Scoring 1.5-2 SD below the mean intentionally

[baylafan]

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MS1 who is 1000% commited to psych at a mid-high US MD school. I've been intentionally diverting time from classes towards building relationships with potential letter writers, getting psychiatry experience, STEP, and extracurriculars. As a result, I score 1.5-2 SD below the mean, but I'm not in danger of failing.

My MS2 big who wants to go into PM&R told me that he regrets studying so much for classes and not STEP, which I've also seen reiterated on SDN. I've also read in this psych forum and heard from a resident that most of what is taught in med school is not useful for psychiatrists. And lastly, I don't feel motivated to study the other systems a ton because of lack of interest.

Ultimately, my goal is to match in the area of my med school, but not at a top top program. Am I doing too poorly in my classes? Thanks.

Edit: Changed 2 SD to 1.5-2 SD

 

[ERK123]

I sort of have a hard time believing that you are scoring in the bottom 2% of the class and not at all in danger of failing. I would not recommend too much hyper-focus on your psych path this early in medical school as I think it will make you resent your medical education and that will make these next several years miserable.

 

[baylafan]

I sort of have a hard time believing that you are scoring in the bottom 2% of the class and not at all in danger of failing. I would not recommend too much hyper-focus on your psych path this early in medical school as I think it will make you resent your medical education and that will make these next several years miserable.

I changed it to 1.5-2 SD since that was more accurate. Failing is 70 and I've been averaging 80. Class average is 90. Thank you for your input.

 

[Stagg737]

Are you at risk of failing? If so, then yes.

It's still important to have a non-psychiatric medical education. Without that background there's not really anything separating you from many mid-levels. Our job is to understand more than just mental health problems, and focusing solely on that does both your patients and yourself a disservice.

 

[Psychresy]

Without a good base of knowledge studying for step is going to be much more difficult. I would try to do better in classes if I were you.

 

[baylafan]

Are you at risk of failing? If so, then yes.

It's still important to have a non-psychiatric medical education. Without that background there's not really anything separating you from many mid-levels. Our job is to understand more than just mental health problems, and focusing solely on that does both your patients and yourself a disservice.

I agree that it is important for psychiatrists to have a solid non-psychiatric medical education, hence my STEP studying.

 

[ERK123]

I changed it to 1.5-2 SD since that was more accurate. Failing is 70 and I've been averaging 80. Class average is 90. Thank you for your input.

I wouldn’t be stressing about scoring around 80. A class average of 90 is wild. Our class average was generally in the low 80’s during M1/M2.

 

[adaptation1]

Wouldn't overthink it....don't fail and do well on steps and show sustained in interest in psych and you're golden. I have never heard anyone getting a lower score intentionally, though.

 

[Psychresy]

I agree that it is important for psychiatrists to have a solid non-psychiatric medical education, hence my STEP studying.

fwiw, very very little you learn in the first two years, and particularly on step 1, is going to give you much real-life medical knowledge that will be useful on the wards as an intern. Try to do your best and learn as much as you can in 3rd and 4th year.

 

[Bartelby]

Simply in terms of becoming more competitive for the match meeting with possible letter writers, getting some psych experience, and most extracurriculars will not make you much more competitive. Exceptions to this would be things like publishing impressive research. If you find yourself scoring at the bottom of your class in the pre-clinical years you are relatively likely to find yourself underperforming on the step exam as well. As others have mentioned, you will also likely regret the poor engagement the first two years if you choose to go for a different specialty (as many medical students ultimately do).

Bottom line, take things one step at a time and try to excel each step of the way. I think you are getting ahead of yourself and unfortunately likely making yourself less competitive despite good intentions.

 

[Stagg737]

I agree that it is important for psychiatrists to have a solid non-psychiatric medical education, hence my STEP studying.

Already been mentioned, but a lot of what is on Step 1 becomes somewhat irrelevant later on (especially in psych). Exceptions being pharm interactions, neuro, and some biochemistry imo.

 

[deleted980662]

Wait—why focus on the USMLE at all if you're an MS1? It should be pass/fail for you, so there's not much reason to study outside of dedicated. Make it easier on yourself and just focus on class.

 

[baylafan]

Wait—why focus on the USMLE at all if you're an MS1? It should be pass/fail for you, so there's not much reason to study outside of dedicated. Make it easier on yourself and just focus on class.

It almost certainly will be P/F for me, but I want to do well on STEP 1 anyway so that I can get a good 2CK score.

 

[phagocytosis41]

Why are you building Psych relationships as an MS1? That's severely premature and ill advised if you're scoring 1.5 - 2 SD below whatever metric you're describing. Sure you can do that if you're doing well in school, but you're not according to that metric you're describing. I don't know what metric that is, but you shouldn't even be doing that you're doing now until at least MS3 starts for you.
By the way nobody can judge your competency as a future resident which I believe is your purpose of establishing 'relationships.' Connections in Psych are really meaningful when they can judge your clinical experience when you're on rotations as an MS3 and MS4.. not as a MS1 who barely started learning the basic sciences. I mean it's probably a red flag for an MS1 to be doing this as it shows desperation. I mean what possibly could these 'relationships' see in you besides 'showing interest in psych.' They probably would think you're immature for thinking too far ahead. The smart thing would be to study and try to do ECs/Research after you studied hard as an MS1.
The whole purpose of MS1-MS2 is to study to get a good grasp on the basic sciences, thats it. You can pretend that's not the purpose but it is. Sure ECs, research, etc helps, but the main focus in MS1-MS2 is to study, hence why you take Step 1 and not interview for residencies at the end of MS2. The purpose of MS3-MS4 is to do what you're doing now. You have other things to do at the moment that you're not giving much attention to.

 

[Stagg737]

It almost certainly will be P/F for me, but I want to do well on STEP 1 anyway so that I can get a good 2CK score.

A lot of STEP 1 info becomes low yield or even irrelevant for Step 2. For step 2 focus on your clinical education and do NBOMEs. Solid Step 1 certainly won't hurt, but Idk how much more beneficial than just studying for classes it is in terms of Step 2 correlation.

 

[whopper]

So much in medical school is useful in psychiatry. E.g. all of pharmacology, physiology, pathology is useful. Biochemistry is definitely useful. And the stuff that you might not think as useful for psych will creep back on you when you do consults. Things that might not seem important are important to understand the later stuff. E.g. you need histology to better understand pathology.

Networking isn't so important your first few years of medschool unless it's to get things such as a more favorable study-partner, friendship, better notes, copies of an old test or a girlfriend or boyfriend.

Networking among students other than above will not help much. All of these students are studying till they drop and can't offer you keys to any kingdom other than the above. They'll be off to residency in fields mostly not psychiatry and you'll likely not see any of them again. Even if you do it's not like it's high school where you think fondly (or the opposite) of these people for the rest of your life. High school is a time where lots of Jungian symbols are neurologically established, so the high school class leaves a foundation-impression on you for decades. Doesn't happen in medschool, and on top of it a lot of people in medschool are seriously lacking in the personality department. Most people that are fun to be with don't get into medical school. Same with professors. The anatomy professor won't be able to help you much if at all. I'm not saying close any doors, don't do that but don't waste energy networking unless it's low-hanging fruit in the early stages.

 

[deleted980662]

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[whopper]

I went from being in a fraternity and involved in university politics where people were fun, passionate, lots of good looking girls to medschool where most people IMHO had traits of a cluster A or C personality disorder, a party after the exam were a bunch of heterosexual guys with cologne dancing not putting together it was a sausage fest with no girls around, and many were on track to be 40 year-old virgins.

I took a year off from medical school, and the bottom line was to unwind and have fun and live life for real. During that time I dated some nice women, made a lot of money, and enjoyed hanging out with my college buddies who were moving along to more refined stages. E.g. instead of partying at the fraternity house, I'd hang out with a fraternity brother who was newly married to his college girlfriend and it'd be more of a wine and cheese thing. It was very healthy for me and gave me a good perspective to re-enter school.

So it's a few years later and I'm at Columbia U interviewing for a forensic fellow position and Paul Applebaum very astutely noticed I took time off (most people didn't even notice it), and said in a very dry manner, "why should we take you if you took a year off." I responded (really not caring if he saw this as a mark against me), and said something to the effect of "I wasn't aware of any evidence showing that taking a year off correlated with poor performance as a physician. I thought it was a good experience for me. I lived life and recharged my psychological batteries." He retorted, "I have several applicants here who didn't take a year off who are applying for the same position."

Hey, I didn't care. No disrespect to Applebaum who is a titan in the field. To me this wasn't a you got to one-up everyone thing. I already knew I got into a fellowship I wanted to get into. I also was told by other NYC fellows that Columbia despite the Ivy-League rep wasn't the one the fellows thought was the best one after they graduated since so many of them knew each other and did several of the same rotations together. To me it was a -I'm going into this cause I want my fellowship to be an enriching experience not just being impressive on paper but wanting everything out of it including learning, mastering, but also making great relationships, enjoying myself, and really having a great experience-experience.

Applebaum again is a titan in the field who deserves so much respect, but this to me was one of those things about the medical academic culture I don't care to waste my time on. Just like some surgeons (and other physicians) who think they got to haze the people they train, or a pharmacology professor I worked under who saw students who smiled with utter disdain...I wasn't mentally going there. I didn't want the place that looked best on paper or had the most elite attitude, for those ends. I wanted the place that was going to inspire me to work my best and hardest cause I felt the fulfillment to make me want to do it.

 

[kopftonmd]

For OP, just to second what was said...

Networking isn't so important your first few years of medschool unless it's to get things such as a more favorable study-partner, friendship, better notes, copies of an old test or a girlfriend or boyfriend.

and on top of it a lot of people in medschool are seriously lacking in the personality department. Most people that are fun to be with don't get into medical school.

Yes and YES.

Find a way to network if you want without sacrificing grades and (more importantly since step 1 will be P/F for you) knowledge.