Junior AOA

[FutureDoc4]

For Junior AOA, when is it chosen? I am a little confused .... is it after your first and second year? At the beginning of your 3rd year rotations? That means that Senior AOA is chosen at the beginning of fourth year rather than the end of 4th year? I feel as though many have not been very forthcoming about how one gets AOA (especially at a school like mine which is strictly P/F the first two years---though they do keep an internal record (yet, they have not really told us what type of records they are keeping) or what is involved as to whether there really is a difference between Junor or Senior AOA for residency)... any help would be greatly appreciated... I did try searching but found many answers inadequate.

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[PeepshowJohnny]

You'll have to ask someone at your AOA chapter because it varies from location to location in both criteria and when it's decided.

Our school is pretty typical, however. Junior is chosen during your third year based on your first and second year performacne (along with Step 1 score). It's usually announced halfway through the year.

Senior is chosen early in fourth year (to give you time to include it for residency apps). It places a greater emphasis on clinical grades.

 

[njbmd]

As above, induction ceremony date and selection criteria are chapter dependent. Your best source of information is to approach some of the medical students at your school who are members of your school's AOA chapter. At my school, our induction ceremony is held in May each year.

 

[kdburton]

Heres just one perspective. My school inducts Jr and Sr AOA in the beginning of 3rd and 4th year respectively. They both happen on the same night, along with all the other awards, and it happens before Sept 1 so you can put it on your NRMP app. Based on what I've heard they base it strictly on your grades. We get two honors points per Honors grade (90%+) and one honors point per High Satisfactory grade(85%+). In the end of an academic year if you've received 75% of the possible honors points - weighted by the credit load for each module - you get a dean's letter of commendation. If you receive 2 letters of commendation in your first three years of medical school you're eligible, but not guranteed, to be inducted into AOA. Almost all students who get AOA received a dean's letter of commendation during 3rd year (I think only four people in the current 4th year class got AOA without getting a letter of commendation 3rd year - but those people got them the first 2 years), so obviously there seems to be a greater emphasis placed on clinical performance.

 

[alan06]

In general, does anyone know if AOA looks at your step 1 score to make a decision or just your 1st two-year grades?

 

[docscience]

Also, someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think AOA nominations are restricted to the top 25% of the class. And they are screened (for what criteria I am not sure) and in the end only 12.5% of the class is selected for AOA.

In a class of 145 (my class) that is only 18/19 people!

Is that right? Thanks again.

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

Also, someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think AOA nominations are restricted to the top 25% of the class. And they are screened (for what criteria I am not sure) and in the end only 12.5% of the class is selected for AOA.

In a class of 145 (my class) that is only 18/19 people!

Is that right? Thanks again.

All that varies by chapter. My school for instance selects 5-6 out of ~110.

 

[docscience]

wow! 5-6 out of 110! that is crazy!

sometimes i think it is not even worth my time to study my ass off that much...

 

[kdburton]

In general, does anyone know if AOA looks at your step 1 score to make a decision or just your 1st two-year grades?

At my school they take your years 1-3 grades into the biggest consideration, but supposedly also look at Step 1 and other activities to make a decision. For instance, there may be a lot of people who are about the same academically, but if you were an officer in our student government it may make a difference in their selection of AOA inductees. It can supposedly be very political (and "who you know") from what I've heard, but obviously you also need to be a good student on top of your involvement in extracurriculars

 

[kdburton]

Also, someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think AOA nominations are restricted to the top 25% of the class. And they are screened (for what criteria I am not sure) and in the end only 12.5% of the class is selected for AOA.

In a class of 145 (my class) that is only 18/19 people!

Is that right? Thanks again.

That is about how many people got inducted in the current 4th year class at my school (out of ~140)

 

[bigdan]

We had two Junior AOA in my class - nearest we can figure, they Honored EVERY course in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year up to the point of announcement of the Junior AOA, which was late 3rd year. Both are great guys, both had 250+ Step I. Senior AOA, on the other hand, seemed to be VERY MUCH weighted on the 3rd year clinical grades, plus extras, PLUS a fudge factor - in our year, another 14 people were just inducted into Senior AOA during the 2nd week of Sept (out of ~107 folks); one had a 266 Step I (and shoulda been Junior AOA) and one had a 216 - and then everything in between.

Either way, you can use The Google for AOA; there's a list there of the various school chapters. Also, look in you school website's search function - our school has its own little AOA website that describes the qualification criteria.

dc