Residency Application Advice

[realba11]

US DO, Step 1 243, COMLEX 712 (most don't care, I know).
Honors so far in third year. Top 10% in first two years.
Founded an ophtho club that was pretty involved.
Really good non-ophtho letter. Ophtho letter (advisor of our club).
Research/Publications:
Ophtho case report, hoping to publish in AJO Case Reports next year, also presenting at ACOOHNS Conference with a resident.
Ophtho related abstract, also presenting.
Ophtho book chapter on corticosteroids, published as co-author.

Planning on doing as many aways as I can not only to get my foot in the door, but trying to get case reports or do a research rotation.
Any advice from current applicants? Should I try an ophtho away research rotation to get more research numbers and maybe a letter in the process?

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[Cawolf]

Through the interview trail I did not see many DOs, but there were a few - so it will definitely be harder work for you than an MD, but you seem to already know that. Last year there were 54 DO seniors in the match, 42 who participated, and only 16 who matched (compared to 433 US MD seniors who matched).

Your clinical grades are solid and step is good, just below the matched mean. Your ECs sound on par, and although your research is on track, you would definitely benefit from having some completed projects (or at least farther along) to put on the app. Depending on your schedule you may be better off using rotation time for clinical ophthalmology rotations.

From an MD perspective, I think you need to do some killer aways at places you can realistically match at (i.e., they have matched a DO before, because many have not taken any) to get 3 strong ophthalmology letters from people who are known in the field. Hopefully you can get some input from DO applicants.

Best of luck!

 

[martianmonster]

US DO, Step 1 243, COMLEX 712 (most don't care, I know).
Honors so far in third year. Top 10% in first two years.
Founded an ophtho club that was pretty involved.
Really good non-ophtho letter. Ophtho letter (advisor of our club).
Research/Publications:
Ophtho case report, hoping to publish in AJO Case Reports next year, also presenting at ACOOHNS Conference with a resident.
Ophtho related abstract, also presenting.
Ophtho book chapter on corticosteroids, published as co-author.

Planning on doing as many aways as I can not only to get my foot in the door, but trying to get case reports or do a research rotation.
Any advice from current applicants? Should I try an ophtho away research rotation to get more research numbers and maybe a letter in the process?

You have a lot of good things going for you. Of course, being a DO will make things more difficult but absolutely not impossible. You should try to bolster your research with a few more manuscript publications. Then, do a some clinical away rotations at non-top tier places. It seems to me that these programs may be more likely to strongly consider someone who did well on an away rotation. And, of course, strong letters from these rotations would be very beneficial.