Odds of matching Cards with 203 on step 1?

[brosa]

Hello guys, I know this an ongoing topic but I really wanted to know. There is a similar post but the OP had 219.

The question is not towards me, but a friend of mine. He has 203, 237 and he is already doing Internal Medicine on a mid tier program. He is doing a lot of Cardiology research, but he just had a class about matching to fellowship and got concerned he's just wasting time doing research if the odds of matching are close to zero. Any inputs? Oh he is an US MD.

Thank you everyone and sorry for bothering with this very frequent question.

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[deleted980918]

Most programs have a cut off especially for step 1. At my program it was 230-240 but plenty of people match with score below that, largely I think they lower the cut off after the first round of invites and or mentors calling on their behalf to bypass the cut off. But failing step exam is another story, I have heard PD saying that’s a major red flag.

 

[HemeOncHopeful19]

His best bet is to be a damn superstar resident that everybody loves (NOT a gunner) and match at his home program, imo. I’ve seen it happen but honestly if this person had not matched the entire IM department would’ve been in the Cards offices with pitchforks because they worked so hard and were such a great person. He could also consider a chief year if home program has a history of taking their chief residents. Even if he doesn’t do one he should try to be someone liked enough to be chief resident if he wanted.

Unfortunately the data is getting old (hopefully there is an update this year) but 2018 charting outcomes had 15 out of 16 (!) AMGs with Step 1 201-210 match in Cards. I was actually surprised at that statistic tbh but that’s the data for that year at least.

 

[yurtboat]

Most fellowship programs don't care about steps. The way Step 1 is discussed on this forum is like moths flying around a lightbulb. Good letters, no issues, some reasonable research and a good PS. The rate limiting step with a low Step 1 is getting into a better regarded residency program. My friend failed step 1 and got a very good program, albeit he was lucky to have gotten his residency spot.

 

[Stone Cold]

Unfortunately the data is getting old (hopefully there is an update this year) but 2018 charting outcomes had 15 out of 16 (!) AMGs with Step 1 201-210 match in Cards. I was actually surprised at that statistic tbh but that’s the data for that year at least.

Where do you find such data?

 

[NewYorkDoctors]

A coresident (a few years above me ) had. 188 on step 1 (passing score back then ) - US AMG - family full of doctors - full of connections - did a transitional year - transferred over to a mid tier academic IM program - terrible reviews from all attending and PD mostly due to laziness and nonchalance and not studying - became the fourth year chief resident out of pure politicking and family connections - got into the in house cards fellowship (much to the cardiology PD dismay ) - got into the in house interventional fellowship - now he is director of interventional cardiology somewheee in Florida . He is laughing his way to the bank right now .
Moral of the story - get connected to her ahead

 

[deleted980918]

A coresident (a few years above me ) had. 188 on step 1 (passing score back then ) - US AMG - family full of doctors - full of connections - did a transitional year - transferred over to a mid tier academic IM program - terrible reviews from all attending and PD mostly due to laziness and nonchalance and not studying - became the fourth year chief resident out of pure politicking and family connections - got into the in house cards fellowship (much to the cardiology PD dismay ) - got into the in house interventional fellowship - now he is director of interventional cardiology somewheee in Florida . He is laughing his way to the bank right now .
Moral of the story - get connected to her ahead

Not everyone will have the connections he had but new connections can be build through hard work and pure resilience.

 

[JK31]

Hello guys, I know this an ongoing topic but I really wanted to know. There is a similar post but the OP had 219.

The question is not towards me, but a friend of mine. He has 203, 237 and he is already doing Internal Medicine on a mid tier program. He is doing a lot of Cardiology research, but he just had a class about matching to fellowship and got concerned he's just wasting time doing research if the odds of matching are close to zero. Any inputs? Oh he is an US MD.

Thank you everyone and sorry for bothering with this very frequent question.

The stats are literally posted online and you can get the match percentage broken down by step 1 score. Just Google it

 

[Ivabradine]

It doesn’t matter for US MDs lol. If he were an IMG though there’s no chance unless he’s well connected.

 

[alphakingdom]

Hello guys, I know this an ongoing topic but I really wanted to know. There is a similar post but the OP had 219.

The question is not towards me, but a friend of mine. He has 203, 237 and he is already doing Internal Medicine on a mid tier program. He is doing a lot of Cardiology research, but he just had a class about matching to fellowship and got concerned he's just wasting time doing research if the odds of matching are close to zero. Any inputs? Oh he is an US MD.

Thank you everyone and sorry for bothering with this very frequent question.

A US MD with that score is still able to match into fellowship. Hope is not lost. It is do-able.

 

[EPmed2022]

Will likely be an average fellowship. Most decent ones have step cut offs usually >230-235

Hello guys, I know this an ongoing topic but I really wanted to know. There is a similar post but the OP had 219.

The question is not towards me, but a friend of mine. He has 203, 237 and he is already doing Internal Medicine on a mid tier program. He is doing a lot of Cardiology research, but he just had a class about matching to fellowship and got concerned he's just wasting time doing research if the odds of matching are close to zero. Any inputs? Oh he is an US MD.

Thank you everyone and sorry for bothering with this very frequent question.

 

[brosa]

Thank you everyone. She ended up changing to Pulm Crit as local programs are less competitive and she wants to stay local. I do believe she could have matched somewhere based on your posts (which I truly appreciate), but since she wants to stay in town that changed plans.

 

[ROBINHO]

Hello guys, I know this an ongoing topic but I really wanted to know. There is a similar post but the OP had 219.

The question is not towards me, but a friend of mine. He has 203, 237 and he is already doing Internal Medicine on a mid tier program. He is doing a lot of Cardiology research, but he just had a class about matching to fellowship and got concerned he's just wasting time doing research if the odds of matching are close to zero. Any inputs? Oh he is an US MD.

Thank you everyone and sorry for bothering with this very frequent question.

It is not only about scores. Strong LORS, extensive research, and a well balanced application can get your friend into a Cardiology Fellowship. At the minimum should work hard to the extent that He would be guaranteed a spot at his home program

 

[cardsapplicant55]

Just adding to this thread because I'm going through the application process right now with a step 1 roughly in this range.

I am a US MD at a mid tier academic IM residency. My step 1 score is ~200. Step 2 and 3 scores are okay, but not great (2nd quartile). Passed all three on my first attempt. 15 manuscripts and 15 abstracts, of which about half are first author. No red flags apart from my step 1 score.

I got 2 interviews on 150 applications, and at this point I don't expect to match. I think the others in this thread are too optimistic about the odds of matching with a low step 1. It may have been possible in the recent past, but in the era of virtual interviews (where the average program is getting 700 - 800 applications), it seems that step scores are more important than ever. I don't think people with low step scores can still realistically expect to match into cardiology.

 

[deleted1117200]

Just adding to this thread because I'm going through the application process right now with a step 1 roughly in this range.

I am a US MD at a mid tier academic IM residency. My step 1 score is ~200. Step 2 and 3 scores are okay, but not great (2nd quartile). Passed all three on my first attempt. 15 manuscripts and 15 abstracts, of which about half are first author. No red flags apart from my step 1 score.

I got 2 interviews on 150 applications, and at this point I don't expect to match. I think the others in this thread are too optimistic about the odds of matching with a low step 1. It may have been possible in the recent past, but in the era of virtual interviews (where the average program is getting 700 - 800 applications), it seems that step scores are more important than ever. I don't think people with low step scores can still realistically expect to match into cardiology.

Im sorry to hear that.... stay strong, you can beef up your app and apply again. When you say low, again that is subjective to some... am I screwed with a 228? you mean your step was approximately 200? Regardless, its a stupid exam and you will be a good cardiologist when you match. What a rat race...

 

[cardsapplicant55]

I didn't end up matching. Just wanted that to be on the record as a datapoint for others who read this in the future and find themselves in a similar position.

Im sorry to hear that.... stay strong, you can beef up your app and apply again. When you say low, again that is subjective to some... am I screwed with a 228? you mean your step was approximately 200? Regardless, its a stupid exam and you will be a good cardiologist when you match. What a rat race...

Thanks for the kind words, but I don't really know that there's much left to do to beef up my app. If I didn't get interviews with 15 manuscripts and 15 abstracts, will 30 and 30 make much of a difference? I'm not sure it will - I'm not sure that the value of publications scales linearly the way it does with step scores. It feels ridiculous to be boxed out of this specialty based on a test that I took six years ago, even when I improved significantly on steps 2 and 3. Imagine if med schools rejected applicants based on low SAT scores. Or you needed to submit your MCAT scores to apply for attending positions. But it is what it is.

228 is a solid score. That puts you within about 5 points of the national average, and about 20 points higher than my own step score. So I don't think my doom and gloom applies for you. One of my co-residents was in your score range and got 10 - 15 interviews last I heard.

 

[AussieAg]

I didn't end up matching. Just wanted that to be on the record as a datapoint for others who read this in the future and find themselves in a similar position.



Thanks for the kind words, but I don't really know that there's much left to do to beef up my app. If I didn't get interviews with 15 manuscripts and 15 abstracts, will 30 and 30 make much of a difference? I'm not sure it will - I'm not sure that the value of publications scales linearly the way it does with step scores. It feels ridiculous to be boxed out of this specialty based on a test that I took six years ago, even when I improved significantly on steps 2 and 3. Imagine if med schools rejected applicants based on low SAT scores. Or you needed to submit your MCAT scores to apply for attending positions. But it is what it is.

228 is a solid score. That puts you within about 5 points of the national average, and about 20 points higher than my own step score. So I don't think my doom and gloom applies for you. One of my co-residents was in your score range and got 10 - 15 interviews last I heard.

Your best chance at this point is to join a non-ACGME-accredited advanced fellowship at a program that historically takes those fellows for general cardiology. Your path into cardiology is difficult, but still not impossible. Best of luck.

 

[deleted1117200]

I didn't end up matching. Just wanted that to be on the record as a datapoint for others who read this in the future and find themselves in a similar position.



Thanks for the kind words, but I don't really know that there's much left to do to beef up my app. If I didn't get interviews with 15 manuscripts and 15 abstracts, will 30 and 30 make much of a difference? I'm not sure it will - I'm not sure that the value of publications scales linearly the way it does with step scores. It feels ridiculous to be boxed out of this specialty based on a test that I took six years ago, even when I improved significantly on steps 2 and 3. Imagine if med schools rejected applicants based on low SAT scores. Or you needed to submit your MCAT scores to apply for attending positions. But it is what it is.

228 is a solid score. That puts you within about 5 points of the national average, and about 20 points higher than my own step score. So I don't think my doom and gloom applies for you. One of my co-residents was in your score range and got 10 - 15 interviews last I heard.

I mean I wouldn't give up just yet if that is really what you want to do is all I am saying... I dont know much and you are farther along than I am, but talk to some knowledgeable people and some people who didn't match their first time but did on their second or third try. You can do it and you will be a great physician someday. Step 1 is garbage. I have friends I know for a fact are smarter and probably will be better physicians who scored lower than I did. You may not match at Hopkins or MGH but you can match somewhere and get good training and be a goodd cardiologist if you decide to apply again. Take some time to walk this off and recover but then get back to the grind. It took me 3 tries to get into med school... each year I wanted it more and more but the desire to be a doctor never faded. Follow your heart no pun intended. Good luck I believe in you!!

 

[fantastic-guide-8201]

Is it possible to match into cardiology with a 214 step score? US MD grad. Willing to apply to all 240 cardiology fellowship programs.

 

[83462]

"non-ACGME-accredited advanced fellowship"
what is that?

 

[AussieAg]

"non-ACGME-accredited advanced fellowship"
what is that?

Advanced cardiac imaging, preventative cardiology, cardio-oncology, non-accredited heart failure, etc.

 

[IMApplicant37555]

Have been following this thread. sorry @cardsapplicant55 that you did not match. That is frustrating that you had an amazing research profile and everything else except Step 1. Did you have anyone at your program advocate for you for interviews?

I am in a similar boat. I am at a top IM residency, hopefully I can match in house?