medschoolmentors
Founder of MedSchoolMentors.org
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2020
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Applications and interviews are hard. Of all the things I learned, these tips for fourth year would probably be my top 3. I wanted to put them out there in case it helps any MS3's applying next year! Feel free to ask/add on anything that I missed.
1. Do your research before going on away rotations. I applied to a competitive specialty, so away rotations were a given. I wanted to try out programs in cool cities that I would’ve loved to do residency in, figuring that they'd look favorably upon me if I had spent a month there. Wrong. Some programs (mostly top tier ones) simply don't care if you were there for a month. It doesn't increase your chances for an interview whatsoever. I really regretted dropping $1500+ on each away rotation when I could've spent that money going to programs that would've guaranteed me an interview and would've seriously considered me as an applicant. Use your time and money wisely by doing away rotations where it will boost your chances. Which programs are those? Ask previous applicants, stalk the past years' spreadsheets, ask mentors. This can change, so ask around.
[^edited for clarity... My goal in doing away rotations was to get interviews at places that would've seriously considered me as an applicant. I wanted to use away rotations to express major interest in certain programs I really wanted to go to. I made the mistake of bringing my A-game to higher-tier programs that never would've interviewed me to begin with.]
2. Take Step 2 CK early if at all possible. If you can do better or similar compared to Step 1, take Step 2 CK in the summer/early fall. The scores will come out before ERAS is due, and it will automatically be sent to every program you apply to, which can help your application. Moreover, it will be off your plate for the rest of the semester, which is an enormous bonus. I trusted my practice test scores on UWorld and took Step 2 early with a few weeks of dedicated studying. Best move of 4th year -- with interview scheduling and travel planning stress, there was absolutely no way I could've focused enough to study later in the fall.
(But if your UWorld practice scores aren’t great [particularly if you already had a solid Step 1], then take Step 2 CK later; that way, you can choose whether to upload your scores to ERAS or not. Programs probably like to see CK scores before interview invites, but it won't break your application.)
3. Be proactive and don’t be afraid to ask. If you’re applying to an advanced program, ask whether preliminary year programs will interview you on non-official dates that would fit your schedule better. They’re usually more flexible about interview dates, and this saved me a solid $600. If you want an interview at a very specific program and they didn’t give you one, email/call them (politely!!) and express interest. Granted, this probably only works for a few programs that are mid to lower tier, but it did get me an interview at a place that I ranked highly.
Let me know if there’s anything else I can help address!
1. Do your research before going on away rotations. I applied to a competitive specialty, so away rotations were a given. I wanted to try out programs in cool cities that I would’ve loved to do residency in, figuring that they'd look favorably upon me if I had spent a month there. Wrong. Some programs (mostly top tier ones) simply don't care if you were there for a month. It doesn't increase your chances for an interview whatsoever. I really regretted dropping $1500+ on each away rotation when I could've spent that money going to programs that would've guaranteed me an interview and would've seriously considered me as an applicant. Use your time and money wisely by doing away rotations where it will boost your chances. Which programs are those? Ask previous applicants, stalk the past years' spreadsheets, ask mentors. This can change, so ask around.
[^edited for clarity... My goal in doing away rotations was to get interviews at places that would've seriously considered me as an applicant. I wanted to use away rotations to express major interest in certain programs I really wanted to go to. I made the mistake of bringing my A-game to higher-tier programs that never would've interviewed me to begin with.]
2. Take Step 2 CK early if at all possible. If you can do better or similar compared to Step 1, take Step 2 CK in the summer/early fall. The scores will come out before ERAS is due, and it will automatically be sent to every program you apply to, which can help your application. Moreover, it will be off your plate for the rest of the semester, which is an enormous bonus. I trusted my practice test scores on UWorld and took Step 2 early with a few weeks of dedicated studying. Best move of 4th year -- with interview scheduling and travel planning stress, there was absolutely no way I could've focused enough to study later in the fall.
(But if your UWorld practice scores aren’t great [particularly if you already had a solid Step 1], then take Step 2 CK later; that way, you can choose whether to upload your scores to ERAS or not. Programs probably like to see CK scores before interview invites, but it won't break your application.)
3. Be proactive and don’t be afraid to ask. If you’re applying to an advanced program, ask whether preliminary year programs will interview you on non-official dates that would fit your schedule better. They’re usually more flexible about interview dates, and this saved me a solid $600. If you want an interview at a very specific program and they didn’t give you one, email/call them (politely!!) and express interest. Granted, this probably only works for a few programs that are mid to lower tier, but it did get me an interview at a place that I ranked highly.
Let me know if there’s anything else I can help address!
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