Official Eternal IM WAMC Thread

[Vain Brother]

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I realize this is a bit early, but wondering what I need to do to better my chances at top IM programs in the Northeast, particularly NYC

Step 1: 255+
Step 2 CS/CK: next year
Clinical grades: likely will honor IM, but just started 3rd year so no others yet
Research: zero
ECs: solid amount of volunteering. president or vice-president of a couple of clubs at school. TBH I've sort of just been focusing on getting good grades and trying to maintain an acceptable school/life balance up to this point.
Class rank: near the top, top 2-3%
AOA: yes, junior

Obviously I need to do some research. How much? And what else?

 

[MyTachyBradyHeart]

Hi there!

Recently spoke to an advisor at my school for assistance with picking residency programs for Internal Medicine, and while I appreciate his input, I feel like his list was a bit too top-heavy/reach programs.
I was hoping someone could help me out with some more realistic programs to apply to.

I'm from a state school in NY. I'd like to remain as close to NYC as possible for family reasons but am certainly willing to open up my search to the East Coadt (ideally D.C.-MA range).
Thank you!

Step 1: 250s
Step 2 CK: 250s
Step 2CS: pass on first attempt
Clinical grades: All honors in every core clerkship/elective thus far
Research: involved in a couple of projects, but no publications.
Extracurriculars: A lot, including several leadership positions, TA for two courses, student employee for the undergraduate health education office, clerkship exam tutor, graduate chair of our student health advisory committee
Class Rank: Top quartile
AOA: No
GHHS: Yes

I'd ideally like to match to a university program, as I'd like to teach one day and also boost my research productivity, since I will more likely than not apply for a fellowship (GI, PCCM, or hem-onc)

Reaches/Crapshoot: "Big 4" NYC programs (NYU, Cornell, Columbia, Mt. Sinai), Yale, UPenn

More Realistic: Montefiore, Georgetown, George Washington University, Temple, Thomas Jefferson, Stony Brook, Northwell/Hofstra, Winthrop University Hospital, Robert Wood Johnson, Rutgers

Any other suggestions would be much appreciated. I'm hoping to apply to 20 programs altogether, since some chart from the AAMC indicated people applying to IM with Step 1 scores in my range see diminishing returns thereafter.

Thanks for your time in reading this and any assistance you can provide me with!

Don't apply to Winthrop. You are selling yourself short.

Reaches: big 4 in NY, Yale, Penn, ADD Hopkins, big 3 in Boston. You will get a few interviews to this bunch; it's worth adding the top notch programs because they may really like your application and you may regret not applying to them.

Realistic: Monte, Jefferson, Georgetown, Hofstra ADD BU, University of Maryland

Safeties: Stony Brook, Temple, George Washington, NJ prgrams ADD Drexel, Tufts, UConn. You should not have issues matching anywhere in this group.

You are a bit light in the mid-upper tier program department. If you are willing to extend your search down the east coast, UVA, UNC, and Duke are good options to consider. Pitt is realistic too, but you are closer to Ohio than NYC since PA is a such a fat state.

I realize this is a bit early, but wondering what I need to do to better my chances at top IM programs in the Northeast, particularly NYC

Step 1: 255+
Step 2 CS/CK: next year
Clinical grades: likely will honor IM, but just started 3rd year so no others yet
Research: zero
ECs: solid amount of volunteering. president or vice-president of a couple of clubs at school. TBH I've sort of just been focusing on getting good grades and trying to maintain an acceptable school/life balance up to this point.
Class rank: near the top, top 2-3%
AOA: yes, junior

Obviously I need to do some research. How much? And what else?

If you attend a top medical school, your chances of landing interviews at top institutions are solid even without significant research.

If you are from a mid/upper-mid tier school, then research will be important to land those interviews. Try to get a clinical research project done during this year and get it presented at a national conference. See if you can write up a case report as well. Icing on the cake of course is turning the presentation into a full manuscript; doesn't have to be published necessarily but your goal should be to have it submitted to a peer-review journal by next Sept.

The most important thing (by far) is when you start a project, make sure it is feasible given your timeline. For example, do not pick a project where you have to obtain IRB approval first. Do not pick a project where you have to make your own database.

 

[AlexMack12]

Don't apply to Winthrop. You are selling yourself short.

Reaches: big 4 in NY, Yale, Penn, ADD Hopkins, big 3 in Boston. You will get a few interviews to this bunch; it's worth adding the top notch programs because they may really like your application and you may regret not applying to them.

Realistic: Monte, Jefferson, Georgetown, Hofstra ADD BU, University of Maryland

Safeties: Stony Brook, Temple, George Washington, NJ prgrams ADD Drexel, Tufts, UConn. You should not have issues matching anywhere in this group.

You are a bit light in the mid-upper tier program department. If you are willing to extend your search down the east coast, UVA, UNC, and Duke are good options to consider. Pitt is realistic too, but you are closer to Ohio than NYC since PA is a such a fat state.



If you attend a top medical school, your chances of landing interviews at top institutions are solid even without significant research.

If you are from a mid/upper-mid tier school, then research will be important to land those interviews. Try to get a clinical research project done during this year and get it presented at a national conference. See if you can write up a case report as well. Icing on the cake of course is turning the presentation into a full manuscript; doesn't have to be published necessarily but your goal should be to have it submitted to a peer-review journal by next Sept.

The most important thing (by far) is when you start a project, make sure it is feasible given your timeline. For example, do not pick a project where you have to obtain IRB approval first. Do not pick a project where you have to make your own database.

Thank you so much!! This was VERY helpful 🙂

 

[ckom5987]

Hello! I'm actually applying Med-Peds, but thought I could maybe get some advice here, since the Med-Peds WAMC thread isn't visited very often

DO student

Step 1: 236-240
Step 2: 259
class rank: top quarter, higher for clinical rank
Core Clerkships: All Honors
PE: Pass 1st attempt
AOA: no
GHHS: no
extra-curriculars: weak
research: none

So 3rd year was good to me, and I did better on Step 2 than I anticipated....however, I think I'm still not going to get into any top tiers because of my Step 1 score, being a DO, and not having any research experience.

What would be some high-tier MP programs that don't require research and would possibly consider a DO? I am comfortable with picking my "competitive" and "safety" programs, but wondering if there are some places that would surprise me and be willing to give me a shot?

Thanks!

 

[rd31]

Hello! I'm actually applying Med-Peds, but thought I could maybe get some advice here, since the Med-Peds WAMC thread isn't visited very often

DO student

Step 1: 236-240
Step 2: high 259
class rank: top quarter, higher for clinical rank
Core Clerkships: All Honors
PE: Pass 1st attempt
AOA: no
GHHS: no
extra-curriculars: weak
research: none

So 3rd year was good to me, and I did better on Step 2 than I anticipated....however, I think I'm still not going to get into any top tiers because of my Step 1 score, being a DO, and not having any research experience.

What would be some high-tier MP programs that don't require research and would possibly consider a DO? I am comfortable with picking my "competitive" and "safety" programs, but wondering if there are some places that would surprise me and be willing to give me a shot?

Thanks!

So are we talking a 259.9 or a measly 259.6?

 

[MyTachyBradyHeart]

So are we talking a 259.9 or a measly 259.6?

Also, was your Step 1 score a 236, 238, or 240? How can we give suggestions if you keep us in the dark like that?

 

[ckom5987]

So are we talking a 259.9 or a measly 259.6?

Yeah my mistake is hilarious--i fixed it.

 

[rhomboid]

Hi everyone, I would also like to ask about my condition.

Med school: FMG in Asia.
YOG: 2009. IM-subspecialty trained. No clinical gap.
ECFMG certified, all first pass, Step 1/2 > 250.
USCE: several months observerships. No real hand-on USCE.
LoR: Department chair from my home program, US primary care clinic, US university hospital x 2. All IM letters.
Research: >30 publications in medicine.
Career goal: clinical investigator in academics.

I understand YOG is my red flag, and I'm planning to apply very broadly. Many programs specifically asked for cut off date less than 3 or 5 years. Some programs also stated that they do not require recent YOG as long as there's no clinical gap. Is it reasonable to send emails to PC/PD explaining that I don't have gaps?

Of course I would like to matched into big university programs, but I don't know my chance. Could you give me some realistic estimates?

Thanks a lot!

 

[AnalisCanalis]

Hi everyone, I would also like to ask about my condition.

Med school: FMG in Asia.
YOG: 2009. IM-subspecialty trained. No clinical gap.
ECFMG certified, all first pass, Step 1/2 > 250.
USCE: several months observerships. No real hand-on USCE.
LoR: Department chair from my home program, US primary care clinic, US university hospital x 2. All IM letters.
Research: >30 publications in medicine.
Career goal: clinical investigator in academics.

I understand YOG is my red flag, and I'm planning to apply very broadly. Many programs specifically asked for cut off date less than 3 or 5 years. Some programs also stated that they do not require recent YOG as long as there's no clinical gap. Is it reasonable to send emails to PC/PD explaining that I don't have gaps?

Of course I would like to matched into big university programs, but I don't know my chance. Could you give me some realistic estimates?

Thanks a lot!

No chance at big university programs imho (if by big you mean top programs). I suspect not many programs will want to retrain an attending physician. I do think you will match somewhere though. Except for the lack of real USCE and the fact that you are almost a decade from graduation you have a stellar application. Best of luck.

 

[lifeofpi1]

Looking to participate in the 2019 match. Here are my credentials:
Step 1: 245
2 CK: 250s
CS: 1st pass
Pubs: 7 publications (5 first authors, 1 co-author, 1 4th author; 5 of them European or American journals, 2 home country journals)
USCE: 2 months (clerkships at university programs)
2 US-LORs
need VISA
YOG: 2018

Will I have a fighting chance at any of the university-based programs ?
Also, what can I do until the match to boost my chances ?
Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[bashwell]

Looking to participate in the 2019 match. Here are my credentials:
Step 1: 245
2 CK: 250s
CS: 1st pass
Pubs: 7 publications (5 first authors, 1 co-author, 1 4th author; 5 of them European or American journals, 2 home country journals)
USCE: 2 months (clerkships at university programs)
2 US-LORs
need VISA
YOG: 2018

Will I have a fighting chance at any of the university-based programs ?
Also, what can I do until the match to boost my chances ?
Any advice would be appreciated.

You're a little thin on the USCE so if you could do more that'd be better since many places require at least 3 months, some places a year. The visa requirement will screen you out at a lot of places. But you have good Step 1/2 scores so apply broadly and you should get interviews. Then it's more about how well they like you and feel you fit into the program. Don't bother with the top IM programs like MGH, Hopkins, UCSF, etc. Apply to mid-tier IM academic programs as a reach, but also apply to community IM programs as well since as an IMG you can't be 100% sure. I think you'll likely match somewhere. My guess is probably to a lower tier academic IM program, but maybe you'll get lucky and match to a mid-tier academic reach. Good luck!

 

[ImGoingCrazy@_@]

Matching next year and thinking about what to add to the CV to be more competitive; recs appreciated:

USMD - MD/PhD student at non-MSTP (lower mid tier)
Step 1 229 (took pre-PhD; the national avg at the time was 225)
Step 2 not taken yet
class rank: probably somewhere in the middle third
Core Clerkships: first rotation right now (likely HP/honors depending on shelf score)
AOA: no
GHHS: no
extra-curriculars: some leadership in interest groups, volunteering
research: 2-3 in process/under review (one 1st, two 2nd, non-clinical), one pub from undergrad (3rd author), a handful of presentations, a few awards
Letters: at least one strong IM letter so far

Goal: academic program; would like to keep in research with goal of becoming academic faculty. Would like to be somewhere north (northeast, Midwest, or northwest) or in cali
Undecided regarding hospital medicine vs. cards

Which programs are out at this point? Which ones could I realistically aim for with mixture of HP/H on core clerkships? Step 2 goal would obviously be "as high as possible," but is there a make it or break it point (ie <230 or 240)?

 

[gutonc]

Matching next year and thinking about what to add to the CV to be more competitive; recs appreciated:

USMD - MD/PhD student at non-MSTP (lower mid tier)
Step 1 229 (took pre-PhD; the national avg at the time was 225)
Step 2 not taken yet
class rank: probably somewhere in the middle third
Core Clerkships: first rotation right now (likely HP/honors depending on shelf score)
AOA: no
GHHS: no
extra-curriculars: some leadership in interest groups, volunteering
research: 2-3 in process/under review (one 1st, two 2nd, non-clinical), one pub from undergrad (3rd author), a handful of presentations, a few awards
Letters: at least one strong IM letter so far

Goal: academic program; would like to keep in research with goal of becoming academic faculty. Would like to be somewhere north (northeast, Midwest, or northwest) or in cali
Undecided regarding hospital medicine vs. cards

Which programs are out at this point? Which ones could I realistically aim for with mixture of HP/H on core clerkships? Step 2 goal would obviously be "as high as possible," but is there a make it or break it point (ie <230 or 240)?

I went to a similar (lower tier) MD-PhD program and, like you, had a Step 1 score that was good for when I took it, less so for when I was applying. I managed to get Senior AOA. That, and the PhD, IMHO made a big difference in getting good interviews. I applied in a similar pattern to what you're planning to do. I got some very good IVs (MGH, Weill-Cornell, UChicago, UWash, UCLA-Reagan, WashU among others) and whiffed on a bunch of others I thought I was at least moderately competitive for (all the other Harvards, NYU, Northwestern, everything else in California).

I don't think anything is "out" for you. Just don't get too worked up about it when the rejections come...you'll have plenty of good options.

 

[Tayne]

Help: Balancing/paring down my list, adding safeties or removing longshots as necessary
Medical School: US MD school in NYC (not in Manhattan)
Step 1: 241
Step 2 CK: 248
Clinical grades:
MS3: 5 H (IM, surgery, neuro, psych, primary care), 2 HP (Peds, OB/GYN).
MS4: HP in medicine sub-I (blech, I know.)
Research: 1 national poster presentation, 1 3rd author published paper, 1 2nd author basic science paper (pre-med).
Extracurriculars: I’d describe it as “OK.” A few leadership positions, volunteering at free clinic.
Class Rank: Top quartile
AOA: Yes

My goal: Interested in fellowship. So I suppose a university-based program would be preferred.
Regional preference: (1) Anywhere in California, which is home for me (2) NYC area (3) Other major cities, e.g. Boston, Chicago, Seattle (4) Will also consider some places in smaller places if it’s a great program.

Preliminary list, roughly arranged by regions
CA: UCLA, Stanford, UCSD, Cedars-Sinai, Harbor-UCLA, LAC+USC, Scripps Green, California Pacific Medical Center, UC Davis, UCI, Loma Linda, Olive View-UCLA, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
NYC: Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Hofstra-Northwell, Montefiore, Stony Brook, Mt Sinai-Beth Israel
Other East Coast: BIDMC, Yale-New Haven, UPenn, UPMC, Tufts, BU, Georgetown, Temple
Mid-West: UChicago, Northwestern, Mayo (Rochester), Cleveland Clinic, Case Western, Michigan, Cincinnati
Other: Vanderbilt, UTSW, Baylor, Univ Washington, Oregon Health and Science University

 

[Señor S]

Help: Balancing/paring down my list, adding safeties or removing longshots as necessary
Medical School: US MD school in NYC (not in Manhattan)
Step 1: 241
Step 2 CK: 248
Clinical grades:
MS3: 5 H (IM, surgery, neuro, psych, primary care), 2 HP (Peds, OB/GYN).
MS4: HP in medicine sub-I (blech, I know.)
Research: 1 national poster presentation, 1 3rd author published paper, 1 2nd author basic science paper (pre-med).
Extracurriculars: I’d describe it as “OK.” A few leadership positions, volunteering at free clinic.
Class Rank: Top quartile
AOA: Yes

My goal: Interested in fellowship. So I suppose a university-based program would be preferred.
Regional preference: (1) Anywhere in California, which is home for me (2) NYC area (3) Other major cities, e.g. Boston, Chicago, Seattle (4) Will also consider some places in smaller places if it’s a great program.

Preliminary list, roughly arranged by regions
CA: UCLA, Stanford, UCSD, Cedars-Sinai, Harbor-UCLA, LAC+USC, Scripps Green, California Pacific Medical Center, UC Davis, UCI, Loma Linda, Olive View-UCLA, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
NYC: Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Hofstra-Northwell, Montefiore, Stony Brook, Mt Sinai-Beth Israel
Other East Coast: BIDMC, Yale-New Haven, UPenn, UPMC, Tufts, BU, Georgetown, Temple
Mid-West: UChicago, Northwestern, Mayo (Rochester), Cleveland Clinic, Case Western, Michigan, Cincinnati
Other: Vanderbilt, UTSW, Baylor, Univ Washington, Oregon Health and Science University

You'll match with that list. WashU would be right in your wheelhouse if you think you can stand St. Louis, as would Emory if the ATL traffic is doable. Maybe consider Minnesota as opposed to CC and Cinci.

 

[tilteddrawer]

You'll match with that list. WashU would be right in your wheelhouse if you think you can stand St. Louis, as would Emory if the ATL traffic is doable. Maybe consider Minnesota as opposed to CC and Cinci.

How about similar step 1 score, CK pending. Grades- 3 H's (IM, surgery, FM), rest HP's. No AOA. Research- published case report, couple more submitted and a few posters. Would I have a good shot at the same places the OP initially asked about along with WashU and Emory?

Thanks!

 

[Señor S]

How about similar step 1 score, CK pending. Grades- 3 H's (IM, surgery, FM), rest HP's. No AOA. Research- published case report, couple more submitted and a few posters. Would I have a good shot at the same places the OP initially asked about along with WashU and Emory?

Thanks!

Chances would be a worse at the top places (unless you're at a significantly better school) but still worth the application fee. If you applied to all the same places you'd match as well.

 

[gutonc]

Help: Balancing/paring down my list, adding safeties or removing longshots as necessary
Medical School: US MD school in NYC (not in Manhattan)
Step 1: 241
Step 2 CK: 248
Clinical grades:
MS3: 5 H (IM, surgery, neuro, psych, primary care), 2 HP (Peds, OB/GYN).
MS4: HP in medicine sub-I (blech, I know.)
Research: 1 national poster presentation, 1 3rd author published paper, 1 2nd author basic science paper (pre-med).
Extracurriculars: I’d describe it as “OK.” A few leadership positions, volunteering at free clinic.
Class Rank: Top quartile
AOA: Yes

My goal: Interested in fellowship. So I suppose a university-based program would be preferred.
Regional preference: (1) Anywhere in California, which is home for me (2) NYC area (3) Other major cities, e.g. Boston, Chicago, Seattle (4) Will also consider some places in smaller places if it’s a great program.

Preliminary list, roughly arranged by regions
CA: UCLA, Stanford, UCSD, Cedars-Sinai, Harbor-UCLA, LAC+USC, Scripps Green, California Pacific Medical Center, UC Davis, UCI, Loma Linda, Olive View-UCLA, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
NYC: Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Hofstra-Northwell, Montefiore, Stony Brook, Mt Sinai-Beth Israel
Other East Coast: BIDMC, Yale-New Haven, UPenn, UPMC, Tufts, BU, Georgetown, Temple
Mid-West: UChicago, Northwestern, Mayo (Rochester), Cleveland Clinic, Case Western, Michigan, Cincinnati
Other: Vanderbilt, UTSW, Baylor, Univ Washington, Oregon Health and Science University

This will honestly depend on whether the "US MD school in NYC (not in Manhattan) is AECOM or Downstate. I say that as a Downstate grad with a PhD, similar grades, AOA and a better publication record than you.

You could skip all the midwest programs except UChicago and NW, Baylor and whatever they call NSLIJ these days. Also curious why you'd apply to a program that will likely be shut down in the next year or 3 and not real Mt. Sinai (which is an arguably better program than NYU and definitely better than Monte). Why BIDMC but not MGH or BWH? Why Temple and GT but not Dartmouth, Maryland, Bayview and Rutgers-RWJ (you don't mention a hoops squad that regularly makes it to the Sweet 16 as a requirement)? If you got the same advising that I did at this point in your career, your list makes a lot more sense.

You will get lots of IV offers from this list. You can prune or expand it as you see fit. You will likely match quite well. Good luck.

 

[Tayne]

This will honestly depend on whether the "US MD school in NYC (not in Manhattan) is AECOM or Downstate. I say that as a Downstate grad with a PhD, similar grades, AOA and a better publication record than you.

You could skip all the midwest programs except UChicago and NW, Baylor and whatever they call NSLIJ these days. Also curious why you'd apply to a program that will likely be shut down in the next year or 3 and not real Mt. Sinai (which is an arguably better program than NYU and definitely better than Monte). Why BIDMC but not MGH or BWH? Why Temple and GT but not Dartmouth, Maryland, Bayview and Rutgers-RWJ (you don't mention a hoops squad that regularly makes it to the Sweet 16 as a requirement)? If you got the same advising that I did at this point in your career, your list makes a lot more sense.

You will get lots of IV offers from this list. You can prune or expand it as you see fit. You will likely match quite well. Good luck.

Thanks gutonc, as well as to Señor S for the previous response! I go to the school in East Flatbush. Duly noted re: Beth Israel and my accidental Mt. Sinai omission. With regards to omitting MGH/BWH, that was not based on any real advice or data, but more a gut feeling that they're way out of my league.

 

[Señor S]

Thanks gutonc, as well as to Señor S for the previous response! I go to the school in East Flatbush. Duly noted re: Beth Israel and my accidental Mt. Sinai omission. With regards to omitting MGH/BWH, that was not based on any real advice or data, but more a gut feeling that they're way out of my league.

Maybe they're a reach but isn't it worth the $40 (or whatever it is)? Don't sell yourself short. Also don't underestimate the chaotic, random element in who does and does not get an interview. Applications are the cheapest part of this process.

 

[gutonc]

Thanks gutonc, as well as to Señor S for the previous response! I go to the school in East Flatbush. Duly noted re: Beth Israel and my accidental Mt. Sinai omission. With regards to omitting MGH/BWH, that was not based on any real advice or data, but more a gut feeling that they're way out of my league.

FWIW, I got an MGH interview and complete radio silence from Brigham and BIDMC.

As @Señor S notes, this process has a fair amount of stochasticity in it. The only guarantee is that you won't get an interview at a program you don't apply to.

That and that you won't ever hear back from Stanford.

 

[whifsanity]

Looking for advice to finalize my list for the 2018 match!

US MD mid-tier state school in DC area
Step 1: low 240s
Step 2: high 260s
M3 grades: 4HP, 3H (HP for IM)
M4 grades: H for IM sub-I
Research: 2 projects in med school and 3 prior, 3-4 small-scale oral presentations but local/school, no pubs
ECs: good mix of volunteer and leadership activities
Class rank: top quartile
AOA: pending senior elections

Ideally hoping to match on the West Coast, preferably academic center with good fellowship track record.

Currently I have:
Reach: UWash, OHSU, UCSF, Stanford, UCSD, UCLA, Northwestern, UChicago, Cornell, Sinai, BIDMC, Boston U, Tufts, UPenn, Brown, UVA, Duke, UNC
Realistic: Virginia Mason, Providence in Oregon, UCLA Harbor, UCLA Olive View, Cedars Sinai, UC Davis, UC Irvine, USC, Kaiser SF/Oakland/SC/LA, CPMC, Scripps Green/Mercy, Santa Clara Valley, U of Colorado, Thomas Jefferson, Temple, Drexel, Georgetown, GWU

Hoping to narrow down my list by a few schools. Any advice?

 

[Harpsx]

Hey guys! Hoping to get some advice on a realistic school list

Med School: Top 20
Step 1: High 240s
Step 2 CK: pending
Pre-clinical: P/F
Clinical: 6 H's (including H in IM), 1 HP
Rank: Top Quartile
No AOA
Research: 1 international oral presentation + abstract, 1 local poster presentation
ECs: National leadership position, other school leadership/volunteering/TA positions, and have a sort of unique/related-to-medicine hobby

No geographic preferences! Hoping to do a fellowship after.

Currently I have (organized by region mostly):
East: BIDMC, BWH, Duke, Icahn, JHU, Mass Gen, NYU, Columbia, Cornell, UPenn, Yale, UPMC, UNC
Midwest: WashU, Michigan, UWisc, UChicago
South: Baylor, UTSW, Vanderbilt
West: OHSU, Stanford, UCLA, UCSD, UCSF, UColorado, USC, UWash

Is this too top heavy? Any suggestions?

 

[gutonc]

Hey guys! Hoping to get some advice on a realistic school list

Med School: Top 20
Step 1: High 240s
Step 2 CK: pending
Pre-clinical: P/F
Clinical: 6 H's (including H in IM), 1 HP
Rank: Top Quartile
No AOA
Research: 1 international oral presentation + abstract, 1 local poster presentation
ECs: National leadership position, other school leadership/volunteering/TA positions, and have a sort of unique/related-to-medicine hobby

No geographic preferences! Hoping to do a fellowship after.

Currently I have (organized by region mostly):
East: BIDMC, BWH, Duke, Icahn, JHU, Mass Gen, NYU, Columbia, Cornell, UPenn, Yale, UPMC, UNC
Midwest: WashU, Michigan, UWisc, UChicago
South: Baylor, UTSW, Vanderbilt
West: OHSU, Stanford, UCLA, UCSD, UCSF, UColorado, USC, UWash

Is this too top heavy? Any suggestions?

I do think it's a little top heavy. The only real standout thing in your app is that you're doing well at a Top 20 school. A lot of the places you're looking at are going to want to see a little something extra (AOA, advanced degree, real research output, etc). I'm not saying that your CV isn't very good, because it is, without a doubt. But I think you're likely to hear silence from a lot of the "Top X" places on that list.

But you're also likely to get 10+ interview offers from that list, so it's probably OK as it is.

 

[gutonc]

Looking for advice to finalize my list for the 2018 match!

US MD mid-tier state school in DC area
Step 1: low 240s
Step 2: high 260s
M3 grades: 4HP, 3H (HP for IM)
M4 grades: H for IM sub-I
Research: 2 projects in med school and 3 prior, 3-4 small-scale oral presentations but local/school, no pubs
ECs: good mix of volunteer and leadership activities
Class rank: top quartile
AOA: pending senior elections

Ideally hoping to match on the West Coast, preferably academic center with good fellowship track record.

Currently I have:
Reach: UWash, OHSU, UCSF, Stanford, UCSD, UCLA, Northwestern, UChicago, Cornell, Sinai, BIDMC, Boston U, Tufts, UPenn, Brown, UVA, Duke, UNC
Realistic: Virginia Mason, Providence in Oregon, UCLA Harbor, UCLA Olive View, Cedars Sinai, UC Davis, UC Irvine, USC, Kaiser SF/Oakland/SC/LA, CPMC, Scripps Green/Mercy, Santa Clara Valley, U of Colorado, Thomas Jefferson, Temple, Drexel, Georgetown, GWU

Hoping to narrow down my list by a few schools. Any advice?

As with my reply directly above this one, your app is very good, but it's not "stellar", which is what it's going to take to get offers from most (but certainly not all) of the programs on your reach list. UCSF, Stanford, UChicago, HMS programs, etc, get apps from every 260+/AOA/PhD applicant out there so they can afford to skip over very good (but not "stellar") apps like yours. OHSU, Brown, BU, Tufts and UVA are not reaches for you. Duke and UNC may not be either due to geography for you. Colorado is likely to be more in the reach category but you've got a good chance there as well.

I'd personally ditch the Kaiser programs, Drexel and Temple. Maybe Providence too (Legacy Emanuel is a better training program, I work with residents from both programs and can personally attest to the quality of the residents they produce).

Or you could just drop the coin (not that much in the grand scheme of things) on all these programs and see what the 'ol ERAS lottery gets you.

 

[SilverCat]

My list of programs is too long and top heavy

Overall, I think I'm an average to slightly below-average candidate.

Unranked med school
Step 1: 241
Step 2: 254, pass CS
M3 grades: Honors= medicine, peds, ob/gyn, path elective; HP = neurology, surgery, psych; P = FM (upward trend)
M4 grades: pending--no AI grade
Research: 1 second-author review article, abstract, oral presentation at conference,year-long prestigious research fellowship with poster and oral presentation
ECs: lacking--big weakness, leadership in one student org
Class rank: top quartile
AOA: eligible, filled out application, but don't think I'll get it due to lack of leadership and service

Programs: I'm interested in a program that will allow me time for basic bench research, but I have no location preference--hence my list is all over the place. I'm not really sure how to target strong research+strong clinical training programs.

Fantasy: UCSF, Stanford, JHH, BIDMC, Brigham, MGH, Duke, Vanderbilt
Reach: U Mich, UAB, UCLA, UCSD, U Colorado, Yale-New Haven, U Chicago, BU, Mayo-Rochester, NYU, UNC, UPenn,UTSW, U Washington, UPMC, UVA
Match: U Arizona, U Arkansas, UCD, Harbor-UCLA, U Miami, Emory, Indiana U, U Iowa, Tufts, U Minn, Case Western University program, Cleveland Clinic, U Toledo, OHSU, Temple, Brown, Baylor
Safety: U Conn, MSU, U Nebraska, Wake Forest, Akron Gen, U Cincinnati, Case Western/Metrohealth, OSU, Wright State, U Vermont, U Wisconsin

 

[Señor S]

My list of programs is too long and top heavy

Overall, I think I'm an average to slightly below-average candidate.

Unranked med school
Step 1: 241
Step 2: 254, pass CS
M3 grades: Honors= medicine, peds, ob/gyn, path elective; HP = neurology, surgery, psych; P = FM (upward trend)
M4 grades: pending--no AI grade
Research: 1 second-author review article, abstract, oral presentation at conference,year-long prestigious research fellowship with poster and oral presentation
ECs: lacking--big weakness, leadership in one student org
Class rank: top quartile
AOA: eligible, filled out application, but don't think I'll get it due to lack of leadership and service

Programs: I'm interested in a program that will allow me time for basic bench research, but I have no location preference--hence my list is all over the place. I'm not really sure how to target strong research+strong clinical training programs.

Fantasy: UCSF, Stanford, JHH, BIDMC, Brigham, MGH, Duke, Vanderbilt
Reach: U Mich, UAB, UCLA, UCSD, U Colorado, Yale-New Haven, U Chicago, BU, Mayo-Rochester, NYU, UNC, UPenn,UTSW, U Washington, UPMC, UVA
Match: U Arizona, U Arkansas, UCD, Harbor-UCLA, U Miami, Emory, Indiana U, U Iowa, Tufts, U Minn, Case Western University program, Cleveland Clinic, U Toledo, OHSU, Temple, Brown, Baylor
Safety: U Conn, MSU, U Nebraska, Wake Forest, Akron Gen, U Cincinnati, Case Western/Metrohealth, OSU, Wright State, U Vermont, U Wisconsin

You'd match with that list but if you really truly have no preference for no location then I would ditch most/all of:

UConn
MSU
Akron
MetroHealth
Wright State
Toledo
Arizona

And add:

WashU
Dartmouth
MUSC
UIC
Rush

 

[SilverCat]

You'd match with that list but if you really truly have no preference for no location then I would ditch most/all of:

UConn
MSU
Akron
MetroHealth
Wright State
Toledo
Arizona

And add:

WashU
Dartmouth
MUSC
UIC
Rush

Thanks! I was also going to add Cornell and Columbia. Do I have any shot at the fantasy/ reach category?

 

[Señor S]

Thanks! I was also going to add Cornell and Columbia. Do I have any shot at the fantasy/ reach category?

In the fantasy category? You might get an interview or two. Reach? You'll probably get half or more. Between the two groups you'll most likely match at one of them. Might as well throw in Northwestern while you're at it.

 

[Tots]

Hiya. Mainly looking for school list advice as the sum total of my advisors advice has been 'Apply anywhere, you'll be fine.' Is my list top-heavy, and are there any additional programs that I would be competitive at that have particularly strong GIM/primary care programs that I may have overlooked?

Med School Rank: UChicago
USMLE Step 1: 254
USMLE Step 2 CK: 251
USMLE Step 2 CS: Pass
Class Rank: Unknown (top half, maybe?)
AOA: No
Clerkships:
Honors: IM, OBGYN, Neuro, Psych, FM
High Pass: Pediatrics, Surgery
MICU SubI: P (P/F), +letter from attending
Research: 1 first author paper, 1 abstract, 1 poster presentation, and some other small things.
EC’s: Year off with masters, public health related and trying to turn part of thesis into paper. Free Clinic. Admissions stuff. Some other service projects.

Interested in GIM or ID. Applying to PC programs in addition to categorical programs. Some obvious location preferences.

School List:
Reaches —
BWH, MGH, Hopkins, UCSF, UPenn, UWash, Stanford, UCLA, BIDMC, NYP-Columbia
Competitive? —
NYP-Cornell, Mount Sinai, NYU, Northwestern, UPMC, Emory, UChicago, UCSD, OHSU, BU, Yale Cat/Yale PC, UColorado, LAC+USC, Harbor-UCLA, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

 

[whoknows2012]

Hiya. Mainly looking for school list advice as the sum total of my advisors advice has been 'Apply anywhere, you'll be fine.' Is my list top-heavy, and are there any additional programs that I would be competitive at that have particularly strong GIM/primary care programs that I may have overlooked?

Med School Rank: UChicago
USMLE Step 1: 254
USMLE Step 2 CK: 251
USMLE Step 2 CS: Pass
Class Rank: Unknown (top half, maybe?)
AOA: No
Clerkships:
Honors: IM, OBGYN, Neuro, Psych, FM
High Pass: Pediatrics, Surgery
MICU SubI: P (P/F), +letter from attending
Research: 1 first author paper, 1 abstract, 1 poster presentation, and some other small things.
EC’s: Year off with masters, public health related and trying to turn part of thesis into paper. Free Clinic. Admissions stuff. Some other service projects.

Interested in GIM or ID. Applying to PC programs in addition to categorical programs. Some obvious location preferences.

School List:
Reaches —
BWH, MGH, Hopkins, UCSF, UPenn, UWash, Stanford, UCLA, BIDMC, NYP-Columbia
Competitive? —
NYP-Cornell, Mount Sinai, NYU, Northwestern, UPMC, Emory, UChicago, UCSD, OHSU, BU, Yale Cat/Yale PC, UColorado, LAC+USC, Harbor-UCLA, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Looks good would also add Jefferson, Einstein/monte cat and pc

 

[MyTachyBradyHeart]

Hiya. Mainly looking for school list advice as the sum total of my advisors advice has been 'Apply anywhere, you'll be fine.' Is my list top-heavy, and are there any additional programs that I would be competitive at that have particularly strong GIM/primary care programs that I may have overlooked?

Med School Rank: UChicago
USMLE Step 1: 254
USMLE Step 2 CK: 251
USMLE Step 2 CS: Pass
Class Rank: Unknown (top half, maybe?)
AOA: No
Clerkships:
Honors: IM, OBGYN, Neuro, Psych, FM
High Pass: Pediatrics, Surgery
MICU SubI: P (P/F), +letter from attending
Research: 1 first author paper, 1 abstract, 1 poster presentation, and some other small things.
EC’s: Year off with masters, public health related and trying to turn part of thesis into paper. Free Clinic. Admissions stuff. Some other service projects.

Interested in GIM or ID. Applying to PC programs in addition to categorical programs. Some obvious location preferences.

School List:
Reaches —
BWH, MGH, Hopkins, UCSF, UPenn, UWash, Stanford, UCLA, BIDMC, NYP-Columbia
Competitive? —
NYP-Cornell, Mount Sinai, NYU, Northwestern, UPMC, Emory, UChicago, UCSD, OHSU, BU, Yale Cat/Yale PC, UColorado, LAC+USC, Harbor-UCLA, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

You are a very competitive applicant. I would ditch all the smaller program on your list and add Hopkins Bayview, Duke, Vandy, WashU, Michigan. If you are willing to go to GA or CO, there's no reason not to apply to the rest of the top 20.

 

[Señor S]

Hiya. Mainly looking for school list advice as the sum total of my advisors advice has been 'Apply anywhere, you'll be fine.' Is my list top-heavy, and are there any additional programs that I would be competitive at that have particularly strong GIM/primary care programs that I may have overlooked?

Med School Rank: UChicago
USMLE Step 1: 254
USMLE Step 2 CK: 251
USMLE Step 2 CS: Pass
Class Rank: Unknown (top half, maybe?)
AOA: No
Clerkships:
Honors: IM, OBGYN, Neuro, Psych, FM
High Pass: Pediatrics, Surgery
MICU SubI: P (P/F), +letter from attending
Research: 1 first author paper, 1 abstract, 1 poster presentation, and some other small things.
EC’s: Year off with masters, public health related and trying to turn part of thesis into paper. Free Clinic. Admissions stuff. Some other service projects.

Interested in GIM or ID. Applying to PC programs in addition to categorical programs. Some obvious location preferences.

School List:
Reaches —
BWH, MGH, Hopkins, UCSF, UPenn, UWash, Stanford, UCLA, BIDMC, NYP-Columbia
Competitive? —
NYP-Cornell, Mount Sinai, NYU, Northwestern, UPMC, Emory, UChicago, UCSD, OHSU, BU, Yale Cat/Yale PC, UColorado, LAC+USC, Harbor-UCLA, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

You'll match with that list. Given that it's such a short drive for you I would consider throwing in an app to Wisconsin.

 

[bashwell]

I would like your opinions on whether or not I should be applying to more programs than I have currently.

My stats:

4th year in a Caribbean school, I'm from Africa (non-US IMG) so no undergrad

No LOAs so I'll be graduating next year (4th year)

Basic science grades: all A's except one B. Clinical grades thus far a couple A's a B and C(peds)

USMLE Step 1: 265 on first attempt
Step 2 CK: 262 on first attempt
Step 2 CS: to be taken shortly but I'll be applying without the result

LoRs: all from doctors in the US, I have 3 uploaded but waiting for the one from my internal medicine elective (sub-i?) to finish processing. I honored it, should I apply without it on Wednesday?

USCE: third and fourth year rotations are in the US, with the exception of my last rotation which might be in my country.

I need J-1 visa sponsorship.

Programs I'm applying to (80 in total but not all listed) according to state:

IL- advocate health Illinois Masonic, advocate Lutheran, Rosalind franklin uni of medicine, John H stroger cook county, Louis A Weiss, Loyola uni, Macneal, mercy hospital, presence saints Francis, presence saint joseph, Rush uni, Southern Illinois uni, Uni of Chicago northshore, UIC advocate christ, Uni of IL Urbana

NYC-Brookdale uni hospital, Icahn Beth Israel, Icahn mount Sinai, Interfaith, Lincoln medical, New York Presbyterian, Rochester general, st barnabas, SUNY health science, SUNY upstate medical, Uni at Buffalo, Woodhull medical

OH- Akron gen, canton med, Jewish hospital of Cincinnati, mercy st Vincent, western reserve

MI- Detroit medical center/Wayne state university, Hurley medical center/Michigan state university, Michigan state university, Providence, spectrum health, St. John hospital and medical center, st Joseph Mercy, st mary mercy hospital, Uni of Michigan, Wayne state uni, William Beaumont hospital

Some others of note

Cleveland Clinic OH & FL, Indiana uni health Ball memorial, Indiana uni school of medicine, Seton hall uni NJ, Texas tech uni, Danbury hospital CT, Uni of Connecticut, Uni of Hawaii, Uni of N Dakota, Uni of South Dakota, Uni of Texas health

Thanks

I think you have a decent chance at most of those programs because they appear to be mostly community IM programs or university programs with lots of IMGs and you have great USMLE scores. Your main issues are that you need a visa and that you're a Caribbean grad, but nothing you can do about these.

I think it'd be highly unlikely for you to match at the University of Michigan or main Mt. Sinai.

I believe Mt. Sinai Beth Israel is in the process of closing down, and any remaining residents or fellows will supposedly be placed at one of the Mt. Sinai hospitals -- i.e., main (highly unlikely), St. Luke's Roosevelt (unlikely), Mt. Sinai Queens (likely), and/or Mt. Sinai Brooklyn (likely), so you might want to avoid applying there. However, you could probably replace it with Mt. Sinai St. Luke's Roosevelt (renamed Mt. Sinai West), which is the better IM program anyway.

Good luck!

 

[AshNiffler]

I think you have a decent chance at most of those programs because they appear to be mostly community IM programs or university programs with lots of IMGs and you have great USMLE scores. Your main issues are that you need a visa and that you're a Caribbean grad, but nothing you can do about these.

I think it'd be very unlikely for you to match at the University of Michigan or main Mt. Sinai.

I believe Mt. Sinai Beth Israel is in the process of closing down, and any remaining residents or fellows will supposedly be placed at one of the Mt. Sinai hospitals -- i.e., main (highly unlikely), St. Luke's Roosevelt (unlikely), Mt. Sinai Queens (likely), and/or Mt. Sinai Brooklyn (likely), so you might want to avoid applying there. However, you could probably replace it with Mt. Sinai St. Luke's Roosevelt (renamed Mt. Sinai West), which is the better IM program anyway.

Good luck!

Thank you

 

[Jeezus]

Hey all!
Med School: Top 5 in CA
Step 1: 215 (I know, major f*ck up)
Step 2 CK: 260
Pre-clinical: P/F
Clinical: Honors in Medicine, Neuro, Psych and Medicine Sub-I, Pass in the rest. Grades are H/P/F
Rank: Top 1/3
No AOA
Research: 1 local poster presentation
ECs: Lots of leadership on campus, volunteering, different outreach program etc,

Pretty much a very basic applicant, with potential hangups because of Step 1 and lack of more honors 🙁
Would love to stay in West Coast, but I'm flexible! Hoping to do a fellowship after. I know my list is very very top heavy; is it even worth applying to some of these programs?

West: UCSF, Stanford, UCLA (hella reaches) OHSU, UCSD, UCI, UCD, UWash, Cedars
East: BU, BIDMC, Duke, JHU, Mass Gen, NYU, Columbia, UPenn, Yale, UPMC, Brown
Midwest: WashU, Michigan, Northwestern, UChicago, Mayo
South: Baylor, UTSW, Vanderbilt, Emory

 

[Salaam]

Hey all!
Med School: Top 5 in CA
Step 1: 215 (I know, major f*ck up)
Step 2 CK: 260
Pre-clinical: P/F
Clinical: Honors in Medicine, Neuro, Psych and Medicine Sub-I, Pass in the rest. Grades are H/P/F
Rank: Top 1/3
No AOA
Research: 1 local poster presentation
ECs: Lots of leadership on campus, volunteering, different outreach program etc,

Pretty much a very basic applicant, with potential hangups because of Step 1 and lack of more honors 🙁
Would love to stay in West Coast, but I'm flexible! Hoping to do a fellowship after. I know my list is very very top heavy; is it even worth applying to some of these programs?

West: UCSF, Stanford, UCLA (hella reaches) OHSU, UCSD, UCI, UCD, UWash, Cedars
East: BU, BIDMC, Duke, JHU, Mass Gen, NYU, Columbia, UPenn, Yale, UPMC, Brown
Midwest: WashU, Michigan, Northwestern, UChicago, Mayo
South: Baylor, UTSW, Vanderbilt, Emory

A couple of the programs on your list unfortunately have published STEP 1 cutoffs (such as Univ of Colorado: 221, Boston University: 230), so I would double-check the websites just to make sure you're not wasting money.

 

[AnalisCanalis]

Hey all!
Med School: Top 5 in CA
Step 1: 215 (I know, major f*ck up)
Step 2 CK: 260
Pre-clinical: P/F
Clinical: Honors in Medicine, Neuro, Psych and Medicine Sub-I, Pass in the rest. Grades are H/P/F
Rank: Top 1/3
No AOA
Research: 1 local poster presentation
ECs: Lots of leadership on campus, volunteering, different outreach program etc,

Pretty much a very basic applicant, with potential hangups because of Step 1 and lack of more honors 🙁
Would love to stay in West Coast, but I'm flexible! Hoping to do a fellowship after. I know my list is very very top heavy; is it even worth applying to some of these programs?

West: UCSF, Stanford, UCLA (hella reaches) OHSU, UCSD, UCI, UCD, UWash, Cedars
East: BU, BIDMC, Duke, JHU, Mass Gen, NYU, Columbia, UPenn, Yale, UPMC, Brown
Midwest: WashU, Michigan, Northwestern, UChicago, Mayo
South: Baylor, UTSW, Vanderbilt, Emory

Sorry, but your list is delusional. You won't match to a top 20 program with 0 research and a step 1 score that's almost a standard deviation below average. Unless "Top 5 in CA" means UCLA, UCSF or Stanford which I assume it does not. If your goal is fellowships you should focus on low-mid tier university programs as the bulk of your application.

 

[Jeezus]

Sorry, but your list is delusional. You won't match to a top 20 program with 0 research and a step 1 score that's almost a standard deviation below average. Unless "Top 5 in CA" means UCLA, UCSF or Stanford which I assume it does not. If your goal is fellowships you should focus on low-mid tier university programs as the bulk of your application.

Yeah pretty delusional. But yeah top 5 in CA, so yes it's one of those 3.

 

[MyTachyBradyHeart]

Yeah pretty delusional. But yeah top 5 in CA, so yes it's one of those 3.

Even coming from one of the big 3 in Cali, your shot at a top 20 institution is low. Your best bet is matching into your home institution and/or get fantastic LORs from renowned faculty and hope to land a few IVs. More realistically, you should be aiming for the upper-mid tier category:

West: OHSU, UCI, UCD, Cedars. UWash and UCSD are reaches

East: BU, Tufts, Jefferson, Montefiore, Brown, Maryland, UVA. I don't think you'll get IVs to the Harvard programs, Yale, big 4 in NY, Penn, or Hopkins (maybe 1 or 2 IVs at the most)

Midwest: Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, Case, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado, Utah. WashU is a reach. UChicago, Northwestern, and Michigan are out of your league

South: Baylor, UAB, UNC, MUSC, Emory. Vanderbilt and UTSW are reaches. No shot at Duke

 

[Jeezus]

Even coming from one of the big 3 in Cali, your shot at a top 20 institution is low. Your best bet is matching into your home institution and/or get fantastic LORs from renowned faculty and hope to land a few IVs. More realistically, you should be aiming for the upper-mid tier category:

West: OHSU, UCI, UCD, Cedars. UWash and UCSD are reaches

East: BU, Tufts, Jefferson, Montefiore, Brown, Maryland, UVA. I don't think you'll get IVs to the Harvard programs, Yale, big 4 in NY, Penn, or Hopkins (maybe 1 or 2 IVs at the most)

Midwest: Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, Case, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado, Utah. WashU is a reach. UChicago, Northwestern, and Michigan are out of your league

South: Baylor, UAB, UNC, MUSC, Emory. Vanderbilt and UTSW are reaches. No shot at Duke

Thanks a lot for your advice, it was more along the lines of what I was thinking. But somehow both the informal and formal IM advisors at my school think that the honors in both my core and sub-i clerkship especially from a top-tier program, along with my leadership work, improved Step 2 and great LORs, somehow opens doors that may have been closed by my step 1. The info I've been getting is that in IM honors matters a lot more than Step 1, not sure how true that is.
And just to clarify, don't know how much it matters but I do have research from undergrad that I've won awards for. not much while in med school, but I'm actually starting a project in the next month or so.

 

[rd31]

Thanks a lot for your advice, it was more along the lines of what I was thinking. But somehow both the informal and formal IM advisors at my school think that the honors in both my core and sub-i clerkship especially from a top-tier program, along with my leadership work, improved Step 2 and great LORs, somehow opens doors that may have been closed by my step 1. The info I've been getting is that in IM honors matters a lot more than Step 1, not sure how true that is.
And just to clarify, don't know how much it matters but I do have research from undergrad that I've won awards for. not much while in med school, but I'm actually starting a project in the next month or so.

This is probably true, but more for those who have step 1 scores of say 230 (unimpressive but not bad). Your step 1 score is extremely low. Most top programs use step 1 filters that they don't reveal on their website (since the cut off may change from year to year). That's the only way to trim down a list of 500+ applications. Your application most likely will never be read by several top programs, making your honors in IM irrelevant. One way to get around these filters is to have someone call on your behalf (after your rejection email) to a select few programs so that your app gets read.

 

[Ramo711]

Middle Tier US MD
Step 1: 245
Step 2: 242
Third Quartile
Minimal Extracurriculars (volunteering with no leadership or research)
IL resident. Applying broadly.

I present the same list in two formats: first list is by location, second by category
Reaches are in Bold.

1) Midwest (18)

a) Chicago: UChicago, Northwestern, Rush, UIC, Loyola, Advocate Lutheran, Northshore, Cook County
b) St Louis: WashU, SLU
c) Wisconsin: MCW
d) Ohio: Ohio State, Cleveland Clinic, Casewestern
e) Minnesota: Mayo, UMinnesota
f) Michigan: UMichigan, Henry Ford​

2) South (9)

a) Florida: UMiami, UFlorida
b) Texas: UTSW, Baylor, UT-Houston, Methodist
c) Mid-Atlantic: Emory, Duke, UNC​

3) Northeast (17)

a) New York: Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Mt Sinai, Montefoire, Northwell, Downstate
b) Boston: MGH, BWH, BID, BostonU, Tufts
c) DC: George Washington, Georgetown
d) Philadelphia: UPenn, Jefferson, Temple​

4) West (11)

a) Southern California: UCLA, USC, Cedar Sinai, Harbor-UCLA, UCLA-Olive View
b) Bay Area: UCSF, Stanford, California Pacific Medical Center
c) Northwest: UWashington, Virginia Mason, Oregon
​

Top Tier (21):
UChicago, Northwestern, WashU, Mayo, UMichigan, UTSW, Emory, Duke, Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Mt Sinai, MGH, BWH, BID, BostonU, UPenn, UCLA, UCSF, Stanford, UWashington

​

Mid Tier (26):
Rush, UIC, Loyola, SLU, MCW, Ohio State, Cleveland Clinic, Casewestern, UMinnesota, Henry Ford; UMiami, UFlorida, Baylor, UT-Houston, UNC; Montefoire, Hofstra Northwell, Downstate, Tufts, Jefferson, Temple, George Washington, Georgetown; USC, Cedar Sinai, Oregon

​

Community (8):
Advocate Luterhan, Cook County, Northshore (Chicago); Methodist (Houston); Harbor-UCLA, UCLA-Oliveview, California Pacific Medical Center, Virginia Mason


Might cut some reaches, particularly out west
Considering adding UColorado and UPitt

Views on Wakeforest, Indiana, Iowa, and Jacobi?
Unsure about adding UVa and Alabama

Should I add more community?

 

[Señor S]

Middle Tier US MD
Step 1: 245
Step 2: 242
Third Quartile
Minimal Extracurriculars (volunteering with no leadership or research)
IL resident. Applying broadly.

I present the same list in two formats: first list is by location, second by category
Reaches are in Bold.

1) Midwest (18)

a) Chicago: UChicago, Northwestern, Rush, UIC, Loyola, Advocate Lutheran, Northshore, Cook County
b) St Louis: WashU, SLU
c) Wisconsin: MCW
d) Ohio: Ohio State, Cleveland Clinic, Casewestern
e) Minnesota: Mayo, UMinnesota
f) Michigan: UMichigan, Henry Ford​

2) South (9)

a) Florida: UMiami, UFlorida
b) Texas: UTSW, Baylor, UT-Houston, Methodist
c) Mid-Atlantic: Emory, Duke, UNC​

3) Northeast (17)

a) New York: Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Mt Sinai, Montefoire, Northwell, Downstate
b) Boston: MGH, BWH, BID, BostonU, Tufts
c) DC: George Washington, Georgetown
d) Philadelphia: UPenn, Jefferson, Temple​

4) West (11)

a) Southern California: UCLA, USC, Cedar Sinai, Harbor-UCLA, UCLA-Olive View
b) Bay Area: UCSF, Stanford, California Pacific Medical Center
c) Northwest: UWashington, Virginia Mason, Oregon
​

Top Tier (21):
UChicago, Northwestern, WashU, Mayo, UMichigan, UTSW, Emory, Duke, Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Mt Sinai, MGH, BWH, BID, BostonU, UPenn, UCLA, UCSF, Stanford, UWashington

​

Mid Tier (26):
Rush, UIC, Loyola, SLU, MCW, Ohio State, Cleveland Clinic, Casewestern, UMinnesota, Henry Ford; UMiami, UFlorida, Baylor, UT-Houston, UNC; Montefoire, Hofstra Northwell, Downstate, Tufts, Jefferson, Temple, George Washington, Georgetown; USC, Cedar Sinai, Oregon

​

Community (8):
Advocate Luterhan, Cook County, Northshore (Chicago); Methodist (Houston); Harbor-UCLA, UCLA-Oliveview, California Pacific Medical Center, Virginia Mason


Might cut some reaches, particularly out west
Considering adding UColorado and UPitt

Views on Wakeforest, Indiana, Iowa, and Jacobi?
Unsure about adding UVa and Alabama

Should I add more community?

You can scrap most/all those community programs. Maybe keep the Chicago ones if you absolutely must have a few safeties but I bet anything that you match at least to your Mid Tier list. As a matter of fact you could probably scrub a few of the Mid Tiers and still be totally OK.

Indiana and Iowa are both great programs as are UVa and UAB. I was very impressed by all of them when interviewing. Wisconsin is another great place that would be an easy drive for you. Wake Forest I wasn't so big on just because of location but it's clearly a very good program that has a lot going for it. MUSC felt similar to Wake Forest, maybe a little less resident autonomy but a far superior location. UCSD is another good one out west. Pitt and Colorado are good choices as well.

Most of your reaches are just that however you'll probably get a couple of interviews from that group. You'll spend more on your first three interview trips than on all of your application fees put together so no need to skimp there.

 

[Thegirlfromfenweh]

School is Low to Mid Tier in the NE

Step 1- 242
Step 2 - 257
CS - Passed
Preclinical Grades: P/F - Passed
Clinical Grades: Honors IM and OB/GYN, High Pass Peds and Psych, Pass family and surgery
AOA: yes
GHHS: no
Research: 2 school poster presentations (one of which was a QI); this is probably the weakest part of my application (other than my school)
Extracurriculars: leadership position in 3 school clubs, 200+ hours of teaching, coaching, medical staff volunteering
LOR: 3 IM, 1 family, 1 OB/GYN

Target
- GWU
- Tufts
- Boston U
- UNC (#1 pick, love the TAR HEELS)
- Wake Forest
- University of Rochester
- Montefiore (Moses and Weiler)
- University @ Buffalo
- Icahn @ Mt. Sinai
- Temple
- Jefferson
- Brown
- Medical University of South Carolina
- UVA
- VCU
- Carilion
Reach
- All the NE and atlantic ones (Duke, NYU, NYP, Mass Gen, Brigham, Beth Israel, Yale, NYU, UPenn)

Does this list seem appropriate and do i have it right in terms of their grouping? Thanks in advance!

 

[TaroBap]

Med school: Top 15
Step 1: 260+
Step 2 CK: pending
Step 2 CS: pending
AOA/GHHS: No
Grades: 5 H, rest HP (specific Peds, Surg). H in 3rd-year IM and 4th-year AI.
Research: 1 4th author pub, 1 pub in submission. 4 abstracts. 1 oral pres, 2 posters. 2 national conference pres by other research members. All ENT research (switched to IM late out of interest).
ECs: Lead several interesting EC groups, made a medical app and won a national competition for it.
Goal: Probably GI or Cards fellowship
Origin: Midwest

Plan to apply:

NE: Mass Gen, Johns Hopkins, Brigham & Women's, Penn, Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Yale, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical center

West: UCSF, Stanford, University of Washington, UCLA, Colorado, UC San Diego

MW: Mayo (Rochester), Wash U, U Michigan, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Cleveland Clinic, OSU, UPMC, Case Western

SE: Duke, UNC, Mayo Jacksonville, Emory

SW: UT SW, Baylor

1. Am I applying top heavy?
2. Anything to add?
Thanks!

 

[yayforscrambling]

I'll be nice and blunt:

Step 1: Passed on second try (barely passed)
CK: 240s first try
CS: passed on third try
Step 3: passed on first try (barely)

I'm weird: so i applied to FM and got 30+ interviews and then decided that I wanted to do IM last year, so I left my match list blank

Will be applying again (tomorrow I guess) to nothing except for categorical IM

Can't care less where I end up at as long as I'm doing IM.

USMD

EXTREMELY strong letters.

Will apply to IM whether you advise it or not.

Writing this post in case someone out there has any thoughts, e.g. what to focus on during interviews, random tips, etc...or perhaps telling me that I won't be getting any interviews and that I should expect the worst.

Not that I or anyone else cares, but I am hispanic.

Applying to every single IM program in the country (except cali)

just looking for your thoughts

many thanks in advance

 

[AnalisCanalis]

I'll be nice and blunt:

Step 1: Passed on second try (barely passed)
CK: 240s first try
CS: passed on third try
Step 3: passed on first try (barely)

I'm weird: so i applied to FM and got 30+ interviews and then decided that I wanted to do IM last year, so I left my match list blank

Will be applying again (tomorrow I guess) to nothing except for categorical IM

Can't care less where I end up at as long as I'm doing IM.

USMD

EXTREMELY strong letters.

Will apply to IM whether you advise it or not.

Writing this post in case someone out there has any thoughts, e.g. what to focus on during interviews, random tips, etc...or perhaps telling me that I won't be getting any interviews and that I should expect the worst.

Not that I or anyone else cares, but I am hispanic.

Applying to every single IM program in the country (except cali)

just looking for your thoughts

many thanks in advance

That's a lot of red flags. Since you are applying to every program in the country I suppose there is not much advice to be given in that regard. Just curious, what does an EXTREMELY strong letter say?

 

[gutonc]

Thanks a lot for your advice, it was more along the lines of what I was thinking. But somehow both the informal and formal IM advisors at my school think that the honors in both my core and sub-i clerkship especially from a top-tier program, along with my leadership work, improved Step 2 and great LORs, somehow opens doors that may have been closed by my step 1. The info I've been getting is that in IM honors matters a lot more than Step 1, not sure how true that is.

This is true...if you can get through the Step 1 filter that most of those programs have. TBH, about the only extraordinary thing your app has on it is your med school and a nice jump from Step 1 to Step 2. Most of the people getting IVs at the "Top X" programs (which comprises between 1/3 and 1/2 of your list) have Step 1 scores like your Step 2 as well as significant research, AOA, advanced degrees, etc.

All of this is not to say that you're not a (very) good applicant, because clearly you are. But it's time to adjust your expectations. Which kinda sucks...but that's life.

If you ignore all the advice given in response to your post and apply to that list without changing it, you will definitely match (probably at a really great place). But not at the program(s) you likely think you should.

 

[gutonc]

Med school: Top 15
Step 1: 260+
Step 2 CK: pending
Step 2 CS: pending
AOA/GHHS: No
Grades: 5 H, rest HP (specific Peds, Surg). H in 3rd-year IM and 4th-year AI.
Research: 1 4th author pub, 1 pub in submission. 4 abstracts. 1 oral pres, 2 posters. 2 national conference pres by other research members. All ENT research (switched to IM late out of interest).
ECs: Lead several interesting EC groups, made a medical app and won a national competition for it.
Goal: Probably GI or Cards fellowship
Origin: Midwest

Plan to apply:

NE: Mass Gen, Johns Hopkins, Brigham & Women's, Penn, Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Yale, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical center

West: UCSF, Stanford, University of Washington, UCLA, Colorado, UC San Diego

MW: Mayo (Rochester), Wash U, U Michigan, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Cleveland Clinic, OSU, UPMC, Case Western

SE: Duke, UNC, Mayo Jacksonville, Emory

SW: UT SW, Baylor

1. Am I applying top heavy?

Extremely. At best you're going to get half of the IVs in your NE and West list.

2. Anything to add?

Tons:
NE: Real Mt. Sinai, Rutgers-RWJ, Dartmouth, Maryland, UPMC (Just realized you put this in the midwest list)
West: OHSU, CPMC, UCI, Utah, about 50 other Cali programs that I can't be bothered to list
Midwest: Wisco, UMinn, Iowa
SE: UAB, Wake Forest, Miami (assuming it survives Irma next week)
SW: The other Miracle Whip