Panicked About My Score

[sparklystu]

I'm super scared about my USMLE Step 1 Score. It's only a 208

I'm not looking to match into a super-competitive field. Thinking about Pediatrics, ER, or Physical Med/Rehabilitation. I'm an M3 at a US MD program. Please help me, I just feel so scared and panicked and freaked out. Ideally would like to match at a place like UMass or UConn or some academic center, but not geographically partial to any place. I just suggested those 2 because I'm in New England. Just please someone reassure me that all is not lost and I have a chance at matching into residency somewhere.

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[Please_Stand_By]

I've glanced at pleeenty of residency stats online (mostly internal med) and their numbers mostly ranged from 200-220...I think you'll be fine. It's not like you scored a 200. Peds, IM, Psychiatry, PM/R are totally doable.

 

[Board Vitals]

I concur with the above poster. The most recent Charting Outcomes ( http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Charting-Outcomes-2014-Final.pdf ) shows that there are literally hundreds of applicants with scores similar to yours who still managed to match in Pediatrics and other similarly competitive specialties. Matching into EM will be more difficult with a low step score, but not impossible. The important thing now is to do as well as you can during your MS3 year (be personable, work hard, be willing and ready to help your residents and fellow students, study your patients and for the shelf exam, get honors) and on Step 2. If you do those things, you will definitely increase your chances of matching into your choice program, especially in less-competitive fields. Good luck, and I hope this helps! - M.D. author/editor with BoardVitals