Least selective / most forgiving family medicine residency programs?

[Redsoxj64]

Hi everyone,

I would really appreciate some advice. I went to a top 30 Med school and graduated in 2021. I was a mediocre Med student. My step1 220 and step2 230... Mediocre I know.. I got really depressed during third year and my psychiatrist refused to prescribe antidepressants, which I desperately needed. I had to take a LOA. I came back and finished strong my fourth year (8/11 honors in rotations).

I applied for psychiatry in the 2020-2021 cycle and I didn’t match. After graduation, I had a HORRIBLE back injury and was in severe pain all year until June 2022, when I FINALLY got my PCP to give me a referral for surgery. For the past year I did a lot of volunteer work and also worked for my father’s finance company, but because of severe pain I was only able to work part-time. I was in so much pain last year I couldn't even apply to residency, let alone interview.

I am now 100% pain-free and my depression is in complete remission. I'm ready to apply to residency! I'm now working as a medical interpreter (Spanish). It is very fulfilling to give patients a voice and connect them to care as well as keep up my medical knowledge.

This time I am going to apply to family medicine. It is challenging for me, but I plan to review a lot this year before residency would start.

Does anyone know which FM programs are the least selective / most forgiving to someone like me who has been through some medical problems with multiple LOAs? I live outside Boston and would prefer to stay in this area, but would be open to traveling if I need to for residency. I would ideally like to go somewhere where I can use my spanish to help patients who don't speak english. I think this will be an advantage while applying to residency. I know that with the time I’ve taken off it will be hard for me to find a residency spot. I’m trying to stay positive. I worked really hard in med school and I have overcome a lot of obstacles.

TLDR: what are the residency programs that are the least selective / most forgiving to applicants with LOAs due to medical problems in FM? Please list as many programs as you know because I need to apply broadly.

Thank you so much for the help! I really appreciate it!

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[cj_cregg]

FM generally is pretty forgiving generally, and I think even more competitive programs would give you a shot if you are otherwise a good fit and a strong candidate from a US school. Your step scores are perfectly fine for FM.

Where you might run into trouble: Good FM programs are generally not going to be interested in candidates for whom FM seems to be a backup. One of the most important factors PDs listed on the PD survey for offering an interview and ranking candidates was interest in the specialty. You are going to have to work hard to overcome the perception that you are only applying to FM because you think it's the only specialty you'll be able to get into. You need to have at least one good LOR from a family doc, a PS that demonstrates a cohesive narrative of what led you to FM, and extracurricular activities that demonstrate your interest in primary care.

I'd recommend attending some family medicine conferences in your local area to put your face out there, show some interest, and meet some programs. Are there any MAFP conferences coming up? You unfortunately just missed the AAFP residents & students networking conference which would have been great to attend (but something to keep in mind for next August if you're applying next cycle).

 

[Redsoxj64]

FM generally is pretty forgiving generally, and I think even more competitive programs would give you a shot if you are otherwise a good fit and a strong candidate from a US school. Your step scores are perfectly fine for FM.

Where you might run into trouble: Good FM programs are generally not going to be interested in candidates for whom FM seems to be a backup. One of the most important factors PDs listed on the PD survey for offering an interview and ranking candidates was interest in the specialty. You are going to have to work hard to overcome the perception that you are only applying to FM because you think it's the only specialty you'll be able to get into. You need to have at least one good LOR from a family doc, a PS that demonstrates a cohesive narrative of what led you to FM, and extracurricular activities that demonstrate your interest in primary care.

I'd recommend attending some family medicine conferences in your local area to put your face out there, show some interest, and meet some programs. Are there any MAFP conferences coming up? You unfortunately just missed the AAFP residents & students networking conference which would have been great to attend (but something to keep in mind for next August if you're applying next cycle).

Thank you for the advice!

 

[Gundam00]

Hey Redsox I just wanted to say that if you are able to speak spanish you will be at the top of some programs rank list in my opinion depending on geographic region. You don't have any red flags like failures either like board exam failures. The health issues should be easily forgiven in my opinion as long you can eloquently explain yourself. As far as lists of programs just apply broadly and to as many as you feasibly can.

 

[Moose A Moose]

Midwest. Rural. Middle of nowhere.