Low Step 1 IM Residency Programs

[BlueBlur06]

Hey everyone,

I am working on applications for auditions for 4th year and was wondering which places were worth scheduling auditions at and which ones I should just save my money on for interviews.

Step 1: 215
Level 1: 553
School: WesternU
Class Rank: Middle

I am interested in either Hospitalist, GI, Rheum/Nephro.

I know my Step 1 is going to be limiting, but I was debating trying to get a spot at an academic program (Arizona, etc.) or if I would have better change matching fellowship (still not sure) at a former AOA community program with in house fellowships (Valley Hospital in Las Vegas, etc). I would prefer westcoast, but I am open to going wherever would be my best option

Any help is appreciated!

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[Splenda88]

Hey everyone,

I am working on applications for auditions for 4th year and was wondering which places were worth scheduling auditions at and which ones I should just save my money on for interviews.

Step 1: 215
Level 1: 553
School: WesternU
Class Rank: Middle

I am interested in either Hospitalist, GI, Rheum/Nephro.

I know my Step 1 is going to be limiting, but I was debating trying to get a spot at an academic program (Arizona, etc.) or if I would have better change matching fellowship (still not sure) at a former AOA community program with in house fellowships (Valley Hospital in Las Vegas, etc). I would prefer westcoast, but I am open to going wherever would be my best option

Any help is appreciated!

I don't know about Valley Hospital (it seems like it was an AOA program). I think you stats might be ok for UofAZ (Tucson)... I interviewed there 2 yrs ago and my step 1 was ~220 and step 2 was in the mid 220s. I would have matched there had I ranked them higher cause they reached out to me after the match... FWIW, I am an MD so I don't know how much that play into me getting invite with my low stats.

 

[BlueBlur06]

Thanks for the input. I would be happy at any program that has a good resident environment, but I would also like to have the opportunity to match a fellowship if i became interested in something.

I was looking at AOA programs like Parkview in Colorado, Samaritan health in Oregon, valley hospital in Las Vegas, and Scripps in California, ascension

Also other acgme programs like legacy in Oregon, sacred heart in Washington, Virgina Mason in Washington, any of the Kaiser programs, UNLV, Sunrise in Las Vegas, any Texas programs.

 

[DrJackRyan]

Apply to auditions at Doctors Hospital and OSUMC. Neither are likely to interview you if you don't do an audition there but both have in house fellowships and are very DO friendly.

 

[BlueBlur06]

Thank you. I see that OSUMC has GI which I am interested in.

Does anyone have insight on any of these programs?

Parkview in Colorado
Samaritan health in Oregon
Valley hospital in Las Vegas
Scripps in California
Ascension programs (Providence, St. John, Macomb Oakland)
Legacy in Oregon
Sacred heart in Washington
Virginia Mason in Washington
Kaiser programs
UNLV
Sunrise in Las Vegas


Any help or advice is appreciated

 

[Aleaz]

Caps for emphasis only🙂
Don't know if you still can do this but I got in my trusty Honda and went cross country all 4th year! did Psych on the Navajo Res in N.M., ski country for ortho..etc. If you want hands on, and busy and lots of work but also buckets learned..stay inner city. They are so understaffed that you will get tons of procedures along with the usual scut😉 DO NOT GO TO PROGRAMS because they look good on the wall. Right now you are training for the rest of your career. Save the places you think you WANT to be a Resident for your LAST rotations so you are 'trained up' before you get there and I mean it. Train up in the Inner City underserved areas and you will shine. Go where they have huge deficits in staff so you can really get thrown into the deep end and see what you truly EXCEL at--THEN go to the places you think you want for Residency toward the end of the year. You might miss the 'deep end'😉.

 

[12345678191011]

Thank you. I see that OSUMC has GI which I am interested in.

Does anyone have insight on any of these programs?

Parkview in Colorado
Samaritan health in Oregon
Valley hospital in Las Vegas
Scripps in California
Ascension programs (Providence, St. John, Macomb Oakland)
Legacy in Oregon
Sacred heart in Washington
Virginia Mason in Washington
Kaiser programs
UNLV
Sunrise in Las Vegas


Any help or advice is appreciated

I interviewed at Legacy in Oregon with 21x and 23x step scores. Also an MD, but I loved the program and the people. That was the only west coast program I applied to, so not sure about the other ones.

 

[sharpstickie]

Thank you. I see that OSUMC has GI which I am interested in.

Does anyone have insight on any of these programs?

Parkview in Colorado
Samaritan health in Oregon
Valley hospital in Las Vegas
Scripps in California
Ascension programs (Providence, St. John, Macomb Oakland)
Legacy in Oregon
Sacred heart in Washington
Virginia Mason in Washington
Kaiser programs
UNLV
Sunrise in Las Vegas


Any help or advice is appreciated

Avoid Valley Hospital like the plague. Auditioned there last year and was one of the most malignant places I’ve ever seen. PD is pretty hot headed and would roast interns in front of the entire program on a personal level. Everyone looks burned out and I heard multiple times “I’m here to work, not to learn”.

 

[sharpstickie]

Thank you. I see that OSUMC has GI which I am interested in.

Does anyone have insight on any of these programs?

Parkview in Colorado
Samaritan health in Oregon
Valley hospital in Las Vegas
Scripps in California
Ascension programs (Providence, St. John, Macomb Oakland)
Legacy in Oregon
Sacred heart in Washington
Virginia Mason in Washington
Kaiser programs
UNLV
Sunrise in Las Vegas


Any help or advice is appreciated

For reference 22x/25x and 60x/72x.

Parkview - auditioned and enjoyed the residents but didn’t jive well with the PD. I avoided because I didn’t want to do omt during residency. They require phone dictation all of intern year for all H&Ps, bleh. Pueblo is really the thing that drives people away, but it works for some people.

Legacy Portland - interviewed there and loved the hospital/people. The PD is retiring before the new class starts so hopefully the new one is great. Heavy ultrasound emphasis and they have great didactics. Ended up ranking it second.

Sacred Heart in Spokane - same feel as Legacy, but I was pretty wary about the program because they had fired two residents the year before and no one could give me a good reason why.

Virginia Mason - one of the upper tier community programs in the heart of Seattle. Ended up getting a interview later in the season and loved it. Seemed like a tight-knit group, but I just couldn’t get over the cost of living.

 

[chromaticscale]

Check FREIDA (part of AMA) as they show average Step 1 scores for each residency program if they provide it.

Would caution you about doing away rotations as an IM applicant. Generally difficult to impress people while on audition rotation because a lot of it is subjective (whether the resident or attending likes you or not). Unless your clinical knowledge is really good (better than that of the resident or attending). Had a DO student who showed off really good medical knowledge however his personality was weird and quite stubborn (didn't like it when we change the plan last minute). Some students did well and matched to our program. It's a hit or miss.