just got my step 1 (2009). Need advice

[dermbear]

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Hi guys,

my step 1 just came out yesterday and I got a 230. Just starting 3rd year of med school, and I am very interested in Derm. Where do I stand with a 230 and what can I do from now on to really improve my CV? thanks

 

[OntheRoof55]

your score is not going to help you, and will probably hurt you. your best chance is prob to really get to know your home derm dept, and it depends how focused your pd is on board scores. some are very focused. try to get as much research wiht them as possible and be very enthusiastic. although in general you may have a hard time matching in derm bc u will be competing with lots of people with 250+, that being said board scores are not everything.

 

[dderm]

It's a very good score. Few programs will have cut offs higher than 230. For most programs if you meet the minimum score (which you will for the majority of the programs out there), what your actual score is does not matter all that much. You got a great score and certainly not one that is going to hurt you. It's not going to knock anyone's socks off but who cares. Get involved with your home program and you will be perfectly fine. Plenty of people match with 230's and lower. Just look at the NRMP data.

 

[Rippey]

It's a very good score. Few programs will have cut offs higher than 230. For most programs if you meet the minimum score (which you will for the majority of the programs out there), what your actual score is does not matter all that much. You got a great score and certainly not one that is going to hurt you. It's not going to knock anyone's socks off but who cares. Get involved with your home program and you will be perfectly fine. Plenty of people match with 230's and lower. Just look at the NRMP data.

wake up and smell the coffee u ********... 230 blows for derm and u know it

 

[acpl]

It's a very good score. Few programs will have cut offs higher than 230. For most programs if you meet the minimum score (which you will for the majority of the programs out there), what your actual score is does not matter all that much. You got a great score and certainly not one that is going to hurt you. It's not going to knock anyone's socks off but who cares. Get involved with your home program and you will be perfectly fine. Plenty of people match with 230's and lower. Just look at the NRMP data.

Pretty much 100% accurate advise. Unfortunately, it still is bit of a numbers game for better or worse. Do better on step 2 and good luck!

 

[OntheRoof55]

although i agree it is far from a desirable score for a derm candidate, the must be a lot of ppl matching in the 230's range bc the step 1 avg for derm is 240....and we all know there are a lot of 250+ matching, so to even out the avg it makes sense.

 

[N-Surge]

Hi guys,

my step 1 just came out yesterday and I got a 230. Just starting 3rd year of med school, and I am very interested in Derm. Where do I stand with a 230 and what can I do from now on to really improve my CV? thanks

What does the REST of your CV look like? We need to see what it is you need to improve on before we can be terribly helpful, imo.

 

[sensitive skin]

230 is not bad, but it's not good either. As long as the rest of your CV is stellar (ie, AOA, all honors, pubs, research, honor on derm rotation) and 3 great letters from dermatologists (hopefully 1-2 very well-known), you stand a very high chance of matching.

 

[oracle07]

It's a good but not strong score.

This is just as true for you as it is for everyone -- your connections and what people say about you will mean more than your step 1 score.

I've never seen anyone get weeded out by a 230.

If it was a 200, that might be a different story.. but hey even that's possible for some people apparently.

Yes, I've even heard of people failing step 1 and then barely passing on retake and still matching. Now they must have had major connections!