Low step score? Psych or no?

[JoseyCali123]

I got a 215 for step 1. Do I have a chance at Psychiatry? Do I have a chance for California? Currently goes to a Northern California medical school. middle-tier school.

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[Trollest]

I doubt it. California is where all the genuis stay. Why such a low score though?

 

[JoseyCali123]

you really think I have no shot to apply to psychiatry or stay in California? yeh unfortunately not the best test taker...

 

[Trollest]

No i don't. I am not an expert on residency. I am still a first year myself. My comment was mostly based on the fact that California is the most competitive state.

But you still have a shot, if you nail your PSYCH rotation.

you really think I have no shot to apply to psychiatry or stay in California? yeh unfortunately not the best test taker...

 

[Seces]

Yes u have a shot at psych and a shot at psych in Cali. Do better on step 2 and get good LORs.

 

[JoseyCali123]

do you guys think i can still match in psych at another state? im willing to go anywhere

 

[DrGoon]

yeah you've got a great shot if you want to go to another state. don't know anything about cali, but I'm applying with marginally better step 1 and got a fair amount of interviews at some pretty solid academic programs

 

[autopoietic]

I scored just a few points higher than you and have been very happy with my interview invites (including from Cali) as a current fourth year from a state school in the South Central part of the US. California is definitley an option! Apply broadly and write letters of interest for places you're truly keen on. Aways can help open doors. Best of luck and feel free to DM me with specific questions!

 

[ridethecliche]

I scored in the same ballpark as you and did MUCH better on step 2. I applied very broadly and ended up with 11 interviews and cancelled one. I think I'll be fine even if I end up staying at my home program (which is awesome).
Just get your ish together and do better 3rd year with clinical grades and step 2.

I doubt it. California is where all the genuis stay. Why such a low score though?

Relax.

 

[Chimed]

I can't comment on how things have changed in terms of what is the going Step scores, but when I applied I had a relatively low Step score as well. I'm terrible at standardized exams! However, I had great letters, honored all my psych rotations, and had some minor research done in medical school. I didn't apply to California programs but I got interviews at all the big name programs on the East Coast and Midwest that I applied to--Yale, Brown, Columbia, Hopkins, Maryland/Pratt, Pittsburgh, Michigan. I also matched to my top pick. So, yes, you can definitely get into psych with a lower Step score! But if you need to, you can boast your application with other things.

 

[funtertaining15]

do you guys think i can still match in psych at another state? im willing to go anywhere

Definitely.


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[Bartelby]

215 isn't *that* low! Based on your description (215 step with mid-tier allopathic school) places like UCSF, Stanford, UCLA would be a real uphill battle. As for matching at all though you are for sure on track! As others have said keep doing your best and rest easy that you still have excellent odds of becoming a psychiatrist.

 

[mymembernames]

Psych doesn’t really care about step 1 IMO


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[Shufflin]

Psych isn't as obsessive about Step 1 as other specialties, but due to the upswing in scores as of late Psych CAN be more selective. This is especially true of Southern Cali programs.

 

[JoseyCali123]

thanks everyone for responding. this process has been incredibly downright grueling and i almost felt like giving up on psychiatry. do y'all think my extracurriculars will help offset a low score, although i will definitely try to get a 240 at least on step 2? i've been doing psychiatry related things throughout undergraduate and medical school: being a medical student to set up a free homeless psychiatry clinic, working at a child and adolescent psychiatry center and doing research with that, having 3-4 first author publications in trans womens mental health, had a job at skidrow doing harm reduction addiction psychiatry work, being transgendered myself...

i just couldn't see myself doing anything else and it's hard

 

[JoseyCali123]

I scored just a few points higher than you and have been very happy with my interview invites (including from Cali) as a current fourth year from a state school in the South Central part of the US. California is definitley an option! Apply broadly and write letters of interest for places you're truly keen on. Aways can help open doors. Best of luck and feel free to DM me with specific questions!

Hey autopoietic! I couldn't send you a DM for some reason. Can you instead DM me and I can ask specific Q's?

 

[JoseyCali123]

Psych doesn’t really care about step 1 IMO


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hello! I saw that you did super well on the interview cycle (21 interviews), did you think your step 1 score had somethign to do with it or no?

 

[Old&InTheWay]

thanks everyone for responding. this process has been incredibly downright grueling and i almost felt like giving up on psychiatry. do y'all think my extracurriculars will help offset a low score, although i will definitely try to get a 240 at least on step 2? i've been doing psychiatry related things throughout undergraduate and medical school: being a medical student to set up a free homeless psychiatry clinic, working at a child and adolescent psychiatry center and doing research with that, having 3-4 first author publications in trans womens mental health, had a job at skidrow doing harm reduction addiction psychiatry work, being transgendered myself...

i just couldn't see myself doing anything else and it's hard

Everyone has told you not to worry about your step 1 score. A few school may screen you out, but if you apply broadly you should be fine. Your ECs are great for psych. Just do well in third year, especially your psych rotations, try to do a little better on step 2, and you’ll be fine.

 

[Bartelby]

i've been doing psychiatry related things throughout undergraduate and medical school: being a medical student to set up a free homeless psychiatry clinic, working at a child and adolescent psychiatry center and doing research with that, having 3-4 first author publications in trans womens mental health, had a job at skidrow doing harm reduction addiction psychiatry work, being transgendered myself...

i just couldn't see myself doing anything else and it's hard

It sounds like you bring a lot of passion for psychiatry, that you have a solid publication record, and that you have experiences that will help you stand out in a good way. Those factors will definitely work in your favor! Don't let disappointment about this step score derail you (especially because again it isn't that bad).

 

[OldPsychDoc]

A first-attempt pass is a Go for psychiatry.
As above, try to improve on Step 2, do well on your rotations, get good LORs, and rock an elective in psych early in 4th year.

 

[ridethecliche]

hello! I saw that you did super well on the interview cycle (21 interviews), did you think your step 1 score had somethign to do with it or no?

Serious question, how will this answer help you in any way? Just do the best you can and stop worrying about how others did.
Of course their step 1 score had something to do with how many interviews they got because it's part of their application. You can't look at any particular thing in isolation. I know it's hard because you wanted to do better and I know exactly how you feel, but no one asked me about my score over the entire trail and instead were more interested in the improvement in step 2.