Official 2014-2015 IM WAMC Thread

[heroes31]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Step 1: 224
Step 2: 241
Osteopathic Student
SSP
Class Rank: top 15%
Research: 2 publication and 1 on the way at Emory, 1 poster presentation at ACP
Leadership: positions in SSP and AMSA

Reach Schools: UAB, mayo, UF, UM, Rush, tufts, Jeff, UPMC, MUSC, Vanderbilt, UVA, Emory, Georgetown

Possible Schools: U south Ala, FSU, mount sinai, UF -J, USF, MCG (2), Morehouse, loyola, UIC (2), tulane, University of Maryland, rutgers, albert einstein, drexal, temple, Penn state, USC, UT, Virginia commonwealth, Uconn,

Safety: Jackson Memorial, Atlanta Med Center, Gwinnett Med Center, Mercer (2), UAB-huntsville

Interviews at UAB huntsville and Uni south Alabama

What do you guys think of this list? Are the possible schools really possible? Should I add anything more? Should I focus on more safety schools?

Nevermind...

 

[gredybear]

That's a completely realistic assessment of your chances. You've already gotten some confirmation that your middle list is reasonable with the IV from USA. Your reach list is definitely reach-y (partially because some of those places won't even entertain having a DO in their housestaff (Vandy), others because they're tough for even top MD grads. But some of them (Rush, Tufts, GT, MUSC) aren't exactly reaches. You'll have more interviews that you know what to do with from this list.

Thanks!

 

[235009]

Step 1: 224
Step 2: 241
Osteopathic Student
SSP
Class Rank: top 15%
Research: 2 publication and 1 on the way at Emory, 1 poster presentation at ACP
Leadership: positions in SSP and AMSA

Reach Schools: UAB, mayo, UF, UM, Rush, tufts, Jeff, UPMC, MUSC, Vanderbilt, UVA, Emory, Georgetown

Possible Schools: U south Ala, FSU, mount sinai, UF -J, USF, MCG (2), Morehouse, loyola, UIC (2), tulane, University of Maryland, rutgers, albert einstein, drexal, temple, Penn state, USC, UT, Virginia commonwealth, Uconn,

Safety: Jackson Memorial, Atlanta Med Center, Gwinnett Med Center, Mercer (2), UAB-huntsville

Interviews at UAB huntsville and Uni south Alabama

What do you guys think of this list? Are the possible schools really possible? Should I add anything more? Should I focus on more safety schools?

A few of your reaches don't consider DOs. Namely Jefferson, UPMC, Emory, ?Tufts, ?UVA

 

[drworm]

DO student
USMLE Step I: 244
USMLE Step II: 249
COMLEX Level I: 537
Middle of my class
Pass in IM Clerkship (yeah I know...)
Honors in SubI with great LOR (somewhat redeeming I hope?)
No research
Lots of leadership, volunteering, and interesting work experiences

I want to be in the Northeast US at a more academic place if possible although I know it may be a reach

Safety schools: Tons of low-tier community programs in NYC

Possible: Beth Israel, Lenox Hill (near top of my list), Jacobi, NYMC, Stony Brook, Downstate, Albany, St. Elizabeth, Mt. Auburn, Penn State, Pennsylvania Hospital

Reach: RWJ, NSLIJ, Temple, Drexel, UMass, UVM, GW, GT, U of Maryland, Wake Forrest

Maybe they'll be drunk when they read my app: BU, Cleaveland Clinic, Mayo, Dartmouth, Brown


Any advice on my list? Too reachy? Any other places any of you recommend? Thanks for your time in advance and let me know if there is anything I can do for you (interview info ect...)

 

[235009]

DO student
USMLE Step I: 244
USMLE Step II: 249
COMLEX Level I: 537
Middle of my class
Pass in IM Clerkship (yeah I know...)
Honors in SubI with great LOR (somewhat redeeming I hope?)
No research
Lots of leadership, volunteering, and interesting work experiences

I want to be in the Northeast US at a more academic place if possible although I know it may be a reach

Safety schools: Tons of low-tier community programs in NYC

Possible: Beth Israel, Lenox Hill (near top of my list), Jacobi, NYMC, Stony Brook, Downstate, Albany, St. Elizabeth, Mt. Auburn, Penn State, Pennsylvania Hospital

Reach: RWJ, NSLIJ, Temple, Drexel, UMass, UVM, GW, GT, U of Maryland, Wake Forrest

Maybe they'll be drunk when they read my app: BU, Cleaveland Clinic, Mayo, Dartmouth, Brown


Any advice on my list? Too reachy? Any other places any of you recommend? Thanks for your time in advance and let me know if there is anything I can do for you (interview info ect...)

Add St Luke's in NYC. There are other low tier university programs and community programs in NJ you should apply to. Albert Einstein in philly is a DO hot spot. Basically you should expand that "possible" list a bit and add the a few of low tier univ programs you overlooked in upstate NY and NJ.

Also BU doesn't consider DOs and I would look into whether UMD does because I suspect they don't.

 

[sunealoneal]

I was uninformed. Ignore.

 

[235009]

Jefferson took a DO for Rad Onc in 2014. Only reason why I found this thread was because I was searching for information about rotating with them,

Edit: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/match-list-2014.1061344/page-3#post-15069709

Very dumb/misinformed comment. The hospital doesn't act as one large entity. We are talking about the IM program which has its own policies unique from other departments in the hospital.

 

[123tbd]

Add St Luke's in NYC. There are other low tier university programs and community programs in NJ you should apply to. Albert Einstein in philly is a DO hot spot. Basically you should expand that "possible" list a bit and add the a few of low tier univ programs you overlooked in upstate NY and NJ.

Also BU doesn't consider DOs and I would look into whether UMD does because I suspect they don't.

BU Internal Medicine gave an interview to a foreign grad (India) last year. Looks like they do consider non US MDs, however, not sure what their policy is wrt DOs...

 

[235009]

BU Internal Medicine gave an interview to a foreign grad (India) last year. Looks like they do consider non US MDs, however, not sure what their policy is wrt DOs...

Like many other programs the program interviews and matches qualified high achieving FMGs but does not consider DO applicants.

 

[arooholl1]

Step 1: 231
Step 2: 250
3rd Quartile
Honors in Neuro and Peds
No Research
IM and Fam. Med summer externships
Active volunteer
wamc:

Albert Einstein – (Jacobi + montef.)
Beth Israel Deaconess
Case Western
Dartmouth
Icahn (Mt Sinai)
LSU
McGraw Northwestern
MUSC
NYU
NSLI/Hofstra Lenox Hill
SUNY Stony Brook
University of Alabama
University of Arizona
UC Davis
U Cincinnati
UMASS
University of Michigan
UNC
UPenn
University of Rochester
U Washington
UPMC
Washington Hospital Center Georgetown
Yale
New York Presbyterian - Cornell
Carolinas Medical Center
Jefferson – mid-tier
EVMS
Emory
UVA
Columbia
University of Chicago
University of Kentucky

 

[BertMacklinFBI]

Step 1: 250
Step 2 CK/CS: 257/Pass
School: Top 10 research school in the northeast
Class Rank: None
Grades in Clerkship: Honors in all core clerkships, Honors in medicine sub-I
AOA: None until after graduation
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars:
-Took extra year for research in medical school
-10 publications total. In medical school, 2 first author papers (1 published, 1 accepted), 3 second author papers (all accepted), and 1 third author (published). An oral presentation and a few poster presentations in college.
-Less strong on ECs: TAed a few classes, medical school admissions committee, and that's about it
LORs: good content (I hope), one from PI (a surgeon) should be great

Future residency interests: Academic program that won't close doors for fellowship. Open geographically, but (slightly) more interested in moving to the south/Texas or midwest for personal reasons. Tentative top choices right now are: UTSW, Duke, Vandy, UChicago, and Stanford.

Application List:
1. Stanford
2. UCSF
3. Yale
4. UChicago
5. Northwestern
6. BWH
7. Mass Gen
8. Hopkins
9. Michigan
10. Wash U
11. UNC
12. Duke
13. OSU
14. Cleveland Clinic
15. UPenn
16. Vandy
17. Baylor
18. UTSW
19. UWashington
20. UPMC

Got through ERAS the first day and submitted, no interview invites yet. I'd appreciate any input on my list! It seems a little top-heavy to me, should I add more safety schools? Thanks!

Naw, you're good. You could add one safety such as a mid tier program in the city you're in for school (like BU if you're in Boston) but as long as you are a nice person, you'll be qualified enough to match at any of those places.

 

[Yona33]

Step 1: 250
Step 2 CK/CS: 257/Pass
School: Top 10 research school in the northeast
Class Rank: None
Grades in Clerkship: Honors in all core clerkships, Honors in medicine sub-I
AOA: None until after graduation
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars:
-Took extra year for research in medical school
-10 publications total. In medical school, 2 first author papers (1 published, 1 accepted), 3 second author papers (all accepted), and 1 third author (published). An oral presentation and a few poster presentations in college.
-Less strong on ECs: TAed a few classes, medical school admissions committee, and that's about it
LORs: good content (I hope), one from PI (a surgeon) should be great

Future residency interests: Academic program that won't close doors for fellowship. Open geographically, but (slightly) more interested in moving to the south/Texas or midwest for personal reasons. Tentative top choices right now are: UTSW, Duke, Vandy, UChicago, and Stanford.

Application List:
1. Stanford
2. UCSF
3. Yale
4. UChicago
5. Northwestern
6. BWH
7. Mass Gen
8. Hopkins
9. Michigan
10. Wash U
11. UNC
12. Duke
13. OSU
14. Cleveland Clinic
15. UPenn
16. Vandy
17. Baylor
18. UTSW
19. UWashington
20. UPMC

Got through ERAS the first day and submitted, no interview invites yet. I'd appreciate any input on my list! It seems a little top-heavy to me, should I add more safety schools? Thanks!

You'll be fine. You should get interviews everywhere or just about everywhere with those stats. Real question will be deciding where you want to live & which program suits you best. All of the 5 programs you mentioned will put you in good position for most fellowships - but it depends to some extent on what you are considering doing fellowship in. Globally, Stanford/Duke would put you in slightly better position than UTSW/Vandy which would put you in slightly better position than U Chicago, but you can do well coming out of any of them.

 

[piptazo]

Step 1: 237
Step 2: Haven't taken yet
School: Mid-tier Midwest school
Class Rank: None (school doesn't do rankings)
Grades in Clerkship: Honors in OBGYN, GI elective, medicine sub-I, HP in all other M3 rotations, including medicine
Research / Publications / Extracurriculars
- Peds and GI research, 1 published article, two first-author articles submitted
- Oral presentation and several poster presentations at national meetings
- Heavily involved in a few organizations and student govt, interviewer for admissions office, few other standard ECs

Future residency interests: CA native, hoping to match at an academic program somewhere in the state since I'm thinking of fellowship afterwards, though I applied to both academic and community progs. Slightly concerned that I should've applied to more programs outside CA, but my rationale was if I wasn't going to go back, I'd prefer to stay at my home program where I've basically been told I would definitely match.

Would really appreciate any feedback!

Programs:
CPMC
Cedars Sinai
Kaiser Norcal + Socal
Loma Linda
Santa Clara Valley
Scripps + Scripps Mercy
Stanford
UCLA
UCLA Harbor
UCLA Olive View
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UCSD
UCSF
UCSF Fresno
USC
OHSU
Rush
Loyola
Northwestern
UChicago
MCW
UW Madison

Thanks!

 

[Yona33]

Step 1: 237
Step 2: Haven't taken yet
School: Mid-tier Midwest school
Class Rank: None (school doesn't do rankings)
Grades in Clerkship: Honors in OBGYN, GI elective, medicine sub-I, HP in all other M3 rotations, including medicine
Research / Publications / Extracurriculars
- Peds and GI research, 1 published article, two first-author articles submitted
- Oral presentation and several poster presentations at national meetings
- Heavily involved in a few organizations and student govt, interviewer for admissions office, few other standard ECs

Future residency interests: CA native, hoping to match at an academic program somewhere in the state since I'm thinking of fellowship afterwards, though I applied to both academic and community progs. Slightly concerned that I should've applied to more programs outside CA, but my rationale was if I wasn't going to go back, I'd prefer to stay at my home program where I've basically been told I would definitely match.

Would really appreciate any feedback!

Programs:
CPMC
Cedars Sinai
Kaiser Norcal + Socal
Loma Linda
Santa Clara Valley
Scripps + Scripps Mercy
Stanford
UCLA
UCLA Harbor
UCLA Olive View
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UCSD
UCSF
UCSF Fresno
USC
OHSU
Rush
Loyola
Northwestern
UChicago
MCW
UW Madison

Thanks!

No chance at the top-tier CA programs (Stanford/UCSF/UCLA). UCSD also unlikely. You'll be competitive for an interview at most of the other Cali programs on your list. Northwestern/U Chicago also extremely unlikely.

There's more than enough there to not worry about matching, and as long as you're open to many of the programs on your list, you'll be able to match in CA.

 

[dukescriteria]

Step 1: 258
Step 2: October
School: Top 15
Class Rank: N/A
Grades in Clerkships: (H/P/F): H in IM, Surg, Peds, OB, Neuro, Psych. P in primary care. 4th yr is P/F.
AOA: Not out. 50/50 shot.
Research: 1 first author and 1 second author paper in well-known journals, 1 case report, 1 poster at national conference, few posters at local conferences
Extracurriculars: student org coord, tutor, teaching fellow, random volunteer crap, etc.
Letters: strong

In order of desirability:
1. UCSF, Stanford, Brigham, MGH, UCLA, Penn
2. Johns Hopkins, Cornell, UW, BID
3. Columbia, Northwestern, U of Chicago
4. UCSD, UC Davis, USC, Olive View-UCLA, Cedars-Sinai

 

[dr.match2015]

Guys please tell me my chances
Step 1:202
Step 2:231
Step 3:220
12 publication in case reports .. 2 in Pubmed .
Lots of volunteer hours .
Research experience
Please tell met chances in IM any where . Thank you

 

[piptazo]

No chance at the top-tier CA programs (Stanford/UCSF/UCLA). UCSD also unlikely. You'll be competitive for an interview at most of the other Cali programs on your list. Northwestern/U Chicago also extremely unlikely.

There's more than enough there to not worry about matching, and as long as you're open to many of the programs on your list, you'll be able to match in CA.

Thanks so much for the feedback, really appreciate it! Quick follow up - at this point, I'm most interested in UC Davis/Irvine or Cedars Sinai. Any thoughts on my competitiveness there / chances for fellowship? Thanks again!

 

[JDaly82]

Alright, one more to add. Try not to be too brutal but honest.

Osteopathic student
Only took COMLEX
step 1: 481
step 2: 475 Pass CK
Class Rank: Middle of the pack
Clerkships: All Honors/High Honors including recent Sub I at UMASS at High Honors
Research: First author, with multiple poster presentations
EC: Multiple, involved from 1 st year on, club president 2nd year on national boards 3rd and 4th year

Application: Really broad 45 programs mostly University setting but nothing top tier like Mayo/BU or anything like that. Ex: UMASS, Lahey, Alleghany, Christinia, Rush, Maine, Toledo.

Chances of interviews likely or should I prepare the cyanide capsule? (just kidding on the cyanide)

 

[cluelessnoob]

Step 1: 243
Step 2 CK/CS: 232/pass
School: Mid-tier
Class rank: don't know. I would assume top 1/3
Grades in clerkship: all HP 3rd year except H in medicine. H in med sub-I as well.
AOA: No
Research/ Publications: 1 pending 1st author ENT publication, 1 ENT abstract, 1 ENT poster presentation, 1 1st author urology abstract, 1 urology poster presentation
Extracurriculars: pretty average stuff (free clinic, tutoring, etc)
Letters: I am assuming they are all decent. 1 from 3rd year IM. 1 from med sub-I. 1 from ENT research. 1 from chair.
Goals: I am from Los Angeles, CA and would like to end up back there. My top choice is UCLA, followed by UCSD, USC, UCI. Do I have a shot at UCLA or any of the other UCs? I appreciate your input. Also, I went to UCSD for undergrad. I'm not sure if that improves my chances there or not.
Thanks.

 

[kari123]

Hi everyone, I would like some advice.

About me:
Allopathic med student at mid-tier school applying for IM this year (with dream of doing GI)
Step 1: 246
Step 2 ck: 235 (lots of factors... interrupted study schedule, was sick day of test. honestly this was the worst I've ever done on a standardized exam)
Rank: 2nd quartile
Grades: 2 P's, rest HP/H (HP in medicine), H in subi
Background info: some GI research - posters no pubs yet, some ECs with leadership positions, a good deal of volunteering, letters should all be very good

I already have interviews at some decent programs. I was applying broadly and aiming for programs with good fellowship matches. 40 total, 15 "reaches" that are in the top 25 or so.

My main concern is my step 2 score. I don't know what happened. I was doing decent on UWORLD (70-80%) and just had an off day I suppose. Now I'm wondering what to do next. Meeting with advisor later this week. Hoping for some insight from you guys. How would this affect getting interviews and ranking? Should i apply to more programs? Release the score now or later? Do programs know when score came out and dock points if they're not released? Lastly, how are my chances of matching to a high-mid tier program (not top 15 or 20 or maybe even 25)?

Thanks for all your help.

 

[VSeas256]

Hey guys, I was hoping someone could give me some brutally honest advice on my chances at a mid-tier/top school. My eventual dream is Pulm/CC right now, though I'm definitely keeping an open mind.

About me:
Allopathic med student at a mid-tier Southern school
Step 1: 229
Step 2ck: 231 (a little surprised after my UW scores, but what's done is done)
Rank: Middle 50% somewhere
Grades: Mostly Ps, 1HP, 1 M/HP (Should've delayed the shelf, ended up retaking and getting a HP overall though). P in Medicine because of the shelf. Finished my Sub-I and have an LOR in already, but haven't received the grade yet.
Background: some ECs with leadership experience, some research in med school but most in college (with a couple of oral presentations). Letters all in, should be good.

Have one interview so far at a solid program. I've applied, like poster above, to ~40 programs with ~10-12 in the top 25, rest are fairly competitive schools in big cities. No community programs on my list at this time, but probably going to add some today.

Thanks in advance!

 

[DrPerrla]

.

 

[123eyes]

Hey Guys, would like your input on my chances. Applied to IM, mostly IM-primary tracks + categorical

Step 1: 216
Step 2: 237
LORS: Chair's letter plus strong ones from IM Associate Program Director, Nephrology fellowship Director, Associate Dean of Medical Education
School: Mid-tier allopathic
Rank: 2nd quartile
Grades: All passes (those shelves were my downfall...), HP in IM though!
Sub -I: just finished it, don't know grade yet
Background: Research in undergrad, leadership positions during med school (class govt, society president), member of the admissions committee (interview prospective med school applicants and review apps)

Haven't heard from any places yet, but here is my list:

Reaches
University of Michigan
Beth Israel Deaconess
Northwestern
Yale

Others
Kaiser Permanente San Fran
Kaiser P. Oakland
Kaiser P. Santa Clara
Loyola
UIC
Rush
U of C - Northshore
Advocate Lutheran General
UMKC
University of Wisc
Medical College of Wisc
Ohio State
Thomas Jefferson
UPMC
Mount Auburn
Boston University
Cambridge Health Alliance
VCU
George Washington

I'll gladly consider other suggestions too!

How does one become 2nd quartile with all passes?

 

[Yona33]

Step 1: 258
Step 2: October
School: Top 15
Class Rank: N/A
Grades in Clerkships: (H/P/F): H in IM, Surg, Peds, OB, Neuro, Psych. P in primary care. 4th yr is P/F.
AOA: Not out. 50/50 shot.
Research: 1 first author and 1 second author paper in well-known journals, 1 case report, 1 poster at national conference, few posters at local conferences
Extracurriculars: student org coord, tutor, teaching fellow, random volunteer crap, etc.
Letters: strong

In order of desirability:
1. UCSF, Stanford, Brigham, MGH, UCLA, Penn
2. Johns Hopkins, Cornell, UW, BID
3. Columbia, Northwestern, U of Chicago
4. UCSD, UC Davis, USC, Olive View-UCLA, Cedars-Sinai

Nice stats & I agree with your general tiers. You have a good chance at every place on your list. None of the top group are sure things, but with H on almost all, a top 15 school, and 258 Step 1, you're likely to get interviews almost everywhere on this list. Your real decision will be which program suits you best & where you want to live.

 

[Yona33]

Thanks so much for the feedback, really appreciate it! Quick follow up - at this point, I'm most interested in UC Davis/Irvine or Cedars Sinai. Any thoughts on my competitiveness there / chances for fellowship? Thanks again!

You're in the range -- not a sure thing but definitely at least competitive. Fellowship competitiveness highly depends on what subspecialty you're thinking about.Best of luck.

 

[Yona33]

Thanks so much for the feedback! I hope I am a nice person 😉



Thanks for the advice! I definitely agree that the deciding of where I want to live and which program fits me is going to be my big issue (hopefully searching this board will help some). For a little more background, I am currently thinking GI, and though I am (mostly) open to the northeast and CA for residency, I definitely want to be in Texas, the south, or the midwest for fellowship. Could you also give me some advice on Northwestern in terms of where it could take me for GI fellowship? Is it about at the U Chicago level?

Yes, they're in the same tier. Again, a bit tougher than the top programs on your list in terms of fellowship match (in something competitive like GI), though both are still good programs. Geographically I would focus on where you would want to be for the next 3 years combined with the best program which suits your personality & interests. You will be in great position to match at a Texas/South/Midwest program coming out of a top CA or NE program.

 

[Yona33]

Step 1: 243
Step 2 CK/CS: 232/pass
School: Mid-tier
Class rank: don't know. I would assume top 1/3
Grades in clerkship: all HP 3rd year except H in medicine. H in med sub-I as well.
AOA: No
Research/ Publications: 1 pending 1st author ENT publication, 1 ENT abstract, 1 ENT poster presentation, 1 1st author urology abstract, 1 urology poster presentation
Extracurriculars: pretty average stuff (free clinic, tutoring, etc)
Letters: I am assuming they are all decent. 1 from 3rd year IM. 1 from med sub-I. 1 from ENT research. 1 from chair.
Goals: I am from Los Angeles, CA and would like to end up back there. My top choice is UCLA, followed by UCSD, USC, UCI. Do I have a shot at UCLA or any of the other UCs? I appreciate your input. Also, I went to UCSD for undergrad. I'm not sure if that improves my chances there or not.
Thanks.

Your Step 2 is going to hurt you a bit, and your HP on all 3rd year clerkships is going to hurt you a lot. That's true for the higher tier programs. UCLA extremely unlikely, UCSD unlikely. USC/UCI are possible. Going to UCSD undergrad isn't really going to help you for residency there.

 

[Yona33]

Hi everyone, I would like some advice.

About me:
Allopathic med student at mid-tier school applying for IM this year (with dream of doing GI)
Step 1: 246
Step 2 ck: 235 (lots of factors... interrupted study schedule, was sick day of test. honestly this was the worst I've ever done on a standardized exam)
Rank: 2nd quartile
Grades: 2 P's, rest HP/H (HP in medicine), H in subi
Background info: some GI research - posters no pubs yet, some ECs with leadership positions, a good deal of volunteering, letters should all be very good

I already have interviews at some decent programs. I was applying broadly and aiming for programs with good fellowship matches. 40 total, 15 "reaches" that are in the top 25 or so.

My main concern is my step 2 score. I don't know what happened. I was doing decent on UWORLD (70-80%) and just had an off day I suppose. Now I'm wondering what to do next. Meeting with advisor later this week. Hoping for some insight from you guys. How would this affect getting interviews and ranking? Should i apply to more programs? Release the score now or later? Do programs know when score came out and dock points if they're not released? Lastly, how are my chances of matching to a high-mid tier program (not top 15 or 20 or maybe even 25)?

Thanks for all your help.

Do NOT release your score to any program unless required. A lot of applicants either haven't taken or have not released their Step 2 scores. Your application will be stronger without it.

 

[Yona33]

Hey guys, I was hoping someone could give me some brutally honest advice on my chances at a mid-tier/top school. My eventual dream is Pulm/CC right now, though I'm definitely keeping an open mind.

About me:
Allopathic med student at a mid-tier Southern school
Step 1: 229
Step 2ck: 231 (a little surprised after my UW scores, but what's done is done)
Rank: Middle 50% somewhere
Grades: Mostly Ps, 1HP, 1 M/HP (Should've delayed the shelf, ended up retaking and getting a HP overall though). P in Medicine because of the shelf. Finished my Sub-I and have an LOR in already, but haven't received the grade yet.
Background: some ECs with leadership experience, some research in med school but most in college (with a couple of oral presentations). Letters all in, should be good.

Have one interview so far at a solid program. I've applied, like poster above, to ~40 programs with ~10-12 in the top 25, rest are fairly competitive schools in big cities. No community programs on my list at this time, but probably going to add some today.

Thanks in advance!

You're not going to likely be competitive at any top 25 program. You're looking at a mid-tier academic program as your ceiling. Apply broadly, add some community programs you'd be happy with.

 

[VSeas256]

You're not going to likely be competitive at any top 25 program. You're looking at a mid-tier academic program as your ceiling. Apply broadly, add some community programs you'd be happy with.

Thanks a ton, man! I figured as much. I'm hoping to be competitive at places like Indiana, UIC, Loyola, Georgetown/GW, TJ/Temple, VCU, Maryland. Haven't gotten a chance to thoroughly research through all the other schools I've applied to just yet.

 

[DrPerrla]

How does one become 2nd quartile with all passes?

By being top of the 2nd quartile M1+M2 year.

 

[GAgrl]

Step1: 247
Step 2: 256
Low tier american allopathic school
Top 5% of my class
AOA: Senior year
Grades:Honors in all classes except one HP in a basic science class
Publications: one not first author, 3 posters
What are my chances at some great programs like Univ. of Michigan, Beth Israel Deaconess, MGH, BWH, OHSU, duke? What about mayo AZ? What are some good mid tier programs to apply to in the southeast?

 

[bleedinggreennation]

Top 20 Allopathic School
Undergrad: Harvard Univeristy
Step 1: 259
Step 2: 262
Clerkship Grades: Mix of H and HP
AOA: No
Research: Very strong basic science research...2nd author of a molecular neuroscience paper published in Nature, 2nd author of an abstract on glioblastoma tumor stem cells accepted to Neuro-Oncology
Letters: Very strong (especially from research PI)
Red Flags: Don't think so...

Don't want to sound like I think i'm tight, just looking for some good advice, but really shooting for top 5 programs (MGH, BWH, UCSF, JH, Penn) and specifically wondering how much my undergraduate paper in Nature will play out and impact my appeal to programs (I've been hearing a lot of different things, some people point out that maybe a handful of other people applying if that will also have a publication in such a high impact journal i.e. Nature, Cell, Science, but other people are hinting at red flags in that how come I haven't churned out a quality paper in med school...not like I haven't been trying, but 5 split up months of bench research in a new field isn't exactly the optimal conditions to publish in basic science). Everyone likes to toss around that top IM programs really favor basic science research, and in my case I really hope so, but does anybody have any real evidence supporting that belief? Any input or thoughts/perspectives would be helpful. Also 1st time poster here, literally just discovered SDN about a few days ago.

 

[Yona33]

Step1: 247
Step 2: 256
Low tier american allopathic school
Top 5% of my class
AOA: Senior year
Grades:Honors in all classes except one HP in a basic science class
Publications: one not first author, 3 posters
What are my chances at some great programs like Univ. of Michigan, Beth Israel Deaconess, MGH, BWH, OHSU, duke? What about mayo AZ? What are some good mid tier programs to apply to in the southeast?

An application like yours is likely to result in some hits you don't expect and some misses you don't expect. Coming from a lower-tier school definitely places you behind the eight-ball, but if you really excel you can still potentially get interviews anywhere. Your Step scores are solid but won't blow people away at the top programs. Of those you listed, you would have the best chance at Michigan, BIDMC, and OHSU. Duke is a real possibility too. Mayo AZ would be a shoe-in, but you could do better. I'd encourage you to also look at Vanderbilt in the SE, where you would also likely be very competitive.

 

[Yona33]

Top 20 Allopathic School
Undergrad: Harvard Univeristy
Step 1: 259
Step 2: 262
Clerkship Grades: Mix of H and HP
AOA: No
Research: Very strong basic science research...2nd author of a molecular neuroscience paper published in Nature, 2nd author of an abstract on glioblastoma tumor stem cells accepted to Neuro-Oncology
Letters: Very strong (especially from research PI)
Red Flags: Don't think so...

Don't want to sound like I think i'm tight, just looking for some good advice, but really shooting for top 5 programs (MGH, BWH, UCSF, JH, Penn) and specifically wondering how much my undergraduate paper in Nature will play out and impact my appeal to programs (I've been hearing a lot of different things, some people point out that maybe a handful of other people applying if that will also have a publication in such a high impact journal i.e. Nature, Cell, Science, but other people are hinting at red flags in that how come I haven't churned out a quality paper in med school...not like I haven't been trying, but 5 split up months of bench research in a new field isn't exactly the optimal conditions to publish in basic science). Everyone likes to toss around that top IM programs really favor basic science research, and in my case I really hope so, but does anybody have any real evidence supporting that belief? Any input or thoughts/perspectives would be helpful. Also 1st time poster here, literally just discovered SDN about a few days ago.

You'll be competitive based on being from a top 20 school, good boards, and very strong research. Your mix including HP will hurt you a bit at the top programs but will likely be overcome by the other positive sides of your application. I would encourage you to think more broadly than those you list as the 'top 5' as, while all 5 programs you list are great programs, there are others absolutely in the same league & could be a better fit, depending no where you want to live & what you want to go into. (Based on your research, if you're interested in Onc, there may be some places that are at least as good fits as the programs you listed.)

 

[bleedinggreennation]

You'll be competitive based on being from a top 20 school, good boards, and very strong research. Your mix including HP will hurt you a bit at the top programs but will likely be overcome by the other positive sides of your application. I would encourage you to think more broadly than those you list as the 'top 5' as, while all 5 programs you list are great programs, there are others absolutely in the same league & could be a better fit, depending no where you want to live & what you want to go into. (Based on your research, if you're interested in Onc, there may be some places that are at least as good fits as the programs you listed.)

Thanks a lot for your input...I am applying to a lot of other programs as well (21 total), it's just I feel like my class is really overrepresented in IM this year for some reason, with a number of strong candidates with equal/better step scores and grades too, and I heard a lot of programs don't like interviewing too many applicants from the same program, so I'm just hoping that my basic science research pedigree gets PDs attention.

 

[DTUD]

EDIT: Another user pointed out that my listing was far too optimistic. I'd hate for someone to get too optimistic on account of my opinion and get a false sense of security (applying to less safeties than they should), so I've cut the post. (You can still see it quoted below in a response). Take it with a grain of salt. Best of luck to all!

 

[Yona33]

Hey all, rare poster here, have the morning off so wanted to throw my 2 cents into the ring. Also, I'm a fourth year med student just starting the process so take everything I say with even more of a grain of salt than you would normally with something a stranger on the internet tells you. Most of my information is from speaking with residents, my own program's PD/aPDs, skimming this thread for trends and my own feel of things. You'll notice I throw quotations around any reference to rankings because I abhor rankings. I'm a big proponent of best-fit for a program.

But anyways, I made up a couple "fake applicants" as points of reference.These all assume you come off as a normal somewhat interesting person on interview, come from a top 60ish medical school, and have solid LORs (no singing praises, but no red flags). Don't get me wrong, these things matter (especially the school you come from's reputation and/or it's relation with the program you're applying to), it's just too difficult to make these generic advice bits factoring that in (which is why we have the case by case advice, but I digress).

Also, regardless of which of these you are, it NEVER hurts to tack on a couple safeties. Feces happens.



For the Generic Superstar above, you really don't need to be coming on here asking which of the Big 4 will give you a look. The "top 10" (whatever the heck a subjective statement like that means) are gonna be wheelhouse for you. Nobody should be ranking them for you, or telling you which is the most likely to open doors. You're going to interview at any program you glance at and you should apply broadly to a good number of the top 30 (unless you have some geographic inclination) and figure out for yourself based on how you liked the programs which is the right FIT for you (and maybe check out their fellowship match list if you know already what subspecialty interests you). Regardless where you go, you've shown that you can shine and will probably open your own doors, and you certainly don't need a bunch of internet strangers to remind you of that.



You're an incredibly strong applicant, and interviews at the "Big 4" are within reach, but not quite wheelhouse. You'll get interviews all over and will most likely end up at a solid "top 35" program (top 10-15 if you're lucky, top 50 if you're not). I'd throw 5 or so of the lower end academic programs on there just to be safe (you never know what might happen), but chances are, you're going do great and end up at a solid fellowship program too (in the specialty of your choosing).



If I had to guess I'd imagine you'll end up in a strong academic program, just not necessarily the top 30. You're still going to get a very solid clinical training experience and have fellowship opportunities. You're grandma just won't necessarily know the name of your program. I like to think the bulk of people applying to IM are in this category. You wanna apply to what is cited as the mid to lower end of the academic pool as your wheelhouse with still a very significant shot at matching into the top 50 (and almost certainly interviews at schools typically ranked in the 20-50 range) so certainly have those on there. I would also throw in a couple of the stronger community programs into your list to be safe.



This is where I start to think of the low academic end as a good case scenario, and I'd probably have 5+ community programs on the list. I'd still include a lot of mid-tier academic programs on there, but I think low-tier is the sweet spot with community as the safety.

And then lower than that I would have a good number of community programs on there. I still think everyone applying to IM should apply to a healthy number of "mid-tier" programs because these guys tend to be less OCD about the numbers, and will occasionally take a risk on someone with less than stellar numbers but a strong interview and glowing evals in the MSPE/LORs, especially if they're from someone they know and a program they trust.

I personally don't fit into any of these categories because I have things that are a bit above average on my app and things that are certainly yellow (if not red) flags academically as well. Which is why I think these WAMC threads are tough, because every case is different, but I hope the examples above at least give you an idea (in terms of a starting point) of the ballpark of where I think people will end up (not that my opinion matters).

As mentioned before countless times, this isn't like applying to med school, applying is relatively cheap. Don't sell yourself short, but also DON'T (and this is more important) overestimate yourself. Look at last years charting the outcomes. You're about to be a doctor, you need to be able to interpret data yourself.


As for the general "tiers" just so you know what I'm referencing above. Again, grain of salt and in NO PARTICULAR ORDER WITHIN THE TIERS (because that's just baseless nonsense IMO). I think going to any of these save maybe the bottom ten or so, would provide a great education.

Top

UCSF
The Brig
MGH
Hopkins

Duke
Penn
Columbia
Michigan

Cornell
UWash
Wash U
BID
UTSW
Northwestern

Vandy (toss-up between here and the one above)
NYU
Mt. Sinai
Emory
Yale
Stanford
UChicago
UAB
Mayo
Baylor

I don't know enough about UCLA and UCSD to put them where they belong.

Middle

Wisconsin
Iowa
UVA
UNC
Pitt
OHSU (although I put it here, I think in terms of how competitive it is, it belongs higher)

Case Western
Brown
Ohio State
Rush

Loyola
MUSC
BU
Tufts
Temple
Jefferson
UMD

Was unsure what to do with Dart

Lower

VCU
Gtown
SUNY Stony Brook
UIC

GW
EVMS
Downstate

Rutgers ?

Dude -- I appreciate what you're attempting here, but this is way off. Not sure how helpful it is meant to be from a current 4th year anyway, but I would say a lot of that is way off.

Firstly - Med school matters. A lot. You can match at a top place from a mid-tier or lower-tier school, but you better be at the true top of your class. So to say that the above is for people from the 'top 60' med schools (about half of all schools) is dismissing what may be the actual #1 factor in the strength of an application.

Secondly - Your projections are too optimistic. Someone from a mid-tier school with the qualifications you show as 'generic superstar' is unlikely to get many interviews from the top places, much less match. IM is more competitive than it used to be at top programs.

Thirdly - To each their own, but IMO your tiers at the bottom are way off. Too much bandwidth has been wasted on this site trying to 'rank' programs, but either way I think some of them are way off. It also depends on what you are saying with rankings - probably the most important thing for these purposes is competitiveness, as ranking based on how 'good' a program is is so much more subjective and differs person to person. There are many factors that go into competitiveness - CA programs enjoy a significant geographical advantage than Midwest programs, for example - but at the end of the day it is reality and means those programs can compete for and get more competitive applicants.

So while I am not going to go through and rerank your list and start the usual SDN debate, I will say that in terms of competitiveness, your list has Stanford absurdly low (one of the most competitive programs to actually get in to & one of the more competitive for interview slots), UCLA should be pretty high (people like LA), Hopkins too high (great rep but they are hurt in competitiveness by location - it's true), Michigan/Wash U too high, and places like UAB and Mayo shouldn't be on the list.

Best of luck in your interviews, and thanks for taking a stab at helping people with this.

 

[laconfidential]

That list...no....just no.

EVMS isn't even a university program, it's community based.

 

[DTUD]

Alright, you points are well taken. As a 4th year, I should have little authority to make recommendations anyways. No hard feelings. I removed it:

EDIT: Another user pointed out that my listing was far too optimistic. I'd hate for someone to get too optimistic on account of my opinion and get a false sense of security (applying to less safeties than they should), so I've cut the post. (You can still see it quoted below in a response). Take it with a grain of salt. Best of luck to all!

 

[IMed2015]

School: Unranked Allopathic
Step 1: 226
Step 2: 233
No AOA
Clinical grades: Honors in IM, OBGYN, Psych, 4th year Heme/Onc, and 4th year SubI in ICU. HP in peds, family, and surgery
Research: Several years in undergrad, good summer internships...no papers

Schools Applied to:
University of Utah
University of Wisconsin
Medical College of Wisconsin
University of Iowa
University of Colorado
Dartmouth
VCU
Medical University of South Carolina
University of Arizona
Mayo AZ
Virginia Mason
Scripps Green
UC Davis
Loma Linda
USC
Cedars Sinai
UT San Antonio
Baylor

Considering adding:
SVMC
CPMC
Wake Forest
UCLA Harbor
Indiana University
UT Houston

Looking to add more schools, essentially created my current list entirely based off of what I've read on here after. No real geographical preference, although I'm from Southern California and wouldn't mind returning. I want to do Heme/Onc and will go anywhere that will give me the best shot at it. My dean's office has told me my letters of rec are very strong, clinical and preclinical grades are good...standardized tests aren't a strength of mine. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[gumball]

.

 

[johndoe3344]

Step 1: 253
Step 2 CS/CK: scheduled
School: Top 10
Clinical Grades: HP in medicine, H in sub-I and cardiology, H in pediatrics, P in psychiatry, HP in everything else; my comments were all great
Class Rank/MSPE: middle 1/3
Research: only 1 research activity (medical school) which was pretty productive.
Publications: 2nd author article and abstract in pediatric cardiology, local poster presentations
Extracurriculars: lots of teaching experience (9) many were meaningful, good mix of volunteer activities
Letters of Rec: letter from PD of home institute, letter from a cardiologist, letter from summer research PI and chairman's letter

Long Term Goals: academic physician (clinician educator and researcher) in cardiology, hope to go to a program that prepares me well as an internist, gives me good fellowship opportunities, and the ability to stay in academics. It would be nice if I could go to California, as long as I wouldn't have to sacrifice my ultimate goal of working at an academic medical center.

I've applied to 30 programs, many of them solid mid-tier programs (Wisconsin, UNC) and many reach schools (along with some safeties).

I've had 7 interviews so far, mostly at mid-tier programs. My question is whether I have a decent shot at any of these programs and if so which ones: Michigan, Duke, UCLA, UCSD, UChicago, Northwestern, Yale, UPMC, BIDMC, Emory, Washington University, University of Washington, UC Davis, and UC Irvine?

Also what are your thoughts on community programs like UCLA-Harbor, Cedars-Sinai, and JHH-Bayview? Would I be competitive? Would I be able to enter a career in academic medicine coming from these programs?

Your relatively poor class performance (compared to the rest of your application) along with the HP in Medicine might hold you back from the Top 4 and some of the Top 10, but barring any red flags not mentioned, I still think you would be competitive for most of the places that you listed.

 

[rsmitty233]

,

 

[rsmitty233]

Gumball - you should be just fine

 

[disorder]

School: top 15 allopathic
Step 1: 227
Step 2: 255
Clinical grades: half H, half HP; H in medicine and sub-i
Class rank: top 25 (not AOA)
Research: 30 publications, 20 national abstracts (all in a surgical field - originally was going to apply to that field)

Really hoping to go to a decent/strong academic program in Boston, New York, or Chicago but feel that my step 1 will hold me back. Letters should be strong. I know a girl from my school a few years ago had a lower step 1 but got interviews at MGH, U Chicago, Yale etc. and ended up matching at one of these top programs. But of course a lot can change in a few years.

Which schools should I be aiming for? Thanks so much.

You'll be fine. Apply where ever you want.

 

[lostinthoughts]

Hello,

IMG from a Caribbean school here (US citizen). 241 step 1, passed step 2 cs, but step 2 ck was 211 due to family issues that occurred that week. solid grades as well. applied to IM with 150 programs, most mid-low tier. what are my chances of matching? I got one invite before my step 2 score and since I released the step 2 score I only got 2 rejections. Thank you.

 

[PMHx]

School: mid/low tier East Coast
Step 1: ~250
Step 2: ~260
Clinical grades: mostly H. H in Medicine and Sub-I
Class rank: AoA, top quintile
Research: Some undergrad, some summer. a few abstracts published.
I applied to most of the top 40 programs all over the nation and have watched as others on IV thread get invites from top programs that have already opened like Columbia, Michigan, Chicago, Stanford, etc while my inbox has stayed relatively quiet. My question is, will there be more many more batches from the top tier programs that have already opened to come, or am I supposed to be just waiting on the mid-tiers?

 

[MS!V]

Hi all!

I needed some advice on which interviews to cancel. I applied too broadly (~60 programs) it seems. I was worried because my Step one score was average and my step 2 score is still pending. I'm interested in Rheum/Endo/Hospital administration. I want to keep my options open though ( in case I end up loving GI). Location isn't really a factor but I'm originally from Texas. I'm having trouble weeding out some of my community vs university programs. The following are the ones I'm confused about.. would appreciate any help if you know about any of these.

Uni:
Paul L. Foster School of Medicine
Scott and White
Mayo (Scottsdale)
UIC
University of Oklahoma- Tulsa
Texas Tech Lubbock
University of Texas San Antonio
LSU- Shreveport
University of Texas Houston
SUNY Upstate

My shot at ranking: Mayo (Az) > UIC > UTH>UTSA> Scott and White > SUNY UPSTATE >LSU >Oklahoma> Lubbock > Paul L Foster

Comm:
University of Tyler/Longview
Methodist- Dallas
Northshore -Evanston
Mount Auburn Hospital (Harvard School of Medicine)
UTSW- Austin
Orlando Health
Macneal
Albert Einstein- Pen

Northshore>Auburn>Albert Einstein >Methodist -Dallas>UTSW- Austin> Orlando Health>Macneal> University of Tyler/Good Shep

 

[disorder]

School: mid/low tier East Coast
Step 1: ~250
Step 2: ~260
Clinical grades: mostly H. H in Medicine and Sub-I
Class rank: AoA, top quintile
Research: Some undergrad, some summer. a few abstracts published.
I applied to most of the top 40 programs all over the nation and have watched as others on IV thread get invites from top programs that have already opened like Columbia, Michigan, Chicago, Stanford, etc while my inbox has stayed relatively quiet. My question is, will there be more many more batches from the top tier programs that have already opened to come, or am I supposed to be just waiting on the mid-tiers?

Odd. Are you sure there isn't a red flag in your app?

Otherwise, wait a little, but you should be getting interviews.