M4 Interested in ENT

[It's all good]

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[Pir8DeacDoc]

What do you like doing? While there is some overlap in specialties, usually it should be clear what field you want to pursue for the rest of your life. I would never choose a field because you think it makes you look smart (or conversely another field makes you look "dumb") or some other extraneous reason. Two of the smartest and most accomplished people in my med school class did Family Medicine- it was where their passion was. You will spend 40 + hours a weeks doing this for the next 25 years. You need to make sure to the best of your ability as a medical student that it's the field you want with the patients you want to be seeing and operating on.

 

[It's all good]

What do you like doing? While there is some overlap in specialties, usually it should be clear what field you want to pursue for the rest of your life. I would never choose a field because you think it makes you look smart (or conversely another field makes you look "dumb") or some other extraneous reason. Two of the smartest and most accomplished people in my med school class did Family Medicine- it was where their passion was. You will spend 40 + hours a weeks doing this for the next 25 years. You need to make sure to the best of your ability as a medical student that it's the field you want with the patients you want to be seeing and operating on.

I completely agree with you. I wake up every morning feeling like I am settling for a specialty that I am not as interested in because I am afraid of not matching ENT. I am not concerned with how smart a field would make me look - sorry if my post implied that.

 

[Wordead]

You could check out otomatch.....it's a very, very rough year.

That said, even if you're a little below "average" metrics, LORs and a productive research year could make up for it.

 

[Pir8DeacDoc]

I completely agree with you. I wake up every morning feeling like I am settling for a specialty that I am not as interested in because I am afraid of not matching ENT. I am not concerned with how smart a field would make me look - sorry if my post implied that.

That's not really what came across. I've just known people that had a lot of regret and made their lives more complicated because they chose a field based on prestige and not where their heart was. I.e. if your heart is truly with ENT (and not just choosing it to be able to brag to others) then go for it. I imagine if you are good in person that you would match. Don't let some perceived numbers throw you off. I don't have the interest to pull the numbers but I imagine there's a very good chance with your Step score based on the matching outcomes data that you'd match. I'd predict > 80%. If you've got some ENTs to go to bat for you, even better. I've known people to match with < 200 step 1 score. If people like you and can work with you for 5 years, that helps a lot.

 

[It's all good]

That's not really what came across. I've just known people that had a lot of regret and made their lives more complicated because they chose a field based on prestige and not where their heart was. I.e. if your heart is truly with ENT (and not just choosing it to be able to brag to others) then go for it. I imagine if you are good in person that you would match. Don't let some perceived numbers throw you off. I don't have the interest to pull the numbers but I imagine there's a very good chance with your Step score based on the matching outcomes data that you'd match. I'd predict > 80%. If you've got some ENTs to go to bat for you, even better. I've known people to match with < 200 step 1 score. If people like you and can work with you for 5 years, that helps a lot.

Thank you for your candid responses, they make a lot of sense.