Got my Step 1 score back today and was happy to pass but crushed when I saw that I got a 211. Can't say I'm surprised and knew I could do significantly better....but it just didn't happen for me and the gut punch was pretty overwhelming. With that kind of score can I even hope to match into FM or IM in a place that isn't in the total middle of nowhere? Sorry guys, I'm just feeling sooooo dejected and crushed right now.
Low Step 1 Score and feeling really down...
- Thread starter mmmhmm20
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A low Step 1 score may limit some of your prospects, but in no way does it restrict you to middle-of-nowhere residencies. You have your clinical rotations and Step II CK to make up for this deficiency as @ciestar pointed out. Also keep in mind that a low Step score does not define the type of doctor that you will become. Patients do not care about our fund of arcane knowledge, rather, they care about our bedside manners, compassion, and many other things that are not tested for by the Step exams.
bro the minimum score will get you in FM or IM.
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Assuming you are a US Grad, you'll match FM or IM.....maybe not a top 25 program, but there are plenty of great residencies scattered throughout the country that would look past your step 1 score as long as you did well on your rotations and CK. You aren't out of the running, you just have some catching up to do.
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Got friends who scored <220s and matched academic IM, for example. Nowhere fancy, but doubt fellowship directors will care that much about step 1 score.
You can make up miles of ground with a strong M3 performance. Let this motivate you, not hold you back.
You can make up miles of ground with a strong M3 performance. Let this motivate you, not hold you back.
I matched into a low tier university IM program in a major US city with < 220 in step1 and < 230 in step2. Clinical rotation grades were average and research was very minimal. Consider programs like U of AZ, U of SC, Downstate, Florida Atlantic University etc... if you are not restricted geographically.
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I am in the same boat with a 211. AMG. Do you plan on doing a fellowship? I like IM not but crazy about general, so I'd want to do a fellowship (cardio, heme.onc, maybe Pulm) but how much is step 1 score factored into fellowship acceptance? If you do well during your 3 years of gen IM , do many programs still accept you for fellowship or would the low step 1 score make your chances unlikely?
I don't plan on doing a fellowship... Cardio and GI are extremely competitive, but the other fellowships are doable if you do well during your IM residency.
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Bust your butt on rotations, hop on a research project or something too. No point in getting upset over things that can't be changed, just work even harder from here!
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From my understanding some of the more competitive fellowships may still use Step 1 to screen, but you should be trying to get an IM residency at a program with in house fellowships where facetime with the PD will trump any score.
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Yes definitely would only apply to IM residencies that had high rates of in house fellows but IM usually has quite a few spots so I imagine many will have higher scores than my 211, so I’m wondering if working hard would trump the other scores because I really don’t want to do only general IM and if I had to chose between general IM or a low competitive speciality , I’d pick the speciality because I don’t like the very broad , general work.
CidHighwind
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From what I understand, GI and Cards are so competitive that they actually care about Step 3!
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~90% match rate for cards
~83% match rate for GI
Its probably going to be alright. Y'all make this sound like it is derm.
A
AnatomyGrey12
I mean 47 DOs matched cards (about 66% match rate) and 23 GI (45%) last year. It's definitely competitive but yeah it's not pediatric surgery level like it is sometimes made out to be.
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Medicine is just people competing for the ****tiest job ay
do you need to take step USMLE step 2ck as a DO to match into IM fellowships post merger?
