors in the surgery rotation.

It’s just very dependent and variable