Need Advice - Non-competitive PM&R DO vs MD

[DO_Girl]

Hello all,

This is my first time posting to this site and I'm looking for some help. Due to my inability to perform well on exams (which I just discovered in medical school - yay) I am unfortunately a very non-competitive applicant for residency. I was falling behind in my first term of first year, and had to take a LOA. I returned to perform average in my class, but then failed COMLEX Level 1 with a 383. I was devastated and defeated, but worked my butt off to pass the second time, which I did.... barely (got a 401. I know, ouch). Passed Level 2 on my first attempt with a 423.

I am now about to start applying for auditions and the 2017 residency cycle and I don't really know what to do. I am interested in PM&R, but don't know if I should even spend my electives auditioning for them if I don't have a chance. And if I do have a chance, should I go DO or MD? I know DO applicants tend to have a better chance getting into DO programs, but there's waayyyyy more MD residencies for PM&R than DO.

Thank you in advance for your help everyone!

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[j4pac]

I think that you are going to struggle to get invites in ACGME PM&R. Unless you have something on your application you aren't telling us, you will likely end up with less than 5 invites...and then you will have to decide whether or not to try for DO PM&R or risk matching in the NRMP match.

If I were in your shoes...I would do what I could to improve your resume. You need to be judicious on where to audition...and prove your competence. You need to try to get involved in some form of research...with PM&R research being a plus. I've heard that DO PM&R filled this year...probably one of the first times ever. This speciality is becoming more competitive by the year, so I wouldn't take DO PM&R for granted. I would probably not apply ACGME PM&R and instead learn about the DO PM&R programs.

It's a small field...blah blah blah...I don't care. The Larkin PD told a good friend of mine that he guaranteed him a spot in his residency if he applied DO. My friend, who is active duty military, then went on to not match at Larkin. If the Larkin PD would outright lie to a military servicemember, that tells me that he has no integrity and you should stay clear of that program. I don't know about the other programs...but that is probably where I would invest my efforts. I would also apply broadly to DO PM&R (san Larkin) and also find a good obtainable plan B in the AOA match.

Good luck.

 

[dodobirddo]

I would recommend getting at least one strong PM&R LOR, doing as many audition rotations as you can at less competitive programs and applying to ALL PM&R programs (both AOA and ACGME) on September 15th. Then you can see where you get interviews and decide which match to participate in. Don't limit yourself any further by under-applying. Make sure you have EVERYTHING you can in ERAS to apply on 9/15 (i.e. a great personal statement, and 3 LOR's uploaded) because having an incomplete application or applying late with red flags will lead you to be ignored or rejected by most programs.

I met people who did 4 audition rotations in PM&R which seemed a little much to me, I don't know what their stats were, but if you're better in person than on paper and you can afford it, that may be your only way to be considered at a number of programs. Lots of people do auditions at the same handful of programs (i.e. really strong programs or ones in nice locations like California), so focus on some of the other programs. I didn't rotate at any of the AOA programs, but I did get interviews invites from all of them and interviewed at a couple of them. MSU is a great program & only participated in the NRMP/ACGME match this year, but they almost exclusively take DO's, so make sure to apply there. Larkin is the biggest AOA program, and I got a positive impression of the PD and the residents there.
Matching into a pre-lim IM or TY position with only COMLEX and one failure might be difficult. I think all of the AOA PM&R programs are categorical and AOA Traditional Rotating internships may still be accepted for your year. You should probably take COMLEX PE well before 9/15 (it takes a couple months to get scores back) and make sure to pass it.

You may want to have a back up plan (like Family Medicine), but I think if you get enough interviews and you are a likable person with a sincere interest in PM&R things can work out for you.

Hello all,

This is my first time posting to this site and I'm looking for some help. Due to my inability to perform well on exams (which I just discovered in medical school - yay) I am unfortunately a very non-competitive applicant for residency. I was falling behind in my first term of first year, and had to take a LOA. I returned to perform average in my class, but then failed COMLEX Level 1 with a 383. I was devastated and defeated, but worked my butt off to pass the second time, which I did.... barely (got a 401. I know, ouch). Passed Level 2 on my first attempt with a 423.

I am now about to start applying for auditions and the 2017 residency cycle and I don't really know what to do. I am interested in PM&R, but don't know if I should even spend my electives auditioning for them if I don't have a chance. And if I do have a chance, should I go DO or MD? I know DO applicants tend to have a better chance getting into DO programs, but there's waayyyyy more MD residencies for PM&R than DO.

Thank you in advance for your help everyone!

 

[RangerBob]

I've known people who matched into good ACGME PM&R programs with a failed Step 1 (don't know about comlex though), so it's possible. I agree you should apply to every single PM&R program you'd be willing to go to, and that having a back-up (FM, IM, psych, etc) may not be a bad idea. If you do well on the wards, do one or two away rotations Don't do any more than three PM&R rotations total, including your home program, and even three is sort of excessive (I did three for the record--one home program and two aways). Just make sure to look really, really good--ready everyday you get home, know your patients up and down, and impress the attendings with your PM&R knowledge and the residents with your clinical competency and ability to help them out.

You will need to apply to a lot of prelim/TY programs, but the "plus" side here is you could always SOAP into a pre-lim surgery program in a worst-case scenario. Which would suck--so apply to a lot of prelim-IM and TY programs!

It'll be uphill, but it's definitely possible.

 

[Kissmyabjj]

I think that you are going to struggle to get invites in ACGME PM&R. Unless you have something on your application you aren't telling us, you will likely end up with less than 5 invites...and then you will have to decide whether or not to try for DO PM&R or risk matching in the NRMP match.

If I were in your shoes...I would do what I could to improve your resume. You need to be judicious on where to audition...and prove your competence. You need to try to get involved in some form of research...with PM&R research being a plus. I've heard that DO PM&R filled this year...probably one of the first times ever. This speciality is becoming more competitive by the year, so I wouldn't take DO PM&R for granted. I would probably not apply ACGME PM&R and instead learn about the DO PM&R programs.

It's a small field...blah blah blah...I don't care. The Larkin PD told a good friend of mine that he guaranteed him a spot in his residency if he applied DO. My friend, who is active duty military, then went on to not match at Larkin. If the Larkin PD would outright lie to a military servicemember, that tells me that he has no integrity and you should stay clear of that program. I don't know about the other programs...but that is probably where I would invest my efforts. I would also apply broadly to DO PM&R (san Larkin) and also find a good obtainable plan B in the AOA match.

Good luck.

I am with you on Larkin. Had a horrific experience with the PM&R department after the 2014 match. Very unprofessional. Funny that I ended up in the same city though, albeit at a much better program.