Recent switch as M4 to Rads

[jyoudan]

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Obviously, many threads similar to this have been posted, but some posts are dated, and I havent been able to find quite everything I need so hoping for a little help.

Going to a mid-tier school on the East Coast, female, Step 1 250, few non-rads pubs and presentations. M3 clerkships, 4 H, 2 HP. Non planning to take Step 2 until Nov, dont think it could help me to take it early. Getting letters in surg, vasc surg, IM, and rads.

I want to go back to the west coast for residency, lots of family in cali and hawaii. But since I'm not in a west coast med school, my advisors arnt too sure about programs other than the big names. Can I even consider something like UCSF? Approx how many programs should I apply to be safe? 40-60? Also generally how many TY or prelims programs do you recommend applying to? I switched from surg to rads, so Im interested in IR but not sure if appropriate to mention in application, as maybe ill like something else in DR. Still wondering which west coast programs have good IR fellowships.

Obviously very lost and any help would be much appreciated.

 

[maxxor]

With a 250, just apply. 250, good M3 grades, and to be frank, female gender, you've got a lot going for you. At the "top" programs, there's a definite gender imbalance. If you can get working on a rads research project between now and interviews, it will help as you'll have something to talk about other than "well, I was surgical, but am thinking IR" as that's a tired shtick.

I had similar stats as you (260s, 6/8 Honors, late switcher, originally was applying Ortho, took step 2CK in Nov). I applied to 20-25 Rads programs all over the US and 15 or so TY/Prelim programs. In the end, I did 27 interviews total, roughly 50-50 rads/TY. If you want to be in Cali, apply to all the academic radiology programs (UCs, Stanford, etcetc) and some of the good community ones (SCVMC is supposedly decent).

 

[Puff-of-Snow Sign]

As usual, I agree with maxxor. Many of us (including me) who successfully applied to rads are surgery converts...often during the 4th year, same as you. Don't belabor the point in your PS or on your interviews, but there's no shame in it. Addressing it in some fashion will allow you to explain why you don't have 4 years worth of rads-oriented pubs/activities on your CV. In the long run, having a surgical slant in your background will make it easier for you to interpret studies ordered by surgeons, because you have a better idea of what they want to know (or WTF they've done to the gut/spine/brain/etc.).