OBGYN chances for US MD with low Step 1 score?

[NirvanaMD]

Hey there,

I'm a third year student at a top 15 US MD school - first two years were P/F and did okay on them, but scored 213 on Step 1. Super dejected. I have strong evals, research with multiple publications (in reproductive biology and other areas). Very interested in OBGYN but also considering IM. With this score, what are my chances at a university program? I'm very interested in MFM and REI fellowships so would like to match at aprogramthat keeps those doors open - any chances? Thanks!

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[Mazelia]

I (hopefully, depending on 2016 match results) have anecdotal evidence that you can make it happen. My story is very similar to yours-- change a few numbers and I could have written this post at this time last year. I'm a fourth year student with a low Step 1, otherwise strong application, and applied only to OB/GYN residencies. I ended up with interviews at 8 university-affiliated programs and will be ranking all of them (plus some community programs). We will see how the match goes for me-- I feel pretty good about it.

Here are a couple of things that are general good advice, and that I think were particularly important for me going into this with a stupidly low Step 1 score (lower than yours!):

If you haven't already, meet with the program director for your local/home school OB/GYN residency-- they can give you an idea of any other weaknesses in your application that you might need to work on between now and September. They are a great resource and you shouldn't feel shy about getting their guidance. Same goes for the OB/GYN faculty you interact(ed) with on your clerkship. Establish relationships with them now so that you can feel comfortable asking them to make phone calls for you next fall.

Also, get in touch with your med school advisor/dean/whoever is responsible for giving you academic advice. Go over your schedule with them for the end of third year/beginning of fourth year to make sure you have plenty of dedicated time to prepare for Step 2.

Finally, have a backup plan (whether it's applying to community OB/GYN programs, also applying to IM, and/or something else). Not that it will be necessary (positive thinking!) but it helps with peace of mind throughout the process.

PM me if you'd like to discuss my experience further.

 

[hoya2008]

I will also chime in with some anecdotal evidence. I am also a MS4 that expect to match into OB/GYN this year. I also had a low step 1 score (205) and was disheartened at first. My score required me to apply this year with a "back-up" plan - something they make everyone do with certain thershold Step scores. As I am MD/PhD, my back up was the ABIM research pathway but I ended up not going on any of those interviews. My research was in ovarian cancer, so I had lots of OB/GYN related publications and I believe that helped me. I applied to mostly university affilated programs. Overall, I went on 16 interviews, all but 3 were true university programs. So here is my advice:
1) Rock Step 2CK - I took one month to devote myself to study and get as high as a score as possible (237).
2) Work as hard as possible in 3rd year to get honors/great evaluations to show you are strong clinically (I honored two clerkships, OB and Surgery)
3) Apply broadly - while expensive I ended up applying to 62 programs (both university and good community programs) throughout the country. I found it was almost impossible to tell who I was going to hear positively from, and who I would never hear from. There are some programs that are going to filter based on Step 1 alone and they will never see the rest application - sadly just the way it is with the amount of applications programs are receiving. Of those 62 programs, I only ever heard from about 30 during the interview season with 20 of them being invites. I was surprised with some programs that I got interviews at, and at programs I never heard from that my advisors considered "safeties".
4) If you don't have one already, meet with an advisor in OB/GYN, ideally someone familar with the application process for guidance and help in selecting programs to apply to.
5) Relax, have a backup plan of some kind (can be applying IM, applying to every OB program in the country, whatever you need to do to make sure you have a job after match.

As above, please message me if you want to talk more about my experiences as well. Good luck!

 

[hoya2008]

I will also chime in with some anecdotal evidence. I am also a MS4 that expect to match into OB/GYN this year. I also had a low step 1 score (205) and was disheartened at first. My score required me to apply this year with a "back-up" plan - something they make everyone do with certain thershold Step scores. As I am MD/PhD, my back up was the ABIM research pathway but I ended up not going on any of those interviews. My research was in ovarian cancer, so I had lots of OB/GYN related publications and I believe that helped me. I applied to mostly university affilated programs. Overall, I went on 16 interviews, all but 3 were true university programs. So here is my advice:
1) Rock Step 2CK - I took one month to devote myself to study and get as high as a score as possible (237).
2) Work as hard as possible in 3rd year to get honors/great evaluations to show you are strong clinically (I honored two clerkships, OB and Surgery)
3) Apply broadly - while expensive I ended up applying to 62 programs (both university and good community programs) throughout the country. I found it was almost impossible to tell who I was going to hear positively from, and who I would never hear from. There are some programs that are going to filter based on Step 1 alone and they will never see the rest application - sadly just the way it is with the amount of applications programs are receiving. Of those 62 programs, I only ever heard from about 30 during the interview season with 20 of them being invites. I was surprised with some programs that I got interviews at, and at programs I never heard from that my advisors considered "safeties".
4) If you don't have one already, meet with an advisor in OB/GYN, ideally someone familar with the application process for guidance and help in selecting programs to apply to.
5) Relax, have a backup plan of some kind (can be applying IM, applying to every OB program in the country, whatever you need to do to make sure you have a job after match.

As above, please message me if you want to talk more about my experiences as well. Good luck!

 

[Mazelia]

3) Apply broadly - while expensive I ended up applying to 62 programs (both university and good community programs) throughout the country. I found it was almost impossible to tell who I was going to hear positively from, and who I would never hear from. There are some programs that are going to filter based on Step 1 alone and they will never see the rest application - sadly just the way it is with the amount of applications programs are receiving. Of those 62 programs, I only ever heard from about 30 during the interview season with 20 of them being invites. I was surprised with some programs that I got interviews at, and at programs I never heard from that my advisors considered "safeties".

YES, this. I didn't mention this in my earlier post, but this is what happened to me too. It's totally haphazard.

 

[Guero]

Similar story here, low step, great research with pubs and an HHMI summer fellowship, good preclins (honors, mostly high pass, one pass), and good clinical grades with a few honors and the rest high pass.

My main question is whether some of these university programs were in the West. I was born and raised in Los Angeles but have been in the South for high school, college, and med school, but want nothing more than to return to the West coast for residency and practice. Considering the insane competitiveness of these programs in general, I was just wondering if any other natives have had any luck in that region.


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