Low Step 1 score, Failed Step 2, any advice for US-IMG?!

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

hopefulfuturedoctor12

Full Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2015
Messages
39
Reaction score
3
Hello I am a current 2nd yr medstudent writing on behalf of friend who is 4th yr

Step1- 203
Step2CS-passed first try
Failed step2 ck
failed family med shelf & retook it passed.
US-IMG from top 4 caribbean

She is planning to apply this upcoming cycle to family med and psych and retaking the Step2CK either late August/early Sept

Any hope on matching? Any advice/tips?

Please no “just give up” advice. I’m looking for real advice that I can show her to try to help her. She is feeling really down given the circumstances.

Thank you guys

Members don't see this ad.
 
Hello I am a current 2nd yr medstudent writing on behalf of friend who is 4th yr

Step1- 203
Step2CS-passed first try
Failed step2 ck
failed family med shelf & retook it passed.
US-IMG from top 4 caribbean

She is planning to apply this upcoming cycle to family med and psych and retaking the Step2CK either late August/early Sept

Any hope on matching? Any advice/tips?

Please no “just give up” advice. I’m looking for real advice that I can show her to try to help her. She is feeling really down given the circumstances.

Thank you guys

First of all, if this is you, just say so. If it's your friend, have them open an account and ask. It's free.

This interactive NRMP site can, as best as possible, answer your question:Tableau Public

If we pick "Family Medicine", and US IMG, and Step 2 score <200, the chance of matching is 25%. This is an imperfect answer -- there is no option "failed S2", and if they retake S2 and get a score >200 it's unclear how that would be interpreted. But it's the best answer you're going to get.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 7 users
Hello I am a current 2nd yr medstudent writing on behalf of friend who is 4th yr

Step1- 203
Step2CS-passed first try
Failed step2 ck
failed family med shelf & retook it passed.
US-IMG from top 4 caribbean

She is planning to apply this upcoming cycle to family med and psych and retaking the Step2CK either late August/early Sept

Any hope on matching? Any advice/tips?

Please no “just give up” advice. I’m looking for real advice that I can show her to try to help her. She is feeling really down given the circumstances.

Thank you guys
Was going to say that it's likely such a longshot on psych as to not be worth, it but I was surprised to see the odds with the same exercise as above yields about a 24% match rate. The difference is there are far fewer applicants in that score range for psych vs. FM (24 vs. 55), so the number of people who matched psych likely had some sort of connection that made them more confident in applying.

As you know, this is a tough spot. I'd say FM is her best shot, but having failed FM on top of everything else might be the kiss of death--does that actually show up on her transcript as a failed class? Regardless, there's not much to be done at this point but retake step 2 and crush it, and if she has any FM/psych rotations at US locations this year to do her very best to get them to like her. A personal connection to a program would by far be her best opportunity to help herself at this point.
 
Psych is getting competitive, she will likely not match psych, have her apply FM and IM as that’s her best shot
 
When you restrict the data to more recent years, the psych match rate for that profile is zero. But the number of applications is very small.

The data is limited in that this only includes people who actually interviewed. If you get no interviews, you don't rank any programs, so aren't included in the data.
 
When you restrict the data to more recent years, the psych match rate for that profile is zero. But the number of applications is very small.

The data is limited in that this only includes people who actually interviewed. If you get no interviews, you don't rank any programs, so aren't included in the data.
Yeah, unfortunately the match has really gotten increasingly competitive the last few years. If you restrict to the last 2 years, the match rate for FM goes down to 13%. Perhaps more ominously the number of applicants steadily decreases from 26 in 2014 to just 3 last year--meaning the vast majority of applicants with these stats aren't getting any interviews at all. The ones that do almost have something that distinguishes their application like personal connections to a program, research, glowing letters, etc... and not to kick her while she's down, but a failed FM clerkship is not the kind of way she wants to be distinguished.

I know that's not very encouraging. Honestly, I don't think she can realistically match this year because even if she re-takes CK in late August/early September, it won't be back in time to boost her app into consideration. She could apply anyways just to see what happens if she has the money for it, but it may serve her better to take her time in studying for step 2 and get the best score possible--if she can raise her score to even 210, her chances of matching based on the last 2 years' data jumps up to 52%, compared to 17% for 200-209. A year off also gives her more time to get further exposure to FM, get strong letters of recommendation, possibly attend some conferences and make connections, etc. It'll never fully wipe a failed clerkship grade out of the picture, but I think she needs something on her application that will at least make a program consider her.
 
Yeah, unfortunately the match has really gotten increasingly competitive the last few years. If you restrict to the last 2 years, the match rate for FM goes down to 13%. Perhaps more ominously the number of applicants steadily decreases from 26 in 2014 to just 3 last year--meaning the vast majority of applicants with these stats aren't getting any interviews at all. The ones that do almost have something that distinguishes their application like personal connections to a program, research, glowing letters, etc... and not to kick her while she's down, but a failed FM clerkship is not the kind of way she wants to be distinguished.

I know that's not very encouraging. Honestly, I don't think she can realistically match this year because even if she re-takes CK in late August/early September, it won't be back in time to boost her app into consideration. She could apply anyways just to see what happens if she has the money for it, but it may serve her better to take her time in studying for step 2 and get the best score possible--if she can raise her score to even 210, her chances of matching based on the last 2 years' data jumps up to 52%, compared to 17% for 200-209. A year off also gives her more time to get further exposure to FM, get strong letters of recommendation, possibly attend some conferences and make connections, etc. It'll never fully wipe a failed clerkship grade out of the picture, but I think she needs something on her application that will at least make a program consider her.

I think 209 is passing for step2ck, so a 210 would be just barely passing it. She decided to apply this cycle and is applying to all FM programs. Hoping she does well on step2ck . Thank you for your advice !!! I will show her this
 
First of all, if this is you, just say so. If it's your friend, have them open an account and ask. It's free.

This interactive NRMP site can, as best as possible, answer your question:Tableau Public

If we pick "Family Medicine", and US IMG, and Step 2 score <200, the chance of matching is 25%. This is an imperfect answer -- there is no option "failed S2", and if they retake S2 and get a score >200 it's unclear how that would be interpreted. But it's the best answer you're going to get.
No this isn’t me. I’m studying for my step1 currently. She does not use reddit/SDN that much and is very much freaked out rn understandably. She’s starting her prep for the retake so I thought I could maybe post for her and if theres any encouraging responses I could show them to her to make her feel a bit better.
 
No this isn’t me. I’m studying for my step1 currently. She does not use reddit/SDN that much and is very much freaked out rn understandably. She’s starting her prep for the retake so I thought I could maybe post for her and if theres any encouraging responses I could show them to her to make her feel a bit better.

A failed CK is not the end of the world. While the chances are slim, there is a possibility she can match if she applies wisely and strategically. While failing CK may seem like a huge red flag, remember there are tons of applicants who have far worse red flags and some still manage to match. There are tons of ****ty community FM programs that were unfilled this year so i would suggest applying to all of them. At least she has two things going for her: US citizen and current med student.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
The brutal truth will be that it will be very difficult. Can it be done? Yes,

I did know a US-IMG, a very good friend of mine with multiple fails. But he SHINED on his rotations, his attitude was outstanding I'm sure they just walked his application through. The reality is your friend will have to have done a nobel-prize winning audition rotation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
People really need to stop wasting characters with these openers.
Blatant lie. lol

I am actually still studying for STEP1 though...if you were to actually read some of my old comments instead of just choosing to assume you would see that I did not start medical school until later...as I was still applying to masters programs in 2015..which I got accepted to and finished. but thank you for ignorant comment.
 
Top