Matching in Peds

[Pediatrician87]

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I'm so nervous about not matching in peds this year I can barely function. I am not a good standardized test taker and have barely made it to this point now. My record is not good, but I AM passionate and more capable than my record shows. Is my nervousness realistic? What type of people don't get in to peds? How can I avoid this happening to me? I know what the average Step scores are . . .but I can't find any REAL stats of people who didn't get in somewhere. Help please 🙁 I want it so badly.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Did you fail Step 1 or something?

 

[Pediatrician87]

I passed Step 1, but barely. I failed one shelf so far, and am nervous I may have failed a second, but I don't know yet. I also had a difficult time on some rotations b/c I have social anxiety. My anxiety problems have led me to have a terrible record overall, but I have many good qualities too that would make me an excellent pediatrician and I am at a good US medschool. Any advice other than applying broadly and acing Step 2? 🙁 Anyone else in a similar situation and succeeded/failed to match peds?

 

[Amazingmuzmo]

Dude there are tons of unmatched peds spots every year, even after FMGs and IMGs fill up spots (no offense to them). Unless you're completely inept at talking to people I don't see how you won't match from a good US allo school unless you literally only just passed the step.

If you're having social anxiety problems, it's probably something you need to take care of before you start working anyway.

 

[KTD]

Dude there are tons of unmatched peds spots every year, even after FMGs and IMGs fill up spots (no offense to them).

This is not true anymore. Before SOAP last year, there were only 10 unmatched peds spots. That said, do your best on step 2 and apply broadly and you should be fine.

 

[Pediatrician87]

I did LITERALLY just pass the shelf, barely. I'm not exaggerating. My record clearly has red flags. That being said, I go to a top 40 US medschool that has a good rep. I also have TONS of good ECs and good relationships with people - I'm a super nice person so I'm not worried about good letters. My PS is great. I did well on my peds rotation . . . really well. But test scores are very weak and like I said I had some anxiety issues that led to some time off/time in counseling etc. But I have so so much passion and am smart and driven in peds and have so much to offer. I just wanna get in SOMEWHERE.

 

[BigRedBeta]

As a fellow in a peds specialty, I can promise you this: You'll be able to get in somewhere, as a US Med student, that won't be an issue if you apply broadly enough. In the 2013 match only 43 out of 1826 US Seniors who ranked only pediatrics programs went unmatched (2.3%).

So long as you apply and interview broadly (go on as many interviews as you have time and can afford) and more importantly RANK as many programs as you consider acceptable (and in your case perhaps as many programs as superior to going unmatched), and you should be fine.

When applying, find as many programs as you can that fit your general criteria (freestanding children's hospital or not, program size, location, research considerations, etc), and apply to all that fit those criteria. Then, determine which criterion is not as important as the others and loosen that search for programs outside that ideal - maybe you don't really care that much about program size so you expand your search to include bigger or smaller programs that otherwise meet your ideals for everything else. Keep expanding those searches until you have all the programs that could possibly be an option and then see how it goes.

When it comes to ranking, the key consideration for peds is to make sure you rank enough programs. The 2011 match was the last time the NRMP did a full analysis on what get's participants matched, and number of contiguous ranked programs within the specialty is most important (ie spots 1-4 or 1-7) independent variable. Being able to rank a large number of programs means that you interviewed at a large number, which in more competitive specialties probably is more a marker of overall competitiveness as an applicant, but in Peds more likely means you applied to programs the right way. In 2011, the average matched US Senior ranked a mean number of 9.6 programs compared to 6.8 for unmatched US Seniors.

Bottom line, follow the advice that you always hear and you should be fine. Don't get fixated on one program, keep an open mind and it'll work out the way it's supposed to.

And you should probably stay away from voicing your matching concerns when talking to your friends trying for ENT/Ophtho/Derm/Ortho/Rads/etc, they might not appreciate it.

 

[Pediatrician87]

Thanks so much BigRedBeta, that was very very helpful advice. I was feeling very worried b/c I was awaiting a shelf grade, but I, thank G-d, did fine. I am not as nervous about matching now, especially after reading your wonderful advice. I will try not to discuss matching concerns with any ortho or rad/onc students. 😉 If you happen to read this, any suggestions for how many schools I should try to apply to? I was told at least 30, but don't know if I should do closer to 40. Thanks!

 

[GoSpursGo]

Thanks so much BigRedBeta, that was very very helpful advice. I was feeling very worried b/c I was awaiting a shelf grade, but I, thank G-d, did fine. I am not as nervous about matching now, especially after reading your wonderful advice. I will try not to discuss matching concerns with any ortho or rad/onc students. 😉 If you happen to read this, any suggestions for how many schools I should try to apply to? I was told at least 30, but don't know if I should do closer to 40. Thanks!

I think 40 is a little ridiculous. Realistically, you ARE going to find a program that will want you--pediatrics is just not that competitive of a field, and as long as you apply to an appropriate level of program (maybe a handful of big academic programs that are particularly interesting to you based on location or connections "just in case" if you like, but focus mostly on smaller, community-based programs) you will find one that will give you a spot 🙂

 

[evilbooyaa]

I think applying to 40 is not a terrible idea. However, once you get 10-15 interviews, start narrowing down your list. Just because you get 20+ interviews does not mean you have to go on all of them.

 

[survivordo]

This is peds... deep breath. You will be fine! Do some audition rotations/sub-I's and you will hopefully impress the enough that your step scores will be overcome although I suspect you wont have a problem regardless. Apply broadly, you will get in somewhere.

Survivor DO

 

[BigRedBeta]

Thanks so much BigRedBeta, that was very very helpful advice. I was feeling very worried b/c I was awaiting a shelf grade, but I, thank G-d, did fine. I am not as nervous about matching now, especially after reading your wonderful advice. I will try not to discuss matching concerns with any ortho or rad/onc students. 😉 If you happen to read this, any suggestions for how many schools I should try to apply to? I was told at least 30, but don't know if I should do closer to 40. Thanks!

30 is probably appropriate. You'll likely hit some sort of plateau number before you hit 30 where the programs you're adding just don't match your preferences as well as the first 10 or 15 you added. I don't remember the exact fees, but keep in mind that ERAS starts charging you more money for each application you send out past a certain number (why, when it's all done electronically, I don't know other than that the whole thing is a racket and it's just another chance to squeeze more $$$ out med students). At some point, the cost for sending out one more application outweighs how interested in that program you are from a far.

If I remember correctly, when I applied for residency in peds, I think I sent out to 22 or 25 apps, got 17 invitations to interview and scheduled 12 interviews (I got sick prior to my last interview, so only completed 11).

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Wrong Thread

 

[J ROD]

I would not worry to much about matching into Peds.

Just focus on passing Shelfs.

I would think about 20-30 programs.

Esp if you are nervous at interviewing.