Must have info - don't want to ruffle feathers

[getinthehole]

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I'm a current radiology applicant with a serious girlfriend interested in pathology next year. We both go to solid allopath school, but nothing top 10. I need to know what you guys/gals would guess possible cut off step 1 scores for interviews would be that go with some of the places I am ranking. I know you really can't say for sure, and I guess there is no stated cut off, but I desperately need at least a good guess. The programs... Duke, Wake Forest, UNC, Virginia, Indiana, Florida-Gainesville. Also, will she get a lot of help if I'm going to be there when she starts and if she does an away there and they like her a lot? Enough to overcome lower step 1 scores than a lot of others who will interview there?

 

[deleted113029]

How low are her step 1 scores? I believe cutoffs for the schools listed are around 210-220 with Virginia and Duke at the higher end.

Of course doing an away will help her chances IF she does a good job and works well with the department. As far as your presence helping her get a spot, that's probably not likely to be a factor unless you propose to her at the time of her application. (It's not like you attain rockstar status after PGY-1.) Girlfriends come and go just like the seasons and programs probably won't care even if the both of you are 'serious.'

 

[getinthehole]

Upper 190's. She would easily be liked, and she would be prepared to do a good job as well. For the me being there factor, what if we were married, but not right before she applied where it looks a little unusual / fortunate?

 

[djmd]

Yes doing a rotation there can help her with the program (in theory if she could get a letter (which might not happen) it could help at other programs too)...
The fact that you to are 'serious' isn't really going change anything, sometimes if your program has pull they can pull for a canidate in another department, but they usually only do that with couples match. I don't think that you being recently married would make it seem strange.. this isn't INS... (god what if people were getting married just for Resident match related issues... crazy)


Look for near by path programs. Hospitals that with in driving distance... Get a place between the two...

 

[LADoc00]

I'm a current radiology applicant with a serious girlfriend interested in pathology next year. We both go to solid allopath school, but nothing top 10. I need to know what you guys/gals would guess possible cut off step 1 scores for interviews would be that go with some of the places I am ranking. I know you really can't say for sure, and I guess there is no stated cut off, but I desperately need at least a good guess. The programs... Duke, Wake Forest, UNC, Virginia, Indiana, Florida-Gainesville. Also, will she get a lot of help if I'm going to be there when she starts and if she does an away there and they like her a lot? Enough to overcome lower step 1 scores than a lot of others who will interview there?

This is political. If you are at Program X, be that Duke, Wake or whatever and that program LIKES you, then they can make a call to the path PD and get her in. GF isnt going to cut it tho, you will have to get married or engaged or something like that.

Happens all the time by the way.

 

[getinthehole]

Really appreciate the responses! Which of those programs (Duke, Wake, Virginia, UNC, Indiana, Florida) in general would probably be considered less competitive than the others?

Also, what kind of away elective experience should she try to setup at the place I eventually match? For radiology, things seem to be primarily observorship type of role, or helping / doing clinical research. Objective there is purely to be liked, can't really impress them with knowledge because you aren't involved too much. How does it generally go in pathology and which way would help the most?

 

[djmd]

Generally, most places just have an AP/CP pathology rotation. And you generally don't do anything much besides observe. Someplaces have people present papers or give so sort of talk, but it is not like you should be grossing in or anything...

 

[CameronFrye]

I'm a current radiology applicant with a serious girlfriend interested in pathology next year. We both go to solid allopath school, but nothing top 10. I need to know what you guys/gals would guess possible cut off step 1 scores for interviews would be that go with some of the places I am ranking. I know you really can't say for sure, and I guess there is no stated cut off, but I desperately need at least a good guess. The programs... Duke, Wake Forest, UNC, Virginia, Indiana, Florida-Gainesville. Also, will she get a lot of help if I'm going to be there when she starts and if she does an away there and they like her a lot? Enough to overcome lower step 1 scores than a lot of others who will interview there?

Here at UVA, I've personally seen people with 220's all the way up to one person who scored 260+ on all three steps (had a 1st author paper in a major journal, and had LOR's from some very big name pathologists). I don't know if we have a cutoff though.

Doing a rotation here can definitely help you (but if you aren't likable, it can also sink you).