MD/PhD With Average Step 1 Scores

[Green Plant]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Is there any reasonable hope for an MD/PhD with average step 1 scores (~230) to match into a top internal medicine program like Hopkins or MGH? Would publications in high impact journals help or do IM residency programs not care so much regarding pubs? Really appreciate any insight!

 

[Fencer]

yes. A ~250 in step II, good LORs, honors in clerkship grades (particularly IM), and strong publications will take you to a top IM program.

 

[mudphudder2014]

yes. A ~250 in step II, good LORs, honors in clerkship grades (particularly IM), and strong publications will take you to a top IM program.

so basically the same as an MD-only..
it seems a phd is contributing less and less these days for making a candidate desirable in IM. responses like this makes me question the point of md/phd programs if the bar is getting higher and higher and over 7-10 years you are bound to have a flaw. just cut your losses (even if phd if uber successful) and simply study and focus like the MD-only crew.. it's way easier. if you want research, do it later during fellowship. i think this would be my advice to future students.

 

[eteshoe]

But it makes sense. By choosing to go into residency, applicants are basically wanting to hone their clinical skills and thus would need to prove that they can handle what's expected. In the same vein, if an applicant chose to forego residency and just do a postdoc, then their productivity during their PhD would matter a lot more than the fact that they did an MD as well.

That being said, top research heavy programs really get the cream of the crop - aka strong MD students who were quite productive during their PhD years.

 

[Lucca]

But it makes sense. By choosing to go into residency, applicants are basically wanting to hone their clinical skills and thus would need to prove that they can handle what's expected. In the same vein, if an applicant chose to forego residency and just do a postdoc, then their productivity during their PhD would matter a lot more than the fact that they did an MD as well.

That being said, top research heavy programs really get the cream of the crop - aka strong MD students who were quite productive during their PhD years.

Also just from my Master’s I’ve become so much more independent...it probably depends on the field but being thrown into a fellowship and starting the race for grants and papers without something like a PHD or at least a few research years sounds like being thrown into the deep end with no life line.

 

[Neuronix]

Is there any reasonable hope for an MD/PhD with average step 1 scores (~230) to match into a top internal medicine program like Hopkins or MGH? Would publications in high impact journals help or do IM residency programs not care so much regarding pubs? Really appreciate any insight!

The PhD is the icing on the cake for research oriented residency programs. You still need the fundamentals of the cake (class rank, step scores, LORs, interviews, etc). Exactly how much the PhD will help overcome below average (for the program) MD stats depends on how much the individual program values having MD/PhDs and your level of competition.

Don't shoot the messenger. I never said it was right. I've written about this extensively in my blog.

That written, I'm sure you will find a strong academic internal medicine program--230 isn't that bad.