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Low step 1 score ... have I ruined my chances?
- Thread starter AbsenceSeizure
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no you will match somewhere just apply to all the mid to lower tier acgme residencies, all the DO residencies, and pick your away rotations strategically.
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I've been a member of the forums for several years but couldn't get myself to post with my main account. In fact, I've been unable to show face all day. After three incredibly long weeks of waiting, I finally got my step 1 score today ... and it was a 196.
My practice scores were significantly better. In fact, just a few days before my exam I got a 212 on NBME 15. I don't know whether I got hit with all of my weaknesses or the anxiety of test day got the better of me or whatever else. All that matters is that I'm now stuck with this score for the rest of my career.
Other than that, I've been a pretty average, if not below-average student thus far. Haven't done any research, don't have my name on any publications (sans undergrad), and my extracurriculars aren't anything to brag about. To top it all off, I go to a DO school - I know neurology is "DO friendly" but I feel there's still some bias.
Besides moping around, I've been thinking ahead of things I'd have to absolutely excel in from here on out to even have a shot at landing a residency spot come 2015. That is to say, I have to kick butt on all of my third-year rotations, rock step 2 and have the score ready when I submit my application, get some good neuro electives/auditions under my belt, collect a few solid letters of recommendation, write the best personal statement I'm capable of, and somehow get my name on a publication of some kind - whether it be a case report, poster, or anything else.
I'm doing a neuro elective rotation at the moment and, in addition to getting a letter of recommendation from the attending, I'll also likely get honors in it. I'd hope this could be the start of an improvement of my application ...
Now I know neurology is relatively "less competitive" and that there's still a lot of important things that have yet to unfold for me, but do I have a realistic shot of getting into a program somewhere? Are there people who have gotten in with similar scores in the past? Is there advice others can offer me? I'd appreciate anything and everything you guys would share. Please help. I just want to become a doctor.
At the end of the day, there are only a few things that matter:
1) You do get a residency, somewhere
2) You pass your Neurology Boards
3) You continue to train yourself
The ABPN certificate that hangs on the wall looks the same no matter where you came from.
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As a resident and someone that has input on selection here is my 2 cents-
A high step 1 score for the neurology match will impress some and open some doors, a low one will knock you out of interviews at some. You are probably not going to be the youngest president of the AAN at this point but that's probably not a surprise. You showed you can muster the higher cortical function needed to pass a standardized board exam without too much drama, which is really what matters.
Honestly the best thing an applicant can do is show they know what they are getting themselves into in terms of what neurologists do and how we do it. After that, show somehow that you are a person that would be a good match (hence "match day") to the field, and if it's research please have a reason for it to fit into your story other than it being another hoop that you thought you needed to jump through.
Good letters from respected people in the field that can vouch for your interest and dedication to the field are truly what makes or breaks an applicant in neurology I think, at least for faculty's sake, more than step scores
also get some friends outside of med school and get some perspective on life in general, med school is a weird isolated pressure cooker and it will make you do strange things (like dissociate and have a psychogenic nonepileptic spell... or split identities literally into a new account on SDN)
A high step 1 score for the neurology match will impress some and open some doors, a low one will knock you out of interviews at some. You are probably not going to be the youngest president of the AAN at this point but that's probably not a surprise. You showed you can muster the higher cortical function needed to pass a standardized board exam without too much drama, which is really what matters.
Honestly the best thing an applicant can do is show they know what they are getting themselves into in terms of what neurologists do and how we do it. After that, show somehow that you are a person that would be a good match (hence "match day") to the field, and if it's research please have a reason for it to fit into your story other than it being another hoop that you thought you needed to jump through.
Good letters from respected people in the field that can vouch for your interest and dedication to the field are truly what makes or breaks an applicant in neurology I think, at least for faculty's sake, more than step scores
also get some friends outside of med school and get some perspective on life in general, med school is a weird isolated pressure cooker and it will make you do strange things (like dissociate and have a psychogenic nonepileptic spell... or split identities literally into a new account on SDN)
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I'm also interested to find out how competitive neurology is...
I'm a M2 right now and so far my preclinical grades haven't been the best, mostly B's and C's...so my class rank is low...will this affect my chances or PD's won't care if I do well on COMLEX...goal: 500 or higher (Might take USMLE goal-220 or higher)
I'm a M2 right now and so far my preclinical grades haven't been the best, mostly B's and C's...so my class rank is low...will this affect my chances or PD's won't care if I do well on COMLEX...goal: 500 or higher (Might take USMLE goal-220 or higher)
