Roadmap for matching plastic Surgery

Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
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PlasticThrowAway

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Hi everyone,

I’m about to enter medical school in an unranked school. I know that because of this it may be more difficult to match into plastic surgery (which is my dream specialty, I needed reconstructive plastic surgery done in my past and it has been life changing).

I’m hoping for some information from anyone who’s matches integrated plastic surgery as to what they did through medical school in order to be competitive for this specialty so that I can ensure I’m competitive from day 1.

Thank you for all of your help everyone!
 
I'm also an incoming M1, but from what I understand, the most important (and obvious) advice you'll get is study hard and crush Step 1. Other than that, start doing some googling to figure out which attendings/residents you can shadow/seek mentorship from/possibly do research under. Get started with research in plastics (or at least surgery) right away. I'm sure other people will give better/more detailed advice. Good luck!
 
PlasticThrowAway said:
Hi everyone,

I’m about to enter medical school in an unranked school. I know that because of this it may be more difficult to match into plastic surgery (which is my dream specialty, I needed reconstructive plastic surgery done in my past and it has been life changing).

I’m hoping for some information from anyone who’s matches integrated plastic surgery as to what they did through medical school in order to be competitive for this specialty so that I can ensure I’m competitive from day 1.

Thank you for all of your help everyone!
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High Step 1 (at least 250, shoot for 255+)
Copious amounts of research (take a research year if needed)
AOA
Good Letters of Recommendation
Good 3rd year grades (Try to Honor as much as you can)
3-4 quality away rotations in Plastic Surgery

Since you're coming from an unranked school, a high step 1 is incredibly important, as is AOA.
 
Dermpire said:
High Step 1 (at least 250, shoot for 255+)
Copious amounts of research (take a research year if needed)
AOA
Good Letters of Recommendation
Good 3rd year grades (Try to Honor as much as you can)
3-4 quality away rotations in Plastic Surgery

Since you're coming from an unranked school, a high step 1 is incredibly important, as is AOA.
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damn this looks stressful af
 
Dermpire said:
High Step 1 (at least 250, shoot for 255+)
Copious amounts of research (take a research year if needed)
AOA
Good Letters of Recommendation
Good 3rd year grades (Try to Honor as much as you can)
3-4 quality away rotations in Plastic Surgery

Since you're coming from an unranked school, a high step 1 is incredibly important, as is AOA.
Click to expand...

So does ranking of a medical school mean a lot for getting into competitive residencies? I got a vibe from this forum that it doesn't really matter which medical school you go to as long as you work hard.
 
akimhaneul said:
So does ranking of a medical school mean a lot for getting into competitive residencies? I got a vibe from this forum that it doesn't really matter which medical school you go to as long as you work hard.
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Yes and No,

Medical School prestige does matter and it matters a lot.

Top Schools Match
-More competitive specialties in general
-More prestigious programs in noncompetitive specialties

At top schools you're given much more leniency in terms applications and can often get away with a lower step score, less research, not having AOA, compared to an equal student at a midtier or lower school.

That being said, midtier medical schools can and do match competitive specialties each year, however they match fewer students and it is much more rare to see them at super prestigious residencies.

So yes, some student at lets say North Dakota can become an orthopedic surgeon, but they'll work much harder and match at less prestigious programs, than if they attended a top 10 medical school.

The bias is real and it's pretty significant from what I've seen.
 
Dermpire said:
Yes and No,

Medical School prestige does matter and it matters a lot.

Top Schools Match
-More competitive specialties in general
-More prestigious programs in noncompetitive specialties

At top schools you're given much more leniency in terms applications and can often get away with a lower step score, less research, not having AOA, compared to an equal student at a midtier or lower school.

That being said, midtier medical schools can and do match competitive specialties each year, however they match fewer students and it is much more rare to see them at super prestigious residencies.

So yes, some student at lets say North Dakota can become an orthopedic surgeon, but they'll work much harder and match at less prestigious programs, than if they attended a top 10 medical school.

The bias is real and it's pretty significant from what I've seen.
Click to expand...

When you say mid tier do you mean anything below top 10 med?
 
akimhaneul said:
When you say mid tier do you mean anything below top 10 med?
Click to expand...

There's no great/perfect way to classify schools by rank. I think top 10 and 25 obviously have some very strong advantages when it comes to matching. Then the top 25-50 are good respectable schools with pretty good match lists, after 50 though things tend to get pretty generic and schools all kind of blend together. There is a bottom to the spectrum with some newer schools or ones that may really struggle, but I'd imagine these are few and far between.
 
My 2 cents FWIW

Step 1: Though many programs may use a certain number as a cut-off in terms of which applicants to review further or invite for interviews, I feel the majority of programs do not. Of the 77 integrated programs across the country, I firmly believe the majority will take the whole application into consideration. The only thing Step 1 is correlated to is in-service exams, no correlation to being a competent or caring physician. Do not let a mediocre step 1 score deter you from following your dreams. That being said, you have to be realistic and honest with yourself as well. Scoring below average will obviously hurt your chances. You can speak to your institutions program director or others to get a general gestalt for this.

Research: This depends on the type of program you're interested in, which range widely from clinically-heavy community programs to research-heavy academic powerhouses, or both. Obviously, programs that do not value research as much or have the infrastructure to support it will be less deterred by you having little to no research. On the flip side, having no research and applying to academic powerhouses will make you less attractive. I believe having research will only help you, whether its a simple poster/abstract at a regional conference, it shows dedication to the field and being able apply the scientific method to your interests. It also shows you didn't jump on the bandwagon last minute, though I do have co-applicants who committed to plastics only several months before ERAS was due and am 100% confident they'll match very successfully. Research will make you stand apart from your co-applicants who may all have the same academic stats as you.

AOA: This is hit or miss. Many med schools don't even have it. If your school has it, getting it will obviously help, but many have matched without it. Scoring well on Step 1 and honoring rotations will likely factor into this.

Ranking of your med school: I would say this is pretty low on factors that get applicants to match. It's what you make of your experience there that separates you from your peers. Going to a med school without a plastics program will be difficult, but far from impossible. You will just have to seek opportunities at institutions that do have programs, whether it be research or away rotations. Being at a med school with a very nationally-regarded plastics program will work to your advantage as long as your program can vouch for you and write you a decent letter. It's a very small field and everyone knows everyone.

Away rotations: Almost a requirement for plastics. The average is around 2-3. Any more is mentally and physically exhausting, not to mention a toll on the wallet. Rotate at institutions you'd be genuinely interested in. Statistically speaking, you have a much higher chance of matching at either your home institution or at a program you rotated at. If they're going to take you for 6-7 years, they're gonna bet their money on someone who they know can perform for a month, rather than superficial impressions from one interview day.

LORs: surveys of recent past sent to program directors seemed to identify LORs as one of the strongest indicators of successfully matching into integrated plastics. This is likely due to most applicants having strong academic backgrounds and scores, which is a poor indicator of personality. If someone nationally-reputable can vouch for you, that says something about your character that Step 1 and research may not.

What you can do by year (will vary by curriculum at certain schools like Duke which has a dedicated research year). The following is very general advice that you can find almost anywhere.
M1 - You're just getting your feet wet. Learn how to study for yourself in the most efficient way possible. P=MD, don't worry too much about scoring 99% on your courses. If your institution has a plastics program, maybe set up a meeting with the program director or with residents. They will always have good advice and may even have you hop onto research projects, and are almost always attentive to med students who are interested so early. Attend grand rounds: it may seem intimidating, but just being "that med student" who always shows up to grand rounds will make you known, and more part of the program.
M1 summer - try to hop on some research projects, but if not its nbd. Enjoy! Or if your school doesn't have a plastics program, maybe you can shadow some plastic surgeons at a nearby institution (I have no experience regarding this so I can't comment much).
M2 - More classes. More passes. Start figuring out your resources for Step 1 if you take it at the end of M2 year. UFaP (UW, FA, Pathoma) seems to be a pretty common combo.
M2 summer/M3 - This is probably when you start your clerkships. My secret to success was showing up on time (if you're not early, you're late), and smiling. I found it much less about how much I knew, rather than how much I got along with everyone around me. Start networking more within your plastics department. Get some advice as to your competitiveness and maybe which institutions you should set up aways at. VSAS opens pretty early and is usually first-come first serve (and a PITA with immunizations and such), so start looking around January of your M3 year.
Research Year - this will depend on you. I know many that took one, but many that also didn't. Most do it between M3/M4 year. Will depend on if you've done research before, what kind of programs you're interested in, if you want to do research in the future, infrastructure at your institution, etc.
M4 - away rotations, interviews, chill.

TL;DR
Work hard. Score well on Step 1. Do well on clerkships. Do research if it interests you and is available. Be known/network within your plastics department. Don't be "that gunner," be likeable.
There is no one path or roadmap to matching into plastics. Everything I've said could also be applied to virtually any other specialty. As I have, you will figure out most of the things as you go. Put your best foot forward and I have no doubt you'll find your version of success.
 
I just matched plastics from a mid-tier (according to USNR or whatever the acronym is) school. It is doable to match from any school, even those without integrated programs.

I won't beat a dead horse because I think you've gotten good advice here. I typed up a whole long response but decided it wasn't as good as @mastermind8490's so I deleted it. Just do your best to do well but try not to be too obnoxious about it. You may have your reasons for wanting to do plastics now, but you may also change your mind. I was really attached to another (non-competitive) specialty for about a decade and changed my mind mid M3 after rotating on both. You just never know.

That said, my short version advice is to focus on getting good preclinical grades (not because PDs care but because it is correlated with better step 1 performance and you'll be eligible for AOA). If you have time outside of studying, try to do a few research projects. Clinical projects are more likely to lead to pubs in the short term. Do as much research as possible during summer between M1 and M2. Do the best you can on Step 1 (obviously) keeping in mind the average score for plastics was 250 last time it was published by NRMP. Be likable in M3 and do well on your shelf exams (best prep for Step 2). Do 2-3 aways in M4 and get great letters from big names.

I didn't do a research year because I'm old, but I met some people on the interview trail who did and they had very productive years. I don't know how necessary it is if you do research throughout the preclinical years, especially summer after M1. I had 5-10 pubs without it and still matched, although most were in my original specialty of interest.
 
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Everything is pretty well covered above. You've gotta hit the ground running and do good work. Remember that if you don't match an integrated plastics program you still have the option of general surgery and then a plastics fellowship. Obviously that isn't ideal, but I'll bet there are a lot of unmatched ortha/uro/ent/ophtho applicants who would love to find another door into their chosen fields right about now.

I tend to take a slightly contrarian view on the value of medical school prestige, at least in surgical subs. While the names are certainly noticed, I think we all know that the name of your med school tells us little about your medical education and says more about your work in undergrad. None of us look at a mediocre application and let a lackluster performance slide because the applicant when to a top 5 school -- plenty of good applicants to pick from. For us, it's less about the name of the school and more the name of the people writing your letters. Top schools do tend to have more well known faculty and this is extremely helpful, but there are many highly regarded faculty scattered across the country at other programs. If your school has some well-known faculty in your field, then that will go a long way toward helping you match. If you don't, then you'll have to make those connections in other ways, usually through research and away rotations.

Overall, you simply can't relax and think p=md like many of your classmates can. Your faculty will try to give guidance about ECs and research and the like, and you'll have to ignore most of it and realize that doesn't apply to people gunning for highly competitive fields. You will also have to do your gunning in both surgery and plastics so you have a solid backup plan should you not direct match an integrated program.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone! I'm happy you all took the time to answer my questions for me.

doyouhaveaflag said:
I had 5-10 pubs without it and still matched
Click to expand...
5-10 pubs sounds like a lot. Is it common to have that many? I've been doing research for 3 years now and I don't even have one. (Granted my undergraduate PI hasn't published in 5 years, but I chose him because I liked his research). I'm hoping for 2 before I finish my gap year though. (One is going through data analysis now and the other is still coming off the ground but looks promising).

mastermind8490 said:
Don't be "that gunner," be likeable.
Click to expand...
I'm seeing that this is a really common post. I don't think I come off as a gunner. I would never sabotage a classmate or anything like that. In my undergrad, I was one of the biggest study group leaders and a bunch of people thank me for helping them pass their classes. Will I be viewed as a traditional gunner just because I'm trying to get into a competitive specialty?

Edit: Just for some school info, my school had 1 match in plastics for 2017 and none in 2015 or 2016.
 
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PlasticThrowAway said:
Thanks for the advice everyone! I'm happy you all took the time to answer my questions for me.


5-10 pubs sounds like a lot. Is it common to have that many? I've been doing research for 3 years now and I don't even have one. (Granted my undergraduate PI hasn't published in 5 years, but I chose him because I liked his research). I'm hoping for 2 before I finish my gap year though. (One is going through data analysis now and the other is still coming off the ground but looks promising).


I'm seeing that this is a really common post. I don't think I come off as a gunner. I would never sabotage a classmate or anything like that. In my undergrad, I was one of the biggest study group leaders and a bunch of people thank me for helping them pass their classes. Will I be viewed as a traditional gunner just because I'm trying to get into a competitive specialty?

Edit: Just for some school info, my school had 1 match in plastics for 2017 and none in 2015 or 2016.
Click to expand...

# pubs highly varies based on research year (yes/no), type of research you do (basic/clinical), the lab/mentor you have (prolific/not). I think less emphasis on total number of publications vs. your involvement in the project. For all I know, someone could have been named 7th author with no other contribution to the work aside from making the graphs in graphpad. I personally would value someone who has had 1 first author publication vs. someone who has 5 7th author papers. 5-10 may sound like a lot, but if you put in the work, simple case reports and small clinical papers can be done very quickly and will accumulate through your 4-5 yrs of med school. Basic science on the other hand will be more difficult. I'm assuming your undergrad PI is in basic science, so I'm sure you're aware of the publication environment regarding it.

If you've been doing research for 3 years now without one abstract or publication to show for it, I would reconsider working under that PI. As much as I hate to say it, you need to have deliverables for all the time/effort you put into the work. I would finish up the work you have with that PI, and then perhaps seek other PIs who may be a bit more prolific and are somehow related to plastic surgery.

No, you won't be viewed as a traditional gunner. It's all about how you carry yourself through med school. Humility goes a long long way.

1 per year is pretty average for most institutions. It ebbs and flows.
 
mastermind8490 said:
If you've been doing research for 3 years now without one abstract or publication to show for it, I would reconsider working under that PI. As much as I hate to say it, you need to have deliverables for all the time/effort you put into the work. I would finish up the work you have with that PI, and then perhaps seek other PIs who may be a bit more prolific and are somehow related to plastic surgery.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I left my undergraduate basic sciences research professor when I graduated (May 2017) and joined a translational research lab in October 2017. Although I don't have a publication from my undergraduate research lab, I do have 2 pending pubs in the translational lab (1 basic sciences and 1 clinical). I would likely be 2nd author on both of them, though since I work for a fellowship, and the fellows would be first author (I'm not exactly sure how it would work. The fellow plans the experiment and sees the patients, I do all of the lab work and data gathering (DNA extractions, PCRs, ELISAs), the fellow does the data analysis).
 
PlasticThrowAway said:
5-10 pubs sounds like a lot. Is it common to have that many? I've been doing research for 3 years now and I don't even have one. (Granted my undergraduate PI hasn't published in 5 years, but I chose him because I liked his research). I'm hoping for 2 before I finish my gap year though. (One is going through data analysis now and the other is still coming off the ground but looks promising).

I'm seeing that this is a really common post. I don't think I come off as a gunner. I would never sabotage a classmate or anything like that. In my undergrad, I was one of the biggest study group leaders and a bunch of people thank me for helping them pass their classes. Will I be viewed as a traditional gunner just because I'm trying to get into a competitive specialty?
Click to expand...
I don't think 5-10 was actually that many compared to some. If you don't include the two from my old career, it's closer to 5 than 10. I wrote 4 of them and was first author, but the ones I wrote were all clinical data analyses, a case report, and a review article. I only had 1 basic science paper during med school. With all those, I still only had about a third of my interviews come from research powerhouses (although other factors likely contributed).

The NRMP Charting the Outcomes data are the most useful in determining what you have to do to be competitive for various specialties, but I actually thought some data published recently by the AAMC had some good nuggets too: Data and Analysis - AAMC. If you scroll down to Plastic Surgery, you can see that the 90th percentile among new interns for number of abstracts, presentations, and publications was nearly 32. That's kinda nuts. I think mine was something like 13. So, there are some truly incredible applicants applying to those few integrated spots.

In terms of being interpreted as a "gunner", I think it depends on your definition of the word. I prefer to use it to refer only to those who truly aim to succeed using any means, including sabotaging others. I have met a couple of these, thankfully none in my class. I don't think you'll be that. However, I hear people saying all the time that those who have high goals and work hard are "gunning" for certain specialties (I really don't care for this use). People will likely accuse you of this. Some people may resent you for it. Oh well, it's their problem.
 
doyouhaveaflag said:
I don't think 5-10 was actually that many compared to some. If you don't include the two from my old career, it's closer to 5 than 10. I wrote 4 of them and was first author, but the ones I wrote were all clinical data analyses, a case report, and a review article. I only had 1 basic science paper during med school. With all those, I still only had about a third of my interviews come from research powerhouses (although other factors likely contributed).

The NRMP Charting the Outcomes data are the most useful in determining what you have to do to be competitive for various specialties, but I actually thought some data published recently by the AAMC had some good nuggets too: Data and Analysis - AAMC. If you scroll down to Plastic Surgery, you can see that the 90th percentile among new interns for number of abstracts, presentations, and publications was nearly 32. That's kinda nuts. I think mine was something like 13. So, there are some truly incredible applicants applying to those few integrated spots.

In terms of being interpreted as a "gunner", I think it depends on your definition of the word. I prefer to use it to refer only to those who truly aim to succeed using any means, including sabotaging others. I have met a couple of these, thankfully none in my class. I don't think you'll be that. However, I hear people saying all the time that those who have high goals and work hard are "gunning" for certain specialties (I really don't care for this use). People will likely accuse you of this. Some people may resent you for it. Oh well, it's their problem.
Click to expand...

Traditionally, Gunner has referred to somebody who would figuratively gun you down if they believe they will experience some sort of advantage as a result. Someone who will sabotage you to further their own goals.

It seems the recent generation of medical students has bastardized this term to now mean anyone with lofty goals who works hard.
 
When i worked in the ER an ICUs as a nurse, all the Plastics residents were perfect human specimens... female or male. So, as well as all the academic success you need i would say you need to be at least a 8.75 on the 0-10 attractiveness scale.

Not sure if this was just this hospital or if this is an across the board a requirement.
 
NickMT-RN said:
When i worked in the ER an ICUs as a nurse, all the Plastics residents were perfect human specimens... female or male. So, as well as all the academic success you need i would say you need to be at least a 8.75 on the 0-10 attractiveness scale.

Not sure if this was just this hospital or if this is an across the board a requirement.
Click to expand...
Lol, this was not universally my experience on the interview trail and on subIs (I def don’t qualify), but I will say the suit game was very strong on interviews. Especially us ladies, we looked classy and fashion forward.
 
NickMT-RN said:
When i worked in the ER an ICUs as a nurse, all the Plastics residents were perfect human specimens... female or male. So, as well as all the academic success you need i would say you need to be at least a 8.75 on the 0-10 attractiveness scale.

Not sure if this was just this hospital or if this is an across the board a requirement.
Click to expand...

Well that doesn't bode well for me, I'm probably a hard 3 (and by hard I mean on the eyes) hahaha.
 
My advice would be to wait until you start med school and shadow LOTS of different surg specialites, plus others. Your reasons for pursuing the field are very, very flimsy and (trust me) you will soon see how very wrong people (including myself) generally are about what they think they might want to do.

Long story short, do yourself a favour and actually do proper career exploration first
 
ConfusedChemist said:
My advice would be to wait until you start med school and shadow LOTS of different surg specialites, plus others. Your reasons for pursuing the field are very, very flimsy and (trust me) you will soon see how very wrong people (including myself) generally are about what they think they might want to do.

Long story short, do yourself a favour and actually do proper career exploration first
Click to expand...

Agreed. I thought I wanted to do medicine, then ped surg, then vascular surg, then urology before I landed on plastics. Most have no idea what they want to do going into med school, and just as many will change specialties throughout the first 3 years.

Maybe when you're scrubbed into a 14hr fibula free flap, then have to go back at some ungodly hour for a take-back because the flap is the same color of the merlot you drank right after...or the endless butt wounds...you may reconsider :uhno:
 
ConfusedChemist said:
My advice would be to wait until you start med school and shadow LOTS of different surg specialites, plus others. Your reasons for pursuing the field are very, very flimsy and (trust me) you will soon see how very wrong people (including myself) generally are about what they think they might want to do.

Long story short, do yourself a favour and actually do proper career exploration first
Click to expand...

That seems reasonable, and I did plan on checking out other areas of medicine when I was in school, I just want to be prepared to match plastics, and if I decide to switch, I'd be competitive for almost any other residency as well.

mastermind8490 said:
Agreed. I thought I wanted to do medicine, then ped surg, then vascular surg, then urology before I landed on plastics. Most have no idea what they want to do going into med school, and just as many will change specialties throughout the first 3 years.

Maybe when you're scrubbed into a 14hr fibula free flap, then have to go back at some ungodly hour for a take-back because the flap is the same color of the merlot you drank right after...or the endless butt wounds...you may reconsider :uhno:
Click to expand...

I don't know what half of that means, but its sounds difficult.
 
Dr. Scribe said:
Which school has the lowest rank?
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The bottom couple of schools are ranked as RANK NOT SHOWN on purpose so no one knows who's ranked the lowest. This is different from UNRANKED which just means the school refused to participate in rankings.
 
I agree with the above.

IF you have the necessary step score, and IF you actually like the OR/the thought of a brutal residency, and IF you can make yourself at least on the right side of average looking, then continue your pursuit of plastics. If just the first two, consider ortho. If 1st and 3rd, consider derm.

FWIW, I considered plastics and bailed. There were some aspects I really liked, but the aspects of plastics I didn’t like I really did not like (12h recon cases, the idea of using someone’s latissimus or rectus abdominis to fix a defect just seemed like solving one problem by creating another, long hours with minimal flexibility in residency and to some extent as a staff, plus tongue flaps (gross)).
 
LoGo said:
I agree with the above.

IF you have the necessary step score, and IF you actually like the OR/the thought of a brutal residency, and IF you can make yourself at least on the right side of average looking, then continue your pursuit of plastics. If just the first two, consider ortho. If 1st and 3rd, consider derm.

FWIW, I considered plastics and bailed. There were some aspects I really liked, but the aspects of plastics I didn’t like I really did not like (12h recon cases, the idea of using someone’s latissimus or rectus abdominis to fix a defect just seemed like solving one problem by creating another, long hours with minimal flexibility in residency and to some extent as a staff, plus tongue flaps (gross)).
Click to expand...

Haha, that was just a bit of self deprecating humor. I'm pretty sure I'm on the right side of average looking (at least that's what I've been told). I do have one really ****ed up looking hand though. Normal motion in it, thankfully.
 
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ConfusedChemist said:
My advice would be to wait until you start med school and shadow LOTS of different surg specialites, plus others. Your reasons for pursuing the field are very, very flimsy and (trust me) you will soon see how very wrong people (including myself) generally are about what they think they might want to do.

Long story short, do yourself a favour and actually do proper career exploration first
Click to expand...

On a more serious note this is actually a super important point. You actually have no idea what PRS actually entails right now. You think you do, but you don't. Wait until you get on the service and have to cover hand call, facial trauma call and general plastics call. Wait until you start scrubbing free flaps that go 10 hours and then get venous congestion that requires a take back. Wait until you get pounded with a never-ending sea of sacral decubitus consults on chronic trach/PEGs w/ a microbial zoo of stuff growing on them. Wait until you scrub abdominal wall recons for loss of domain. Just wait. Do go rotate and see what it's like. Do as well as you can on your grades and boards. Do keep an open mind. Also remember to have fun along the way. Cheers.
 
Syncrohnize said:
It very much does if you care about prestige.
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FPKRSi3Yqf_1411114747355.jpg
 
Just do the best job you can at everything you can while not losing your mind, then pick whatever specialty you like.
 
Sharing this webpage that has a lot of great info for applicants, program reviews ,interview swaps, etc.
PRSresident. net
 
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I'm in derm, but I heavily considered plastics and even have plastics research... I think the most important thing (besides the scores) is research, and also networking. They kind of go hand in hand because you build a nice network through doing research, but you need at least 13-15 research experiences to be considered competitive, you will need to crush your rotations (especially surgery), and you will need amazing letters... also do at least one away rotation... doing all of these things will give you a shot at matching... the people that apply are all superstars
 
Good advice here. Better to aim for plastics now and get specialty-specific pubs in and then find out you'd rather do a less competitive field (yes, the nitpickers will say other fields may raise their eyebrows when they see so many plastics pubs, but in general, if you're a strong applicant, it won't stop you from matching). Research doesn't have to be high-impact basic science pubs (although it's always impressive if you have one of those). Clinical research is faster and quick reviews or even reports still count towards the numbers you see reported.

The best thing you can do is network with your home program early. In our residency, the friendly and normal med students who were visible in our department over 4 years tended to do the best - even if they didn't stay here, the program leadership was more willing to make calls or write very strong letters for them. Plus the networking will open up research opportunities for you. When I get an idea for a writeup, it tends to get offered first to the student who's been around the most.

It's good to have a plan in place and work for it, but don't be inflexible. There's a good chance you'll find something else that catches your interest, so stay open to new fields.
 
I'd like to invite you to check out this webpage:

www.PRSresident.net

It is a great resource containing:
-Compilation of program reviews from multiple sources including online forums
-Interview tracking
-Interview swap forum
-Sharing places to stay during the trail
-Space for posting the match results.
-Resources for residents in early stages (work in progress)

I'm sure this will be very helpful to future applicants!
 
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Tips for Matching into Ophthalmology
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