Research Year for Psych in SoCal

[TheOther]

I'm a 4th year DO student with slightly above average stats:

-Step 1: high 230s/640s
-Step 2 CS equivalent passed
-Taking Step 2 soon, on track for 245+
-Couple pubs not psych
-One strong community psych letter, and another strong anesthesia letter

I last minute decided to not pursue a surgical subspecialty and I'm currently between two fields, one being psych. Apart from figuring out my specialty, my #1 priority is staying in Southern California (LA/OC area) as my wife's work is here as well as our entire support system. But I also know California is insanely competitive and there's no guarantee -- I plan to apply broadly (60-70 programs).

All of that said, would taking a research year to work with well-known faculty in SoCal be helpful in increasing my chances of matching here? Because of the late consideration, my personal statement and CV are pretty weak for psych, and I don't want to be disingenuous. My only psych experience is outpatient too. The goals would be to get some research pubs, build a solid relationship with a psych mentor, make connections throughout the year, volunteer in the psych department wherever I do research, and get on applying for sub-i's early next cycle -- all with the goal of matching psychiatry at a strong academic program in CA.

Long-term goals: I had a career in research prior to med school so I'm open to working in academics to teach and do research. But I'm also open to just practicing community psych.

Thoughts?

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[nitemagi]

Definitely figure out what you want. If you have to take a year to do that, your clarity of focus will help your application.

A waffling application is noticeable to the selection committee.

 

[hallowmann]

It will also help to have some Psych (or whichever specialty you choose) ECs for when you apply, which you could absolutely get in that extra year. You would be in a good place to match, even in CA, you just have to have better focus on your app for the specialty you want like the poster above said.

 

[quiet pines]

Can you try to find what in psych research you want to do? Flesh that out more and make it a focus on your application, just stay true to yourself.

 

[TheOther]

Thanks for the responses so far. It's definitely reassuring to hear that it would be beneficial, at the very least, in giving me clarity as well as time to show my commitment to the field.

Can you try to find what in psych research you want to do? Flesh that out more and make it a focus on your application, just stay true to yourself.

Do you mean for an application next cycle or this one?

 

[OldPsychDoc]

All of that said, would taking a research year to work with well-known faculty in SoCal be helpful in increasing my chances of matching here? Because of the late consideration, my personal statement and CV are pretty weak for psych, and I don't want to be disingenuous. My only psych experience is outpatient too. The goals would be to get some research pubs, build a solid relationship with a psych mentor, make connections throughout the year, volunteer in the psych department wherever I do research, and get on applying for sub-i's early next cycle -- all with the goal of matching psychiatry at a strong academic program in CA.

Sounds like a great plan for spending next year if you happen to NOT match in psych. There's still time to do some of that networking and strengthen your app for this fall, though--and you have considerable strengths to build on here.

Your dilemma will be at the time of ranking--e.g. whether to rank some likely matches outside of your preferred geographic area vs. a higher probability of going unmatched, whether or not to apply to a second specialty (anesthesia?) in that geographic area, etc.

 

[NontradCA]

Are you saying to not enter the match and do research instead? That’s a bad idea. The above advice given by oldpsychdoc is good.