Quoted: Residency Trouble

[NotAProgDirector]

Hello...

I just graduated from a caribbean med school this year. I did well in basic sciences, got a 191 on step 1, and did well in clinical rotations. I have one problem though... i failed step 2 twice. I had applied for last year's match for peds and had a few interviews before i took the exam. I went to the interviews and they went well. But when i failed twice, I had to withdraw from the match.

So this time I decided to enroll in a review course. And i've tried to change my study method. I hope things work out this time. I'm at a loss for words because most of med school went well for me. Any advice as to what else I can do???

Also... I would like to discuss my chances of attaining a residency position for 2008 if I get thru the exam this time. I have decided to apply for Family Med this time. I have a strong application and letters of rec. What are my chances of getting interviews and actually matching into a program??? I am not looking into anything in particular. The program doesn't have to be a university program. I will take what I can get. I will apply to all sorts of programs all over the US. I would prefer to be in New Jersey. Do you any idea how competitive NJ is???

I am planning on taking the exam in the middle of October. I will not get my results until the middle of November. So when should I apply to programs??? I figure if I apply before getting my results, most programs will see that I failed step 2 twice and just reject me on the spot. Any opinions as to if my thought process is valid??? And any advice as to what I should do???

I want to discuss one more thing. Hopefully I will get thru the exam this time. What should I do with my time off??? I'll have about 7-8 months off from the time I take the exam to hopefully starting residency in July 2008. Should I look into research, volunteer in a doctor's office, etc???

I really appreciate someone taking the time out to help me out. Hope to hear from someone soon. Thanks in advance...

1. Given that you're an IMG who has failed Step 2 twice, it is unlikely that many programs will consider you for a spot until they see that you've passed Step 2.

2. Mid November is already a bit late in the application cycle, but not too late. Programs interview through Dec and Jan, and some into Feb. If you fail Step 2 again, you will not have enough time to take it again. In addition, many states require that you pass all of your steps in 3 tries to get a full license -- this will not stop you from getting a training license for a residency, but might prevent you from working in some states.

3. If you think you will get your scores in early November, it might be best to wait until your score is in. If not, then I think you should apply on time, before Nov 1st. If a program rejects you and then you get a passing score on Step 2, you can always contact them (via ERAS email) to look at your application again. Ask nicely, once.

4. You should obviously try to do was well as possible on Step 2. Your Step 1 score is not stellar -- at about the 11th percentile nationally. A score >200 will help tremendously.

5. All states have programs with different levels of competitiveness. There is no simple way to measure this. However, you can review last year's match data, which I have posted here. You should look for programs that had open spots in the match, and compare the number of spots in the match with those listed in FREIDA -- if FREIDA > Match then they offered pre-match positions, another sign of a less competitive program.

6. With your time off, probably clinical experience is the most useful thing. If you are interested in NJ, getting some experience and "face time" at some NJ programs you hope to match to may be a helpful start, although this is sometimes hard to do once you have graduated from medical school. Another option is to delay graduation and do away rotations in NJ hospitals (you would still be classified as a student, which would allow you to do anothe Sub-I, etc). Many of the Carrib schools already rotate in NY and NJ programs, so this may be less necessary for you.

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