Research year between M3 and M4

[ciestar]

Is this only a good idea if you’re gunning for competitive stuff and want to bolster your application?

Right now, I have no clue what I really even want to do. I have zero research ever and a crap step 1 score. (Specialties I am mulling over: FM, peds, OB, and psych). Would this help me?

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[Black Coffee 24/7]

You don’t need research to match to any of these fields with you 21x Step 1, your stated gender, and your MD status.

 

[afib123]

No - unless you want the best programs in the country even then just research with nothing else will likely not help you too much. Work on doing well on step 2, doing well on sub-i's and M3 grades.

I am not saying it's not a good idea but if your only reason to take a research year is to make yourself competitive, I probably wouldn't a waste a year to do that considering I can match into those specialities without taking a year off

 

[libertyyne]

you should match FM /PEDS no problem.

OB and Psych will require you to put in facetime at your home departments for great letters and hopefully they will just take you. Getting some research out in psych or OB would be a good idea as well IMO.

 

[ciestar]

No - unless you want the best programs in the country even then just research with nothing else will likely not help you too much. Work on doing well on step 2, doing well on sub-i's and M3 grades.

I am not saying it's not a good idea but if your only reason to take a research year is to make yourself competitive, I probably wouldn't a waste a year to do that considering I can match into those specialities without taking a year off

Im trying to. No honors grades yet, though. But only because the shelf cutoff and not my actual clinical grades.. but i do fine on shelf exams and I sizably pass them all. (2 HP and 1 P). I’m delaying M4 a block in May to take Step 2.

I’ve been all doom and gloom lately about my chances again, that is all. I’m anticipating a bigger obstacle with my regional preferences.

A classmate mentioned doing a research year because she doesn’t know what she wants to do, but I suspect she did well on Step 1 and a research year makes more sense.

 

[ciestar]

you should match FM /PEDS no problem.

OB and Psych will require you to put in facetime at your home departments for great letters and hopefully they will just take you. Getting some research out in psych or OB would be a good idea as well IMO.

Hopefully I kill my sub-i in OB, then. I love the people at the hospital I am doing my OB clerkship at as well. Psych is probably the bottom of my list of those. Should I be pushing to get a LOR on my OB clerkship now?

I am also considering the FM with OB fellowship route. Idk how competetive that is though.

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

I don’t think a research year will help

Your self admitted step 1 and clinical grades will hold you back from top programs whether you take a research year or not

A research year likely won’t help with the programs that would accept your grades


You will be fine to match in those specialties as is, as long as you apply broadly

It’s tough to decide your specialty if you’re between fields, maybe pick the one with best lifestyle

Make sure you do well on step 2though

 

[ciestar]

I don’t think a research year will help

Your self admitted step 1 and clinical grades will hold you back from top programs whether you take a research year or not

A research year likely won’t help with the programs that would accept your grades


You will be fine to match in those specialties as is, as long as you apply broadly

It’s tough to decide your specialty if you’re between fields, maybe pick the one with best lifestyle

Make sure you do well on step 1 though

Yeah, wasn’t expecting anything to help for top programs, because nothing will. I messed up hugely with Step 1.

I guess High Passes arent good enough either? Great.

Lifestyle is what makes me hesistant towards an OBGYN residency.

 

[Black Coffee 24/7]

OBGYN isn't competitive.



See that link for current II environment

 

[studentdocftw]

210+ on Step 1 and MD..you shouldn't have an issue matching those specialties (psych is getting more popular). If you want to get more competitive...research will certainly help. But to what degree nobody can say....though for the specialties you mentioned research isn't required. I'd personally focus on getting better clinically...notes, physical exam, differential, plan, etc. and really start narrowing down your specialty choice. ERAS will be here before you know it...it's time to commit to something and work towards it. See your career counselor.

 

[ciestar]

210+ on Step 1 and MD..you shouldn't have an issue matching those specialties (psych is getting more popular). If you want to get more competitive...research will certainly help. But to what degree nobody can say....though for the specialties you mentioned research isn't required. I'd personally focus on getting better clinically...notes, physical exam, differential, plan, etc. and really start narrowing down your specialty choice. ERAS will be here before you know it...it's time to commit to something and work towards it. See your career counselor.

I’m likely counting out psych because of Step 1 and me being regionally selective.

Here’s the thing... my clinical evals are excellent. It is the shelf score that holds me back.

As far as committing, i have a peds sub-i, fm sub-i, and obgyn sub-i lined up before ERAS is due. I also have an outpatient peds elective and another peds elective I am probably dropping in favor of something else. So hopefully after that, I will have a good idea.

 

[libertyyne]

I’m likely counting out psych because of Step 1 and me being regionally selective.

Here’s the thing... my clinical evals are excellent. It is the shelf score that holds me back.

As far as committing, i have a peds sub-i, fm sub-i, and obgyn sub-i lined up before ERAS is due. I also have an outpatient peds elective and another peds elective I am probably dropping in favor of something else. So hopefully after that, I will have a good idea.

i wouldnt count out psych if you are interested, psych doesnt seem to put much emphasis on board scores.

By default you will be able to match FM, peds, with some legwork and bulding relationships you should be able to match OBGYN and Psych.

Pick the path and work hard it will all work out.

 

[bananafish94]

As another M3 my opinion doesn't hold much weight but I think it would be a bad idea that would only raise more questions. None of those specialties are particularly research-intensive and I doubt they would be moved much by a research year. You should be able to match into pediatrics and FM without any issues at all. I wouldn't anticipate any significant problems with OB or psychiatry overall, but they are smaller and obviously more competitive. Some OB programs have surprisingly high Step 1 requirements if you scan FREIDA. But the statistics don't lie and you would still have a very strong chance of matching somewhere - I would probably start with your home program and programs in the vicinity where your school might carry more weight and think about a sub-I or something like that. You will be fine! We're all going to be okay!