looking for advise on how to make my CV better for next years match

[emelec4life]

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maybe someone can help here.
i didn't match nor scramble for this year. and i finished up school in December.
so in may I will have my graduation.
my question is. how do I go about making my cv look better for next years match?
I heard people saying to at least try clinical research,observation,etc.
but, how can I do this when No hospital will let me work since I am not insured,licensed?
The only way you are covered by insurance is either you are
A.still in medical school "which I finished all my courses and am offically a DR,so i am just waiting for graduation" and
B. If you are in iN RESIDENCY.
So how am i going to ever make my cv look better if I cant even get into something clinical?
I am a US graduate. I hope someone can help.

 

[DarthNeurology]

maybe someone can help here.
i didn't match nor scramble for this year. and i finished up school in December.
so in may I will have my graduation.
my question is. how do I go about making my cv look better for next years match?
I heard people saying to at least try clinical research,observation,etc.
but, how can I do this when No hospital will let me work since I am not insured,licensed?
The only way you are covered by insurance is either you are
A.still in medical school "which I finished all my courses and am offically a DR,so i am just waiting for graduation" and
B. If you are in iN RESIDENCY.
So how am i going to ever make my cv look better if I cant even get into something clinical?
I am a US graduate. I hope someone can help.

Talk to the Dean of your U.S. medical school, undoubtedly they will help you find clinical work/plan it is very unusual for a U.S. medical student not to match OR scramble, did you go to medical school in the U.S.? No offense, but from your post it seems like you went to school outside the US as your english is hard to understand?? I can't imagine a US med student having so little information/plan for reapplying for residency. From your prior posts you said it was your husband, now you say it is you who didn't match . . .

 

[Rogue_Leader]

I thought you did scramble. Looking at your account's prior posts, this is your wife's account yes? She was saying that you were having a tough time scrambling into a position, so I gather that you were unsuccessful at scrambling this year. In any case, I would suggest talking to the PD at your program to see if you can get yourself into a research position for this year. If you can get a few publications that will help you application, and hopefully make some useful contacts within that department to get you into a residency next year.

 

[emelec4life]

Hi to both DarthNeurology and Rogue_Leader

yes I am the wife of the med 🙂
My husband posted on some other site and I just copied from that site to this one
because he has no clue about this one.
he just tells me this is my site since I am always on it 24-7 🙂
So the question of course is what do you think he could do?
Now, He did go to his dean "at UIC" and she told he not to go into research.
she did tell him go into clinical. so my husband asked her if they have such clinical work there, she told him Not for Graduates, because of the insurance.
and after that being said, she never suggested to him were to search.
My husband has been emailing his advisory for the past 3 weeks, and No response back. He had emailed the Dean on Friday, to let her no there has been no contact with his advisory since he has had no success in match or scramble.
My husband already knows the reason's to why he didnt match .
1. His step 1 exam was taken on 3 attempts! 🙁
2. his step 2ck failed first attempt, passed on 2nd attempt.
So he know the obvious.
he did however have great LORS
but of course we both know that this just help a little , the scores are what they are interested in, besides your interview.
Now he did ask the Dean if he should take Step 3 before the interviews start for next year. she told him that she does not recommend this.
1 what if you don't pass
and 2. if you do pass well then of course that will help.
but you are taking a risk.
I don't know what to do anymore. I feel helpless for him and my family.
everyday we both look at programs to see if any spots are open but of course nothing is. I guess not until residency starts, and thats if someone couldn't get there visa or failed a step.
again he is a graduate from UIC university of Illinois.
any suggestions would be helpful
also if anyone might no of certain programs that are not so competitive
once again
thank you so much for your advise and reading my post 🙂
best of luck to all

 

[Rogue_Leader]

I guess for your husband's particular situation, you may need the advice of people who have more experience. However, I have seen a few residents who have done a significant amount of post graduate research before getting a residency, to the extent of getting a PhD before landing a residency, though for their part they were foreign grads for whom I don't know what their USMLE scores. So while one year of clinical research may not help, some serious extended research experience with clinical faculty at a residency program could help, though it will definitely be 3 years or so before beginning residency.

 

[DarthNeurology]

Hi to both DarthNeurology and Rogue_Leader

yes I am the wife of the med 🙂
My husband posted on some other site and I just copied from that site to this one
because he has no clue about this one.
he just tells me this is my site since I am always on it 24-7 🙂
So the question of course is what do you think he could do?
Now, He did go to his dean "at UIC" and she told he not to go into research.
she did tell him go into clinical. so my husband asked her if they have such clinical work there, she told him Not for Graduates, because of the insurance.
and after that being said, she never suggested to him were to search.
My husband has been emailing his advisory for the past 3 weeks, and No response back. He had emailed the Dean on Friday, to let her no there has been no contact with his advisory since he has had no success in match or scramble.
My husband already knows the reason's to why he didnt match .
1. His step 1 exam was taken on 3 attempts! 🙁
2. his step 2ck failed first attempt, passed on 2nd attempt.
So he know the obvious.
he did however have great LORS
but of course we both know that this just help a little , the scores are what they are interested in, besides your interview.
Now he did ask the Dean if he should take Step 3 before the interviews start for next year. she told him that she does not recommend this.
1 what if you don't pass
and 2. if you do pass well then of course that will help.
but you are taking a risk.
I don't know what to do anymore. I feel helpless for him and my family.
everyday we both look at programs to see if any spots are open but of course nothing is. I guess not until residency starts, and thats if someone couldn't get there visa or failed a step.
again he is a graduate from UIC university of Illinois.
any suggestions would be helpful
also if anyone might no of certain programs that are not so competitive
once again
thank you so much for your advise and reading my post 🙂
best of luck to all

How does your husband not know about this site and yet calls it your site?!? If you fail Step 2 CK multiple times some states will not give you a license to practic medicine and residencies won't want you in that state if you can't practice there, so you have to figure out what states won't take you (husband?) in any circumstance.

 

[Faebinder]

MMM... I am sorry about your husband's situation but time to be blunt.

The only way your husband can get into residency at this point is to pass step 3 first try. It's doable. I know at least 2 others in shoes with multiple attempts in both exams who passed first try.

Why step 3? That way there is no doubt in the residency's mind that he can get a license.

And a big note. If your husband only applied to illinios residencies, then that was foolish. Here are the requirements of each state for permanent license. You can see illinios is a pain in the a$$ with a max of 5 attempts on all USMLE combined. (I am not sure if CS is counted but if the CS is accounted, then failing any of the exams more than once makes it impossible to practice in Illinios which is harsh IMO). I am told CS doesn't count, but that still means you fail 3 times and you are out.

Best of luck on step 3. I recommend he follows up with the dean on his plan.

 

[BlondeDocteur]

Hi Emelec--

I really do sympathize with your husband's position. He did pass the boards after all, he is graduating from a decently well-respected US medical school, so he should be able to work as a doctor somewhere. Especially since he has a large family to support.

I think you both should focus on two things: 1) buffing up the CV, as you noted, and 2) picking a much less competitive field than anesthesiology.

To be very, very blunt-- your husband has failed on paper to demonstrate that he is adept at mastering medical knowledge quickly. I'm sure he's a perfectly bright guy, but this is how multiple failures will appear. Anesthesia is at times a high-pressure, high-stakes field that requires an in-depth knowledge of physiology, pharmacology and pathology (basically, the core medical disciples tested on those board exams). No one will really want to trust an emergency resuscitation to a guy who doesn't have all of that knowledge down pat. I don't think he will ever, ever match-- anywhere-- in anesthesia for this reason. If his dean has failed to tell him that, that dean has done him a disservice.

Instead, focus on a field where that sort of knowledge isn't as critical. Family practice and psychiatry are two such fields-- there just aren't that many life-or-death situations, and they won't regard boards failure as importantly.

Taking and passing step three will be important-- but only if he can be absolutely sure he will pass. For you, as his supportive wife, that will mean creating stress-free study time away from home, away from your five kids. It will mean not burdening him with the day-to-day and seriously giving him dedicated time to being a med student. Investigate the rules to make sure he is eligible for the test, since he's not yet started an internship.

Thirdly-- this is solely based on you and your husband's written English-- are you citizens of the US? I know he went to UIC, but if you're not a permanent resident, residency programs will still have to sponsor a visa for him. That will again make him less competitive.

Lastly, there are almost no clinical opportunities (save shadowing, which is an insult to a graduated MD) available to someone who is no longer a student but not yet licensed. I would say he should focus on obtaining some research at UIC, in family practice or in psychiatry, and do what he can to make some money (i.e. tutoring in biology, teaching at MCAT prep courses, seeing if he can work as an "extender" at an urgent care facility).

PM (send me a personal message) me if you would like to talk about things in more detail.

Good luck!