MSTP returning to the wards?

[283412]

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I'm returning to the wards after 5 years in my PhD and haven't had any time to study medical topics. I've basically forgotten almost everything even though I got a 260 on step I. I just finished psych and missed honors because a number of questions were asked that weren't addressed in any of the materials but were deemed "common knowledge" by the other students. My PI says I need to get honors in internal medicine to have any hope of matching.

Is there any chance of succeeding in 3rd year (and by that I mean getting honors in most clerkships) with such a contracted knowledge base?

Thanks!

 

[Doctor&Geek]

My PI says I need to get honors in internal medicine to have any hope of matching.

Your PI is nuts.

 

[AlexMorph]

I'm returning to the wards after 5 years in my PhD and haven't had any time to study medical topics. I've basically forgotten almost everything even though I got a 260 on step I. I just finished psych and missed honors because a number of questions were asked that weren't addressed in any of the materials but were deemed "common knowledge" by the other students. My PI says I need to get honors in internal medicine to have any hope of matching.

Is there any chance of succeeding in 3rd year (and by that I mean getting honors in most clerkships) with such a contracted knowledge base?

Thanks!

well, there are some rotations that share a common knowledge base. psych isn't one of them. watch out for fam, peds, and im. if you have forgotten literally everything, you need to re-learn it. i do not mean study for step 1 again or something. maybe buddy up with a few of your colleagues and figure out what they thought was common knowledge and where they can trace that knowledge to

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

My PI says I need to get honors in internal medicine to have any hope of matching at MGH.

I edited your statement to make it more accurate.

You should shoot for the best grade you can get, but as stated above, your PI is crazy. With an MD/PhD you will be a strong candidate even with an HP (unless you have some major red flags elsewhere in your app).

 

[calvinNhobbes]

Yes, it is possible to return from a PhD and do well during 3rd year clerkships. I also spent 4+ years doing my PhD and came back to get honors in 70%+ of my clerkships including big ones like IM and Surg. Was it easy? Heck no! I worked my ass off and still felt like an idiot most of the time.

What really helped me was using the case file series for every clerkship. For the most part they give you a good idea of what topics you are expected to know in very easy and quick to read cases you can carry around with you. It allows you yo gets all the terminology back into your brain. Then focus on doing questions for the shelf as early as possible since you will spend ALOT of time reviewing but you need something to help focus that review and questions do that. For the wards, just work hard and don't be annoying; I honestly have no idea the logic people use to fill out evals. Residents I swear hated me would give me a great eval while the attending who was super friendly woudl barely pass me, and every mix in between.

 

[283412]

Thanks for the feedback. My friends have been working ~ 100 hrs/week so I'm worried I won't have time to study during the clerkships. Pysch was not very time consuming so I studied a lot, but I'm worried about IM and surgery. Plus, at my school about 20-30% of students get honors in most rotations, which makes high pass basically average, and probably makes the honors grade more important. That's good to know that it's possible. I have the case files series and will definitely read them if time permits.

 

[miscalculated]

Hi, i'm in the same situation, starting back on Monday after 3 years out for a PhD. Scary! Feel free to PM me if you want.

 

[miscalculated]

Well that wasn't that bad, aside from not knowing anyone.

The thing I'm worried about though is not letting my research slide whilst I'm on the wards🙁

 

[USArmyDoc]

I'm returning to the wards after 5 years in my PhD and haven't had any time to study medical topics. I've basically forgotten almost everything even though I got a 260 on step I. I just finished psych and missed honors because a number of questions were asked that weren't addressed in any of the materials but were deemed "common knowledge" by the other students. My PI says I need to get honors in internal medicine to have any hope of matching.

Is there any chance of succeeding in 3rd year (and by that I mean getting honors in most clerkships) with such a contracted knowledge base?

Thanks!

Get the MKSAP for medical students. It will give you a good start with basic knowledge that you will see a lot. I think thats the best you can do right now.


Good luck

 

[283412]

Yeah, that's definitely a concern. I just didn't realize I'd be at this much of a disadvantage. People still match well from my program, but they must be superstars or something.

Well that wasn't that bad, aside from not knowing anyone.

The thing I'm worried about though is not letting my research slide whilst I'm on the wards🙁

 

[ANCAdoc]

I'm returning to the wards after 5 years in my PhD and haven't had any time to study medical topics. I've basically forgotten almost everything even though I got a 260 on step I.

5yrs for a PhD? Many MSTP programs like to get you out in 3, max 4. Why 5?? This is not good. I really think that during MSTP years they should have some continuing education to get you clinical experience, because lets face it - if you don't use it you loose it.

 

[Neuronix]

5yrs for a PhD? Many MSTP programs like to get you out in 3, max 4.

That's wishful thinking or old information. One of my blog entries analyzes this point, but the MD/PhD for people who started ~5 years ago is averaging 8 years nationally for the total program. This means 7 years (3.5 year PhD) is just as likely as 9 years (5.5 year PhD) nowadays. This average is trending sharply upwards, so I wonder if MD/PhDs will be averaging 8.5 years for those starting now or soon.

Why 5?? This is not good. I really think that during MSTP years they should have some continuing education to get you clinical experience

That sounds like a good idea, but the reality is that PhD is just so time consuming it can be very hard to squeeze in any meaningful clinical experiences. I did some shadowing a few times during my PhD, but that's about it, and that's pretty common among MD/PhD programs. I couldn't have spent more time at it if I wanted to.

cybercat, in the past I did think that MD/PhD got you pretty much any residency you wanted. I was spoonfed this information frequently. It was only a few years into the program that I realized the MD/PhDs matching in competitive specialties at big name places were also AOA with excellent board scores (this realization is the topic of my most recent blog entry). I wish I could help you, but I don't know how they excel post-PhD either...

 

[283412]

5yrs for a PhD? Many MSTP programs like to get you out in 3, max 4. Why 5?? This is not good. I really think that during MSTP years they should have some continuing education to get you clinical experience, because lets face it - if you don't use it you loose it.

It really depends on what you want and how luck you are. I chose to stay for a fifth year to get 2 more papers (probably 3 if I get time to write it). Some people get set up with a project that's ready to go and can do it in 3, but I think you lose a lot of critical thinking skills if you don't derive your own project.

As for continuing education: some people try, but there's no way you'll keep up your knowledge base with only one day a week even. And getting a PhD is really really hard. I think a lot of MDs think a PhD is a long vacation. Phrases like "how much time off did you take to do your PhD?" I respect both fields immensely and find them both highly challenging in their own ways, and I really don't think a PhD can be put into a "package" the way a medical curriculum can.

 

[283412]

Get the MKSAP for medical students. It will give you a good start with basic knowledge that you will see a lot. I think thats the best you can do right now.


Good luck

Hey this MKSAP looks great, I'd never heard about it. Thanks for the tip!