Official 2015-2016 "What Are My Chances" Thread

[promotemma]

---

Members don't see this ad.

So the whole track thing in general is after my time, but as far as I know, public psychiatry is not a separate track. Everyone does a community/public psychiatry type of rotation third year, and I think the state hospital experience is also considered to be part of a public psychiatry experience.

It might be a good idea to be in contact with the program if you don't hear from them once they start giving out interviews.

Thank you. Would you mind checking out this link regarding the Public Psychiatry track question? http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/education/sc.../education-and-training/public-psychiatry.cfm

 

[promotemma]

General question: should I be calling the programs that I'm most interested in to lay ground work before ERAS opens? This would be in hopes that when ERAS opens up and my name comes across there desk maybe they'll remember that I at least called to express interest.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

General question: should I be calling the programs that I'm most interested in to lay ground work before ERAS opens? This would be in hopes that when ERAS opens up and my name comes across there desk maybe they'll remember that I at least called to express interest.

No please don't.

 

[neolandrover]

Step 1: 230
Step 2 CK/ CS: Taking soon
School: US Allopathic, not top 40
Class Rank: Lower half
Grades in Clerkships: All pass including psychiatry (Our school is top 15% H, next 25% HP, next 60% P)
AOA: Nope
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars: 1 psychiatric publication (first author) which was just submitted but not accepted yet, student governing board, lots of volunteering, started a music therapy/volunteer group
Red Flags: I was on a 5 year program due to serious illness during first year of med school. First 2 pre-clinical years were split into 3. It is no longer an issue. No time off was taken. No course failures.
Overview of where you want to end up: I'm wondering if I am still competitive for the mid to mid/upper tier programs. MUSC, Emory, UNC, Vanderbilt, Harvard Cambridge, U of Colorado, U of Washington, OHSU. I am not stuck on one geographic area.

 

[Psychotic]

Step 1: 230
Step 2 CK/ CS: Taking soon
School: US Allopathic, not top 40
Class Rank: Lower half
Grades in Clerkships: All pass including psychiatry (Our school is top 15% H, next 25% HP, next 60% P)
AOA: Nope
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars: 1 psychiatric publication (first author) which was just submitted but not accepted yet, student governing board, lots of volunteering, started a music therapy/volunteer group
Red Flags: I was on a 5 year program due to serious illness during first year of med school. First 2 pre-clinical years were split into 3. It is no longer an issue. No time off was taken. No course failures.
Overview of where you want to end up: I'm wondering if I am still competitive for the mid to mid/upper tier programs. MUSC, Emory, UNC, Vanderbilt, Harvard Cambridge, U of Colorado, U of Washington, OHSU. I am not stuck on one geographic area.

You are competitive enough for most of the programs on your list, but some places like Colorado and similar state supported institutions like the home team folks - people with geog ties - a lot.

My stats were in line with yours, and I applied to several of those on this list, and I interviewed at MUSC, UNC, Vanderbilt. I turned down the invite to Emory. I did not apply to OHSU, UW, or CU. I did not receive an invite from Cambridge.

My suggestion is to apply to many more than just these. With your profile, try to apply to 15, minimum. IIRC I applied to around 25, got around 19 invites, and attended I think a dozen - in hindsight, I could have done just as well applying to only 15 or so programs, and done fine without 3 or 4 of those interviews (after about the 8th interview, especially if it involves plane travel, the wear and tear on you and your wallet takes its toll). It is helpful to get those extra invites, though, because sometimes it boils down to a calendar / logistics conflict and there will be a few you just can't make it to (cancel well ahead of time, at least 2 weeks).

Get all your stuff in on Day 1. No excuses.

Finally, it is sometimes hard to figure out the ones you get interviews at vs the ones you don't. I did not get interviews at 2 of the 3 programs in South Carolina, for instance - yes on MUSC, no on the other 2. Real head scratchers, but again, some of these progs won't waste invites on applicants they figure they won't get anyway...hence why it is useful to apply to a few more programs than you might otherwise think necessary.

The list of programs I applied to and did not receive invites from is a very strange mix - no from Cambridge - sure, no problem - and then no from USC-Greenville. Umm, OK...what?

Good luck.

 

[promotemma]

Step 1: 242
Step 2 CK/ CS: Pending
School: DO school
Class Rank: Not sure, but probably lower half
Grades in Clerkship: Psych: HP, Honors in IM and FM, pass on others. All of my evals say the same thing pretty much, hard worker, eager to learn, very personable.
AOA: NOPE
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars: Leadership in a couple school clubs that really didn't do anything. Lots of poverty relief work in undergrad. I'm a NHSC scholar recipient. I have 3 children (my own), who are technically financially disadvantaged that I tutor for free 🙂
Red Flags: (step failures, etc) None
Overview of where you want to end up: If I could find somewhere that was rural, liberal and with a moderate climate that would be great. I'm not tied geographically to any particular region. The liberal mecca of california would be great, possibly UC Irvine. OHSU would be great as well. Maybe Cambridge health alliance or Dartmouth in the northeast. Since I'm an NHSC scholar, a program with a strong social/community/public psych focus would be great. The bay area seems cost prohibitive. blah blah blah Oh: we're an interracial family, so anywhere with lots of rebel flags is off the list.

I have an additional but unrelated question. I've applied for aways at UCD, UCI Emory, USC-palmetto. I've only heard back from UCI which was denied the rotation slot I had applied to . I get the feeling California really prefers locals which would make an expression of interest through an way rotation a seemingly good idea. Should I apply for aways at LESS competitive places in Cali try to get aways? I really didn't get what seemed like a straight reason for the denial.

 

[Freddie Mercury]

I have an additional but unrelated question. I've applied for aways at UCD, UCI Emory, USC-palmetto. I've only heard back from UCI which was denied the rotation slot I had applied to . I get the feeling California really prefers locals which would make an expression of interest through an way rotation a seemingly good idea. Should I apply for aways at LESS competitive places in Cali try to get aways? I really didn't get what seemed like a straight reason for the denial.

I've been denied from 5 different psych rotations in CA already (UC schools and Loma Linda), I'm from CA but at med school in the midwest. Its hard to find anything for the coming months. Here's hoping something good turns up for us 🙁

 

[Leo Aquarius]

I tell everyone. 1/3 reach, 1/3 reasonable, 1/3 safety. Stick to that.

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

I have heard UCI does not allow DO students to rotate there. I heard this was formalized as policy by an applicant, so I haven’t seen anything official about it. It would seem strange that they would take applications if that were the case.
I’m not so sure that an inability to get a rotation is a clear indication of an inability to get an interview. Away rotations and interview invitations are granted by completely different sets of people who tend to not communicate much. I know our school is constantly changing the away rotation policy as they try and keep rotations open for their own students, while utilizing the available services in a maximized way. It is such a moving target; I have no idea what it is like until I start interviewing applicants who tell me they rotated here or not. I have never been asked for an opinion about letting outside medical students rotate. I haven’t been very active in finding out because their interests and mine align fairly well. I think outside medical students rotating is good for recruitment, and if this happens to a degree it excludes our own students, that would be terrible for recruitment. I’m fairly confident this is the way it is at most places.

Oh, and Leo A is right, don't forget about the 1/3 safety.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

There's not a way in this world I could sell my wife on Omaha. I wouldn't mind it, but she would! Regarding clinical grades, my school is relatively easy to get good clinical grades from as well. I think that is typical from DO schools. Thanks for you input and advice. Hopefully I'll have better luck with invites from some of the other programs. I'm not so worried about a heavy workload. Compared to roofing on 102 degree humid days or warehouse labor in the same temperature, long hours in a hospital doesn't sound to concerning for me.

We're looking to start a family and this makes Omaha much more ideal for us (not to mention one of the few programs that offers paternity/maternity on top of regular vacation time).

Also a 450k person city isn't small for two people raised in Idaho.

But it's definitely not a place for everyone but that can be said about any location.

 

[Monocles]

I've been denied from 5 different psych rotations in CA already (UC schools and Loma Linda), I'm from CA but at med school in the midwest. Its hard to find anything for the coming months. Here's hoping something good turns up for us 🙁

Yikes! I had no idea away rotations were that competitive. Makes me nervous about my apps now...

 

[OkiePeds]

so i recently decided to switch from gen peds (peds heme/onc) to psych (hopefully CAP), here's my stats:

Step 1: 238
Step 2 CK/ CS: july/aug respectively
School: AMG in midwest state school
Class Rank: 2nd or 3rd quartile

Grades in Clerkship: A in peds, B's in everything else, currently in psych (school's grading = a/b/c/d/f)

AOA: no

Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars:
1 Peds Heme/Onc paper submitting, pending review for publication in a high impact journal
1 Peds Heme/onc case report in progress (will be submitted before ERAS)
1 Psych case report - planning on submitting to resident journals (will be done before ERAS)
2 child neurology posters and 1 child neurology abstract from a child neurology summer scholarship I got at UCSF
Founded table tennis club/team at my school
President on Peds IG, president of a LGBQT awareness IG, philantrophy chair of neuro IG
i volunteer as a executive board member for a multi-national non-profit company that promotes collegiate table tennis

Red Flags: none

Overview of where you want to end up:
My SO is planning on doing a post-doc in San Diego, so preferably somewhere in SoCal. I've talked her into looking at different labs around the country, but i think she's pretty set on this one. I'm from the midwest, so i would be open to anywhere really, but I'm really tired of doing long-distance, so I'm limited by my SO's choices. i'm taking step 2 early so i can do really well and hopefully offset my bad clerkship grades. i'm doing a child psych away at UCSD in october, do you guys that is too late for a letter?

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

Letter smetter, unless you join the Navy, UCSD is the only reasonable commute to San Diego. If you work there in Oct., who cares if you get a letter from them or not? They will know you and already have an opinion. Their letter may help other doors, but you would need them to give you the letter fairly early in Oct to be of any use at all. If you want San Diego, you are doing the right thing and at about the right time.

 

[promotemma]

We're looking to start a family and this makes Omaha much more ideal for us (not to mention one of the few programs that offers paternity/maternity on top of regular vacation time).

Also a 450k person city isn't small for two people raised in Idaho.

But it's definitely not a place for everyone but that can be said about any location.

I'm sorry if that sounded at all douche-ish. The back story is that we're an interracial family and after our experience living in rural east Tennessee my wife is understandably apprehensive about areas that don't sound culturally eclectic. I know Omaha is, but as soon as I say Nebraska....

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Yikes! I had no idea away rotations were that competitive. Makes me nervous about my apps now...

Away rotations are generally overrated (except for Caribbean and some DO schools, where they can be essential). But think about it--most med schools are expanding enrollments, and finding it hard enough to place their students in their own affiliated hospitals for required rotations. It's not that easy to add "just one more" med student to a team, even a really good one really bent on making a fantastic impression. So a lot of hospitals just say "No way, can't do it" even though we know that it puts us at a bit of a recruitment disadvantage with respect to other programs. And so the cycle continues....

 

[Leo Aquarius]

so i recently decided to switch from gen peds (peds heme/onc) to psych (hopefully CAP), here's my stats:

Step 1: 238
Step 2 CK/ CS: july/aug respectively
School: AMG in midwest state school
Class Rank: 2nd or 3rd quartile

Grades in Clerkship: A in peds, B's in everything else, currently in psych (school's grading = a/b/c/d/f)

AOA: no

Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars:
1 Peds Heme/Onc paper submitting, pending review for publication in a high impact journal
1 Peds Heme/onc case report in progress (will be submitted before ERAS)
1 Psych case report - planning on submitting to resident journals (will be done before ERAS)
2 child neurology posters and 1 child neurology abstract from a child neurology summer scholarship I got at UCSF
Founded table tennis club/team at my school
President on Peds IG, president of a LGBQT awareness IG, philantrophy chair of neuro IG
i volunteer as a executive board member for a multi-national non-profit company that promotes collegiate table tennis

Red Flags: none

Overview of where you want to end up:
My SO is planning on doing a post-doc in San Diego, so preferably somewhere in SoCal. I've talked her into looking at different labs around the country, but i think she's pretty set on this one. I'm from the midwest, so i would be open to anywhere really, but I'm really tired of doing long-distance, so I'm limited by my SO's choices. i'm taking step 2 early so i can do really well and hopefully offset my bad clerkship grades. i'm doing a child psych away at UCSD in october, do you guys that is too late for a letter?

I'd say you have a decent chance at matching somewhere in SoCal if you apply to all programs in that area. If you can land a SoCal residency, it will help you land a C&A fellowship in SoCal because everyone knows everyone down there.

Submit your application on day 1 of ERAS submission. This will put you in a better spot than if you wait mid-Nov to submit.

 

[Psychotic]

Yikes! I had no idea away rotations were that competitive. Makes me nervous about my apps now...

Honestly, I did no away rotations and never gave it a thought. I don't think they are all that important for psych, but maybe I am wrong on this. They may be competitive, but I don't think they are very important for the vast majority of psych applicants.

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

Away rotations are pointless for applicants who will be getting interviewed anyway. They are essential for those applicants who would not be interviewed without a rotation.

Who is and who isn’t interviewed varies and depends upon the applicant pool that year. Some programs claim to have set standards, but these standards bend if the number of applicants meeting them drops. They also climb if a program’s capacity to interview people gets saturated. So programs that claim they don’t have standards do, and programs that claim to have fixed standards don’t. All programs will interview as many applicants as they need to and will not do more or less than this.

If you are a so so IMG, or a weak DO, or a domestic allopathic student with a red flag you should probably consider doing an away rotation if you have your eye on a particular program. You have to do well however. Otherwise the selection committee will go something like this.

“They look so so on their Dean’s letter, they have so so scores, and they performed so so. I guess they are so so.”

 

[deleted628516]

Hi, can anyone evaluate may chances of getting in top tier programs? should I apply broadly (100 programs)

Step 1: 219 (first attempt)
Step 2 CK/ CS: 244 (first attempt), CS in July (result will be available before 15 sep.)
School: IMG
Class Rank: probably bottom half
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars:
1 month USCE (trying to get more), 3 great LORs but not from psychiatrists (probably will get one)
YOG: 2013
Red Flags: None

I have no geographic preferences

Thanks a lot in advance

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

This would depend a lot on your definition of “top tier”. Nice step II score, but your step I is probably a little below the mean score for competitive programs. A lot of this depends upon what you have been up to the last couple of years. IMGs have more hurdles to become eligible to apply, but more than one extra year gets looked at fairly quickly. It can be fine, but there should be an explanation other than “I felt like taking some time off”.
Good luck and apply broadly doesn't mean an insane number of programs, it means a wide variety of competitiveness. You can apply to 100 and not get in, or you could apply to 10 and be fine. It depends a lot on where.

 

[deleted628516]

This would depend a lot on your definition of “top tier”. Nice step II score, but your step I is probably a little below the mean score for competitive programs. A lot of this depends upon what you have been up to the last couple of years. IMGs have more hurdles to become eligible to apply, but more than one extra year gets looked at fairly quickly. It can be fine, but there should be an explanation other than “I felt like taking some time off”.
Good luck and apply broadly doesn't mean an insane number of programs, it means a wide variety of competitiveness. You can apply to 100 and not get in, or you could apply to 10 and be fine. It depends a lot on where.

thanks for you reply.

I'm currently EM resident back in my country PGY1, 1 extra year do you mean research?

here's my idea about top tier:

MGH/McLean
Longwood
Duke
Emory
Cambridge
Columbia
Cornell
Hopkins
WashU
NYU
MSSM
UCLA
UCSF
UCSD
UW-Seattle
MCW
Northwestern
UPenn
UPitt
UMich
MUSC
UNC
UTSW-Dallas
Brown
Yale

 

[medimedimedi]

ok, let's go.

Step 1: 250
Step 2 CK/ CS: Taking CK tomorrow, but probably not going to be great considering I only studied for 2 weeks
School: US Allopathic (bottom tier)
Class Rank: Top half?
Grades in Clerkships: Honors in psychiatry, pediatrics, primary care. High pass in surgery, neurology, IM, ob/gyn.
AOA: Nope
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars: Nada.
Red Flags: None.
LOR: Should be good.

My question is, will my lack of research and extracurriculars keep me from being competitive? I'm ONLY applying to Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego because of family relocation issues and that limitation stresses me out. Also, I'll be doing an away rotation in August in Los Angeles.

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

A PGY-I year of training is an excellent reason for a 2013 graduation. You should be fine.

 

[Monocles]

This would depend a lot on your definition of “top tier”. Nice step II score, but your step I is probably a little below the mean score for competitive programs. A lot of this depends upon what you have been up to the last couple of years. IMGs have more hurdles to become eligible to apply, but more than one extra year gets looked at fairly quickly. It can be fine, but there should be an explanation other than “I felt like taking some time off”.
Good luck and apply broadly doesn't mean an insane number of programs, it means a wide variety of competitiveness. You can apply to 100 and not get in, or you could apply to 10 and be fine. It depends a lot on where.

As a follow-up question, wouldn't a better step 2 score typically improve a mediocre step 1 score? I would imagine in this case his step 2 of 244 would have more emphasis than his 219 step 1.

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

Yes, and 219 isn't bad, just average. It is all relative. A 219/244 is good, unless of course you are comparing it to a 244/244.

 

[notdeadyet]

As a follow-up question, wouldn't a better step 2 score typically improve a mediocre step 1 score? I would imagine in this case his step 2 of 244 would have more emphasis than his 219 step 1.

Some programs don't look much at the Step 2 unless the Step 1 is really bad (to reassure themselves the applicant can take standardized tests). You tend to look at applicants as apples-to-apples and for many programs, Step 1 is an apple. I don't know too many places comparing Step 2 to Step 2, but they might be out there.

Ironically, Step 2 might be a better indicator than Step 1, but it doesn't hold the same weight at most places.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[osteocat15]

Can anyone tell me regarding my chances?

COMLEX 1: 538 (first attempt)
COMLEX 2: Taking in August
Did not take USMLE --- was told that it wasn't necessary for primary care fields. Too late in the game to take now.
School: DO
Class Rank: top 15-20%
YOG: 2016
Red Flags: None
No publications, minimal extracurriculars -- none of which were in psych. Never had an interest in psych during 1st and 2nd year. Always came into school thinking I would do family or IM and ended up enjoying my psych required rotation 3rd year. Loved how personal the relationships were, how trusting the patients were, and how complex their presentations could get and vary between the same diagnoses.

So I'm late into the game building a resume for psych but can get at least 1 very strong LOR and potentially 2 before applications are due. My home institution does not have a psych residency program attached though, so the LORs will be from community psychiatrists.

Interested in the following so far, looking into more. But these are my top choices thus far:
Univ Tennessee
ETSU (anyone have information on this program? How is it?)
Univ Kentucky
Univ Louisville

 

[promotemma]

Away rotations are generally overrated (except for Caribbean and some DO schools, where they can be essential). But think about it--most med schools are expanding enrollments, and finding it hard enough to place their students in their own affiliated hospitals for required rotations. It's not that easy to add "just one more" med student to a team, even a really good one really bent on making a fantastic impression. So a lot of hospitals just say "No way, can't do it" even though we know that it puts us at a bit of a recruitment disadvantage with respect to other programs. And so the cycle continues....

Unfortunately I'm at a DO school without an affiliated hospital. Which means that the only psychiatry rotations at an academic institution I have access to would be as a visiting student. Without away rotations, I'm with John Doe community psychiatrist. While I'm worried about not getting my foot in the door at a program I'm interested in, I think I'm more concerned with losing the accompanying training.

 

[Dharma]

Unfortunately I'm at a DO school without an affiliated hospital. Which means that the only psychiatry rotations at an academic institution I have access to would be as a visiting student. Without away rotations, I'm with John Doe community psychiatrist. While I'm worried about not getting my foot in the door at a program I'm interested in, I think I'm more concerned with losing the accompanying training.

Don't sweat it. I know a number of students in similar scenarios who did quite well for themselves in the match. You're not missing out on that much. You will be fine.

 

[promotemma]

Don't sweat it. I know a number of students in similar scenarios who did quite well for themselves in the match. You're not missing out on that much. You will be fine.

Awesome and thank you. I've been worrying about this and having a difficult time really making anything happen. But if the worst case scenario is I can still do well in the match then I feel alright. I'll just focus on Step 2. At least I know I can have some impact on that outcome.

 

[Dharma]

Awesome and thank you. I've been worrying about this and having a difficult time really making anything happen. But if the worst case scenario is I can still do well in the match then I feel alright. I'll just focus on Step 2. At least I know I can have some impact on that outcome.

Definitely stomp Step 2. And if you can set up an away at a program of interest, go for it! But if it doesn't work out... well, so be it. Follow the 1/3 rule mentioned after a applying to a bunch of places (especially those so-called DO-friendly spots; do look at the stickies) and you'll do fine. If you show a genuine interest in psychiatry (and your LORs express this) there isn't too much to worry about. Good luck compadre.

 

[675015]

ok, let's go.

Step 1: 250
Step 2 CK/ CS: Taking CK tomorrow, but probably not going to be great considering I only studied for 2 weeks
School: US Allopathic (bottom tier)
Class Rank: Top half?
Grades in Clerkships: Honors in psychiatry, pediatrics, primary care. High pass in surgery, neurology, IM, ob/gyn.
AOA: Nope
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars: Nada.
Red Flags: None.
LOR: Should be good.

My question is, will my lack of research and extracurriculars keep me from being competitive? I'm ONLY applying to Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego because of family relocation issues and that limitation stresses me out. Also, I'll be doing an away rotation in August in Los Angeles.

I don't have my globe handy but I think San Diego and San Francisco are pretty far. What kind of family relocation issues have you only able to look at three cities that aren't easy commutes?

 

[Leo Aquarius]

thanks for you reply.

I'm currently EM resident back in my country PGY1, 1 extra year do you mean research?

here's my idea about top tier:

MGH/McLean
Longwood
Duke
Emory
Cambridge
Columbia
Cornell
Hopkins
WashU
NYU
MSSM
UCLA
UCSF
UCSD
UW-Seattle
MCW
Northwestern
UPenn
UPitt
UMich
MUSC
UNC
UTSW-Dallas
Brown
Yale

As much as I like your avatar, I have to say you're going to be disappointed. I know that many of those programs on your list don't even look at IMGs. You've managed to pick top programs in the country my friend. Try broadening to include more places that take IMGs.

 

[medimedimedi]

I don't have my globe handy but I think San Diego and San Francisco are pretty far. What kind of family relocation issues have you only able to look at three cities that aren't easy commutes?

My spouse has the best chances of relocating to those cities, but really, Los Angeles is my goal

 

[splik]

As much as I like your avatar, I have to say you're going to be disappointed. I know that many of those programs on your list don't even look at IMGs. You've managed to pick top programs in the country my friend. Try broadening to include more places that take IMGs.

None of the programs on that list "don't even look at IMGs" with the possible exception of UNC and maybe Northwestern and that's a big if. UCSF I don't think is terribly keen on IMGs but they've had one in the past 5 years. I am not saying this person is competitive for all the programs on that list, but that is a separate issue from this nonsense of not looking at IMGs. For some of those programs you do have to be exceptional as an IMG but certainly not all. In my experience, top programs are more likely to consider IMGs than some mid-tier programs. At least that was my experience some years ago

 

[Leo Aquarius]

That was your experience. But mine is different. An attending on the admissions committee of a top west coast program told me himself (I asked him specifically) they don't even look at foreign applications. There are more programs out there as well. The only top program (that I know for a fact because I asked the PD about it) that is friendly to IMGs is UCSD.

 

[SmallBird]

That was your experience. But mine is different. An attending on the admissions committee of a top west coast program told me himself (I asked him specifically) they don't even look at foreign applications. There are more programs out there as well. The only top program (that I know for a fact because I asked the PD about it) that is friendly to IMGs is UCSD.

I agree with Splik - I was and IMG applicant and I got interviews at half those programs. Having said that, I think ICUinWonderland may benefit from applying broadly given a lack of research experience and being in the bottom half of their class.

 

[Leo Aquarius]

I agree with Splik - I was and IMG applicant and I got interviews at half those programs. Having said that, I think ICUinWonderland may benefit from applying broadly given a lack of research experience and being in the bottom half of their class.

I actually agree with about half on that list. I'm confident time will reveal what I'm saying will pan out.

 

[deleted628516]

thank you for your replies

Yes I also think that my chances are not high in landing a place in those programs, but still I'm going to give it a try and then I am applying broadly. can you please suggest me some of the programs which you think are good and may consider my application.

 

[withoutface123]

Step 1: 231
Step 2 CK/ CS: taking July 10th/November 3rd
School: Allopathic, west coast
Class Rank: Probably middle 3rd
Grades in Clerkship: HP in psych, OB, neuro; pass in internal, surgery; TBD in family, peds
AOA: nope
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars: currently working on two research projects with OB clerkship director, one on track to hopefully get a poster/publication in the next few months, the other more long term. Got an article published in a magazine published by a different program on campus. Also have a presentation at a regional honors council on research I did in undergrad on my CV. My extracurriculars I feel are strong: leader in psych interest group, tons of volunteering, leadership in undergrad.
Red Flags: (step failures, etc) none
Overview of where you want to end up: Basically I want to see if I'm at all competitive/should bother with top west coast programs like UCLA, UCSF. I highly doubt it, but I'm wondering if I should make an effort at this late stage in the game to try to nab an away/audition rotation (surgery was one of my last rotations and I just completely dropped the ball on getting all my stuff together). I'm also open to the other SoCal programs.

 

[osteocat15]

Can anyone tell me regarding my chances?

COMLEX 1: 538 (first attempt)
COMLEX 2: Taking in August
Did not take USMLE --- was told that it wasn't necessary for primary care fields. Too late in the game to take now.
School: DO
Class Rank: top 15-20%
YOG: 2016
Red Flags: None
No publications, minimal extracurriculars -- none of which were in psych. Never had an interest in psych during 1st and 2nd year. Always came into school thinking I would do family or IM and ended up enjoying my psych required rotation 3rd year. Loved how personal the relationships were, how trusting the patients were, and how complex their presentations could get and vary between the same diagnoses.

So I'm late into the game building a resume for psych but can get at least 1 very strong LOR and potentially 2 before applications are due. My home institution does not have a psych residency program attached though, so the LORs will be from community psychiatrists.

Interested in the following so far, looking into more. But these are my top choices thus far:
Univ Tennessee
ETSU (anyone have information on this program? How is it?)
Univ Kentucky
Univ Louisville

Does anyone have any input on whether I'm competitive for the programs I've listed? Thanks!

 

[NickNaylor]

Step 1: 231
Step 2 CK/ CS: taking July 10th/November 3rd
School: Allopathic, west coast
Class Rank: Probably middle 3rd
Grades in Clerkship: HP in psych, OB, neuro; pass in internal, surgery; TBD in family, peds
AOA: nope
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars: currently working on two research projects with OB clerkship director, one on track to hopefully get a poster/publication in the next few months, the other more long term. Got an article published in a magazine published by a different program on campus. Also have a presentation at a regional honors council on research I did in undergrad on my CV. My extracurriculars I feel are strong: VP in psych interest group, volunteer with after-school program for elementary school kids, summer humanitarian medical trip to Papua New Guinea after first year, leadership in undergrad. I've also been on network TV a couple of times in a respectable context lol (i.e. something "unique" I would definitely like talking about at interviews).
Red Flags: (step failures, etc) none
Overview of where you want to end up: Basically I want to see if I'm at all competitive/should bother with top west coast programs like UCLA, UCSF. I highly doubt it, but I'm wondering if I should make an effort at this late stage in the game to try to nab an away/audition rotation (surgery was one of my last rotations and I just completely dropped the ball on getting all my stuff together). I'm also open to the other SoCal programs.

Have you considered Stanford? I imagine you would have a good shot at interviewing there.

 

[blazer123]

Step1: 217
Step2: 221
School: Allopathic, East Coast (NYC), Top20
Grades: HP in internal medicine, pass in the rest
AOA: nope
Research: starting a research project in psychiatry in the coming months.
Red flags: maybe the pass in psychiatry? Did better in my subI and getting a rec letter.
Overview of where you want to end up: basically i want to come back to the west coast (LA specifically which is where i grew up). I applied for away rotations in UCLA, but so far no response yet.

 

[deleted628516]

should I upload LOR from my PD back in my home country (I'm EM PGY1 in my country) the letter itself is excellent

 

[675015]

Step1: 217
Step2: 221
School: Allopathic, East Coast (NYC), Top20
Grades: HP in internal medicine, pass in the rest
AOA: nope
Research: starting a research project in psychiatry in the coming months.
Red flags: maybe the pass in psychiatry? Did better in my subI and getting a rec letter.
Overview of where you want to end up: basically i want to come back to the west coast (LA specifically which is where i grew up). I applied for away rotations in UCLA, but so far no response yet.

Be careful putting all your eggs in the UCLA (NPI I assume) basket. There are plenty of other great programs in the LA area.

 

[blazer123]

Be careful putting all your eggs in the UCLA (NPI I assume) basket. There are plenty of other great programs in the LA area.

Thanks Mr. Bub, ya im definitely open to all of the programs in California. I actually just got notice that i'll be doing away at UCLA NPI. Only applied to that away site because i figure it be a reach for me to get in to begin with.

 

[Dharma]

Does anyone have any input on whether I'm competitive for the programs I've listed? Thanks!

I wish I had more info since I'm only applying this year as well, but from what I've heard, you probably a have a shot at the places you listed. Definitely don't keep it to those few though. We're at a disadvantage compared to our MD brothers and sisters, regardless of board scores, so apply early, far and wide. NO USMLE shouldn't have too much of an effect outside of the more "competitive" (which doesn't necessarily mean better) regions/programs.

Hopefully some of the DO grads with more experience can start stepping up and helping out in these WAMC treads... bc most DO students left hanging without a response.

 

[kobebeefmd]

Hi, I will be applying to psychiatry this year. Step 1 :219, Step 2, 237, Step 2 CS - Pass. US-IMG, graduated in April 2015 from one of the big 4 Caribbean schools. No red flags, nothing spectacular on my CV, heard I had great LORs from this past interview season - not sure if that means anything. Didn't apply psychiatry for 2014-15 cycle, applied only for one speciality that was competitive for me. Will be working on research starting next week with the possibility of having 1-2 things published by application season -- but not counting on it. I have kept myself busy since graduating, with volunteering, tutoring, and extracurricular learning. Looking to stay in the Southeast.

How do I convey my interest to a particular program before application season starts? I would love to pre-match and not spend thousands of dollars on interview season. I am broke.

 

[kobebeefmd]

there is no pre-match except for the very worst programs. i don't know of any programs in the southeast that don't use the match. except for doing research or an externship/observership type thing at a particular hospital there is no non-annoying way to convey your interest to programs before application season. also, unless you are planning to have things published in the most shadiest journals or are talking about things long ago submitted, there is no way you will have anything published for application season.

Yeah, I don't want to be annoying programs. I would be volunteering at the research center that has direct affiliation with the psychiatry program I would be happy to match at.

I'm not sure if I would have anything published. I interviewed with the director of research at the center, who told me he has projects that they need help on, and I would be able to co-author on by application season. I don't have a background in research, so I'm not sure how true his statements are -- but he seemed genuine.

What are the worst psych programs?

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

Does anyone have any input on whether I'm competitive for the programs I've listed? Thanks!

No red flags, decent comlex, probably the easiest area to match regionally. Though I didn't apply to any of these if you have regional ties I can't see why you wouldn't be competitive.