Some clarification about the details.. Please!

[Allie86]

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Ok so general sciences the first two years?... then you take the USMLE step I. So what do those grades for the first two years do? do residencies look at those? Is the USMLE like the MCATs?

Then 3rd and 4th year are rotations correct? how are those graded? do you actually DO stuff or sorta tag along and occasionally get to touch a patient?.. then you take USMLE step II. Then say I want to do surgery, I know residency is definitely one year, but how many more years it is if I want to do General Surgery? how about Specialization of some sort? on the other end of the spectrum, how many years is Internal Medicine?

Finally, if I want to do surgery, how important is it to do research?

 

[efex101]

What?

 

[psipsina]

The answers to all your questions lie here: http://www.amazon.com/Isersons-Getting-into-Residency-Students/dp/1883620309/sr=8-2/qid=1163347858/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/102-8128202-3978529?ie=UTF8&s=books

 

[deleted77919]

A few answers:

The first two years at most schools cover basic sciences. Think anatomy, physiology, histology, biochem, etc. Most schools have moved to a pass/fail system, perhaps with an honors grade. These grades rank low on residencies "what really matters" list.

The USMLE Step I is taken following 2nd year. It is intended as a pass/fail licensing exam, but residencies use the score to help rank candidates. It is really important. And, unlike the MCAT, it is possible to fail.

MSIII and IV are rotations. At most places you are graded based on evaluations by your preceptors and your performance on shelf exams. These are standardized exams for each rotation. You will get a fair amount of patient interviewing, rounding etc, but aren't providing much in the way of real patient care. If all of the med students went on strike, no one in the hospital would care. If all the residents went on strike, everything would grind to halt.

Once you graduate medical school your first "post graduate year" is called PGY-1. This is also called internship. The shortest residencies are 3 years (inclusive of internship), these are IM, FM, some EM programs (others are 4), etc. General surgery is 5 years. Fellowships following general surgery (for things like cardiothoracic surgery) take 2 years (this varies based on fellowship). Neurosurgery has it's own separate match and takes 7 years. That match is through the SF-Match. General surgery is through ERAS.

But, as the above poster said, asking questions like these means you are pretty unfamiliar with the med school and residency process. If you really want detailed answers to questions like these, Iserson's is a good primer. I think there is a brand new edition out as well.

 

[Law2Doc]

Ok so general sciences the first two years?... then you take the USMLE step I. So what do those grades for the first two years do? do residencies look at those? Is the USMLE like the MCATs?

Dakota's post covered the big picture pretty nicely. As for the first two year grades, sure, they get looked at by residency directors, but they are not the top of the list of criteria. Your Step 1 score and rotation grades loom much larger. Doing well in the basic science years can get you credentials such as Honors, AOA, and high class rank, which can be a help to your CV, but won't really make or break you for all but the most competitive specialties. The USMLE step 1 is a test on that basic science year material (mostly second year) and so those grades may be somewhat of an indicator as to how prepared you are for that test. The USMLE is not really like the MCAT in that it covers significantly more material, and tends to require application of material drawn from multiple courses in a single question. It's a whole new ballgame.

 

[njbmd]

Ok so general sciences the first two years?... then you take the USMLE step I. So what do those grades for the first two years do? do residencies look at those? Is the USMLE like the MCATs?

Then 3rd and 4th year are rotations correct? how are those graded? do you actually DO stuff or sorta tag along and occasionally get to touch a patient?.. then you take USMLE step II. Then say I want to do surgery, I know residency is definitely one year, but how many more years it is if I want to do General Surgery? how about Specialization of some sort? on the other end of the spectrum, how many years is Internal Medicine?

Finally, if I want to do surgery, how important is it to do research?

Start off at the Student Doctor Network Partner site http://www.medschoolready.com

If that site does not answer your questions, then look around for books on medical school and the Medical school admissions process.

 

[Twitch]

A few answers:

The first two years at most schools cover basic sciences. Think anatomy, physiology, histology, biochem, etc. Most schools have moved to a pass/fail system, perhaps with an honors grade. These grades rank low on residencies "what really matters" list.

The USMLE Step I is taken following 2nd year. It is intended as a pass/fail licensing exam, but residencies use the score to help rank candidates. It is really important. And, unlike the MCAT, it is possible to fail.

MSIII and IV are rotations. At most places you are graded based on evaluations by your preceptors and your performance on shelf exams. These are standardized exams for each rotation. You will get a fair amount of patient interviewing, rounding etc, but aren't providing much in the way of real patient care. If all of the med students went on strike, no one in the hospital would care. If all the residents went on strike, everything would grind to halt.

Once you graduate medical school your first "post graduate year" is called PGY-1. This is also called internship. The shortest residencies are 3 years (inclusive of internship), these are IM, FM, some EM programs (others are 4), etc. General surgery is 5 years. Fellowships following general surgery (for things like cardiothoracic surgery) take 2 years (this varies based on fellowship). Neurosurgery has it's own separate match and takes 7 years. That match is through the SF-Match. General surgery is through ERAS.

But, as the above poster said, asking questions like these means you are pretty unfamiliar with the med school and residency process. If you really want detailed answers to questions like these, Iserson's is a good primer. I think there is a brand new edition out as well.

Got a link for the new Iserson?

 

[deleted77919]

Got a link for the new Iserson?

It's the seventh edition.

http://galenpress.com/025.html