Stats required for Surgery residency?

[NPreMed]

Hi all..

I am just pre-med but wondering what academic performance is really required for an acceptance to a Surgical residency like cardiovascular or vascular?

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[Col_4:14]

Stay up for LONG periods of time.
Just kidding, (not really) as with every other question the answer depends on the program you are applying for. Ask Kimberli!!

 

[Big Bill]

Go to www.medschool.com and would pretty much answer your questions. They have a huge FAQ section just for that. It will tell you everything you need.

 

[GreatPumpkin]

To do cardio or vascular. You first do a general surg. residency, then you go to a fellowship. Getting into a general surgery residency has been getting easier every year. Avg. grades and USMLE scores will likely get you in somewhere, maybe not Hopkins or such but somewhere. I am not sure how tough the fellowships are but I believe they are somewhat competitive. I am sure Kimberli will give you better advice than me.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Despite the comments above from my esteemed colleagues, I haven't much to add to the excellent advice already given.

A CV fellowship is among the more competitive surgical specialties and as such, your application will be improved by research and a university-based residency program (in addition to the standards of gpa and USMLE, letters) over a community program. While it is true that general surgery has become less competitive, the latest issue of Amer J of Surgery notes that the average USMLE scores of applicants has not decreased. There are just fewer applicants now than there used to be (surgery, like many residencies, sees cyclical applications). An interesting feature of this article is that there is a significant difference between USMLE Step 1 scores and the size of the residency program, with larger programs having higher Step 1 scores (up to a program size of 6 at which point the prediction becomes less stable). The larger programs also get significantly more applications as well.

Your job in medical school will be to obtain the best residency for you and your future career goals. While it may be somewhat easier to snag a CV fellowship coming from a posh residency program, it is not unheard of for fellows to have finished basic training in a community program. Besides the contacts at university programs, there is the advantage of lab years - years in which you can do some CV research to boost your application.

Big Bill is right - there is an active discussion about CV on the General Surgery forum which may be of use to you in addition to the FAQs.

Best of luck to you.

 

[NPreMed]

Wow...I love this site! Thank you for your replies.

 

[Jamier2]

I hear that a post count of over 1200 on SDN helps.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Originally posted by Jamier2:
•I hear that a post count of over 1200 on SDN helps.•

Ha Ha...well, only AFTER you've matched. I had a mere couple of hundred during application season.

 

[Jamier2]

I stand corrected. (I thought that would get your attention) I may not agree with "goddess", but "omniscent" may be a more appropriate title for our heroine

 

[Winged Scapula]

Originally posted by Jamier2:
•I stand corrected. (I thought that would get your attention) I may not agree with "goddess", but "omniscent" may be a more appropriate title for our heroine •

Now this is TWICE you've said you don't agree with the "Goddess" designation. What have you got against it? Am I not lovely and kind enough to be a Goddess?

If it will help, I am "Moderator" on the Residency and Rotations Forum (but alas, only a Senior Member here).


PS. You got some nerve anyway Jamie. 250 posts in under 6 weeks? Beats my record when I started !!!

 

[Jamier2]

Originally posted by Kimberli Cox:
•Now this is TWICE you've said you don't agree with the "Goddess" designation. What have you got against it? Am I not lovely and kind enough to be a Goddess?

PS. You got some nerve anyway Jamie. 250 posts in under 6 weeks? Beats my record when I started !!! •

OKAY!! Goddess, Goddess, Goddess. Are you happy now? And, yes you are lovely and kind, I just don't trust the grin I know is under your mask in the picture you posted from the operating room earlier

You must remember, many of my posts are not quite on the same level as your often-acclaimed advice is. I post a lot of senseless ponderings along with sharing the small amount of experience I have at my disposal. I guess some would say that even my advice is senseless pondering, but, hey, not everyone can be a "goddess".