Ortho Question

[CT]

I had a question for all the ortho experts out there. I'm pretty familiar with how competitive getting a residency in orthopedic surgery is. At the same time, I know there is no sure bet as to who will be successful. Is it completly hopeless though, for someone to get a residency who did not have any honors their first two years and scored average/just above average on Step 1? I think hearing the stories of people who were in a similar situation and managed to succeed would help. Any general suggestions would be great, too. Thanks!

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[ortho2003]

Step I is a key to landing ortho, but some manage to match without scores greater than 220. You are going to want to do well in your 3rd year rotations and take step II early. Most important, you will probably want to pick out a few smaller programs in your region (ortho is a very regional thing)to do aways. These can be community places, or smaller academic places, but the important thing is to kick butt on the rotation. Don't be a suck up, but work hard, don't complain, and try to get along well with the residents. Residents have a lot of say in the smaller programs. Also, try to find out who is one the selection committee and make sure to get in on some cases with them. Just knowing your interviewer makes the process much easier.

Good luck