Red flags on my application, concerned about interviews

[hugofitch]

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Hi,

I am a US M.D. fourth year student in the Midwest who is applying to psychiatry programs. I have been perusing tons of threads on here and I'm freaking myself out, I think. I know many of you are top candidates and have been getting a lot of interview offers, but I'm not doing so hot. I'm applying for the 2015 match and I've had a rough medical school career:

1. Year off between first and second year for personal reasons
2. USMLE Step I failure by 7 points, passed with 202 on second attempt but school required a year off between second and third year
3. Step 2 CK 216, will get Step 2 CS results this month

I have applied to 61 programs (I added 9 today) and I only have two interviews so far (one from my home institution). However, my application is lacking 2 of the 3 letters of rec. The second should be in next week and the third before the end of the month. I researched all of the 61 programs and made sure that I met their USMLE Step requirements and stuff like that. None of them are in the "highly competitive" group of programs, as far as I can tell.

1. Do you think my lack of interviews is simply because I am lacking two letters still?
2. Do you think there will be any interview spots available by the time my letters are in?
3. Should I apply to more programs now or wait until the end of the month to see what offers I might get once my app is complete?

Thanks for any advice/opinions. I've found myself on SDN over the past 6+ years but this is my first post. I am worried.

 

[johnhoedack]

Wait a bit before starting to freak out. Lots of people only have a couple of interview offers so far. It's still quite early in the process.

 

[psychattending]

I suspect that most programs were waiting on the Dean's letter (It came out Oct 1) before really looking at your application. It is good that your have CK under your belt already. I do not low how much the LORs are preventing people from looking at your app. If your letter writers are tardy in writing them, you could encourage them a little.

As of right now I would no worry too much. I would think that the vast majority of programs will start doing the bulk of invitations in the next 30 days.

 

[bonvivant07]

Hopefully you received more interviews. I'm freaking out a bit too 🤔, no red flags as far as I can tell but not as many invites as I had hoped for.

 

[Iggy0926]

Hopefully you received more interviews. I'm freaking out a bit too 🤔, no red flags as far as I can tell but not as many invites as I had hoped for.

same here 🙁

 

[OldPsychDoc]

We don't invite without LORs--interview slots are too scarce to invest in people where we can't see some endorsements of the student's aptitude for psychiatry.

 

[hugofitch]

Thanks for the feedback. I have several offers now even with one letter yet to be submitted. I knew my last letter would be delayed until next week. Having applied to 61 programs now, I feel I'll receive my personally set minimum of 12 offers by the end of the season. Hang in there, guys!

 

[feliberti20]

Same here. I have had no invites. I am ECFMG certified. I have 1 red flag and that is for multiple attempts on Step 2CS . I am a disabled vet and Step 2CS was a physically hard to me to pass. It took several months of typing lessons and working at an urgent care center full time for me to become efficient enough on the Patient Note for me to pass. I don't like making excuses but how else do I let PD's know this without seeming whiny? I did pass Step 1 and 2CK on the first attempt. Any advice?

 

[feliberti20]

I am having the same issue, or a little worse. I passed Step 1 and 2CK on the first try and have great LoR's BUT my 1 red flag is due to multiple attempts on Step 2CS. Step 2CS was physically difficult for me due to my status as a disabled veteran and those disabilities affecting my exam performance. I eventually succeeded in passing by spending several months taking typing lessons and working at an urgent care center full time examining patients and becoming more efficient in writing a patient note. I have not mentioned this in my application because I don't want to seem whiny. I figured that being ECFMG certified along with other highlights in my application would be enough.

And yet I have yet to receive 1 invite with over 50 places that I have applied to. My last resort is to go to the conference in SF at the end of this month and see if I can successfully network with various PD's. I would really appreciate any advice as time is definitely not in my side.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

By "multiple attempts" you're talking >2 fails, yes? That in an FMG is going to be a kiss of death unless you have a really strong letter (preferably 2) that specifically say something like "I was surprised to hear of feliberti's difficulty with the CS exam, as in my experience with them they were always ...., etc...." Otherwise it is going to be very hard to rise above the hundreds of FMGs without that particular red flag. You may have to work hard to set up some clinical experience in the coming year, maybe take (and NAIL) Step 3...

(Sorry, but I'd also keep my expectations low about just how helpful IPS will be for networking with PDs, too.)

 

[feliberti20]

By "multiple attempts" you're talking >2 fails, yes? That in an FMG is going to be a kiss of death unless you have a really strong letter (preferably 2) that specifically say something like "I was surprised to hear of feliberti's difficulty with the CS exam, as in my experience with them they were always ...., etc...." Otherwise it is going to be very hard to rise above the hundreds of FMGs without that particular red flag. You may have to work hard to set up some clinical experience in the coming year, maybe take (and NAIL) Step 3...

(Sorry, but I'd also keep my expectations low about just how helpful IPS will be for networking with PDs, too.)

Thanks for the advice. I think, right now, I am willing to try anything that works. I have a family (wife and 2 kids) to support and as I am pushing 40, I need to be able to find that one program that will give me a shot. My LoR's mention my altruism, my work as vice president for the students, etc.. and are overall excellent letters. I know that my application may have the "kiss of death" with the Step 2CS but the rest of my body of work speaks for itself. I was even able to secure a letter from the Dean of my medical school (hard to do) due to being an active member of the medical school community. Currently, I am writing emails to program coordinators and pleading my case.

 

[Darkskies]

Thanks for the advice. I think, right now, I am willing to try anything that works. I have a family (wife and 2 kids) to support and as I am pushing 40, I need to be able to find that one program that will give me a shot. My LoR's mention my altruism, my work as vice president for the students, etc.. and are overall excellent letters. I know that my application may have the "kiss of death" with the Step 2CS but the rest of my body of work speaks for itself. I was even able to secure a letter from the Dean of my medical school (hard to do) due to being an active member of the medical school community. Currently, I am writing emails to program coordinators and pleading my case.

I don't really have much to add but I just wanted to commiserate with you on your situation. I hope everything goes well for you and that you can land a spot as it seems based on your story that your disability interceded on an otherwise good application. Don't give up and please keep us updated!