Step 1 (2018) - Is 246 a competitive score for top Internal Med programs?

[biotime1]

I just got my step 1 score back today - got a 246 - I'm happy with it but am wondering if it is competitive for top tier internal med programs (as a student coming from a mid tier US MD school). I've found conflicting information online with some sites listing 250 as a minimum for top programs.

I'm hoping to go into heme onc after IM, which makes me feel like I need to get into a solid academic program for residency..

Anyone have any insight?

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[doc05]

Yes

 

[deecee90]

Smart enough to get a 246, yet not smart enough to realize that it's a competitive score for top tier internal medicine and most other specialties...hmm

 

[ithd]

Those who matched this year at northwestern IM had a 246 step 1 average, if that helps.

 

[Treebeard]

There is no 250 min.


Get honors in IM and as many others as possible, and publish some papers.

 

[aafisahar]

Those who matched this year at northwestern IM had a 246 step 1 average, if that helps.

246 from top 20 programs.

For the OP, a 246 doesn't close doors but it doesn't really open them either. For true top IM programs, you need the whole package meaning mostly honors in clinical years and research and great LORs. Look at where incoming residents are coming from. At the Harvard programs, it's essentially all top 20 med students that have the whole package.

 

[Dwan]

246 from top 20 programs.

For the OP, a 246 doesn't close doors but it doesn't really open them either. For true top IM programs, you need the whole package meaning mostly honors in clinical years and research and great LORs. Look at where incoming residents are coming from. At the Harvard programs, it's essentially all top 20 med students that have the whole package.

It's usually the low-mid tier schools that carry the weight of those averages, like there are plenty of 220s-230s who matched at NW but they're internal or from elite schools. The range at these places in terms of scores is a lot wider than most would guess, and those from elite med schools don't necessary have the whole package. If you have the whole package from a normal school, that's one way to try to break in.

 

[mjbalsz6]

I thought the following was pretty helpful,

Test Scores and Experiences of First-Year Residents, by Specialty

 

[Kgizzle]

I thought the following was pretty helpful,

Test Scores and Experiences of First-Year Residents, by Specialty

That is a pretty cool table

 

[MedicalDoge]

So this is kind of related, but how many publications on average do most med students do? That table only gives a combined presentation, abstract, and publications figure.

I am interested in neurology, ID, and pathology

 

[Frogger27]

So this is kind of related, but how many publications on average do most med students do? That table only gives a combined presentation, abstract, and publications figure.

I am interested in neurology, ID, and pathology

Matching into those specialties is not difficult as a US MD (ID would be fellowship post IM but I have heard that is not competitive). I usually take the number of presentation, abstracts and publications and think that anywhere from 10-15% are actual publications. For instance, I have one publication but have 7 abstracts/presentations, 3 of which are from the same project but were submitted to different conferences. But then again, you'll get the person who gets thrown onto a random publication with minimal work. There is so much variation on research output as a medical student

Most med students probably have an abstract/poster at a couple conferences and that's it. People applying for competitive specialties will have much more.

 

[biotime1]

246 from top 20 programs.

For the OP, a 246 doesn't close doors but it doesn't really open them either. For true top IM programs, you need the whole package meaning mostly honors in clinical years and research and great LORs. Look at where incoming residents are coming from. At the Harvard programs, it's essentially all top 20 med students that have the whole package.

Thanks!

 

[MedicalDoge]

Matching into those specialties is not difficult as a US MD (ID would be fellowship post IM but I have heard that is not competitive). I usually take the number of presentation, abstracts and publications and think that anywhere from 10-15% are actual publications. For instance, I have one publication but have 7 abstracts/presentations, 3 of which are from the same project but were submitted to different conferences. But then again, you'll get the person who gets thrown onto a random publication with minimal work. There is so much variation on research output as a medical student

Most med students probably have an abstract/poster at a couple conferences and that's it. People applying for competitive specialties will have much more.

Thank you very much for your insight. The only super competitive residency I am somewhat interested in is ortho... how many pubs and presentations do you think a competitive ortho applicant should have, just for giggles? I think my heart lies in the other 3 specialties mentioned

 

[Frogger27]

Thank you very much for your insight. The only super competitive residency I am somewhat interested in is ortho... how many pubs and presentations do you think a competitive ortho applicant should have, just for giggles? I think my heart lies in the other 3 specialties mentioned

Charting outcomes usually says around 11... Ortho is about as competitive as you can get when it comes to research. Probably about 2-3 ortho-specific publications with associated abstracts/presentations would "check the box" for ortho (not make you stand out in research front). A decent number of ortho applicantss will take a dedicated research year and pump out like 15-20 publications.

 

[TheIllusionist]

Charting outcomes usually says around 11... Ortho is about as competitive as you can get when it comes to research. Probably about 2-3 ortho-specific publications with associated abstracts/presentations would "check the box" for ortho (not make you stand out in research front). A decent number of ortho applicantss will take a dedicated research year and pump out like 15-20 publications.

lol this is why I just don't hold clinical pubs in high regards. 15 to 20 in a decade is a lot for a dedicated basic scientist

 

[Frogger27]

lol this is why I just don't hold clinical pubs in high regards. 15 to 20 in a decade is a lot for a dedicated basic scientist

Definitely not even a comparison between the two. Being the research coordinator in a productive ortho department pretty much gets your name thrown on every paper going through it for the year. I know Rush and a couple other schools have funded research years and these students are known to get around this many pubs.

 

[PhillyMed777]

Definitely not even a comparison between the two. Being the research coordinator in a productive ortho department pretty much gets your name thrown on every paper going through it for the year. I know Rush and a couple other schools have funded research years and these students are known to get around this many pubs.

This is common in other fields too, like rad onc and derm

 

[TypeADissection]

Sorry bruh. Your score just isn’t good enough. Time to consider taking the easy route and going into general surgery. It is after all a philosophical extension of internal medicine. Didn’t mean to break it to you this way. I’m so sorry for your loss. Cheers.

 

[Lexdiamondz]

Matching into those specialties is not difficult as a US MD (ID would be fellowship post IM but I have heard that is not competitive). I usually take the number of presentation, abstracts and publications and think that anywhere from 10-15% are actual publications. For instance, I have one publication but have 7 abstracts/presentations, 3 of which are from the same project but were submitted to different conferences. But then again, you'll get the person who gets thrown onto a random publication with minimal work. There is so much variation on research output as a medical student

Most med students probably have an abstract/poster at a couple conferences and that's it. People applying for competitive specialties will have much more.

Very true.

Keep in mind though, that a pretty high percentage of T-20 schools have built-in research months/years where you're required to produce scholarly work, and as a result among many of those élite IM research programmes the projects and research their incoming residents did is pretty legit, work that is much more in line with applicants to competitive specialties.

 

[MedicalDoge]

Thank you for the info!^^

The school I am attending gives 5 months of dedicated research time. Maybe I'll be able to churn out a couple of pubs..

 

[MSTPlease]

lol this is why I just don't hold clinical pubs in high regards. 15 to 20 in a decade is a lot for a dedicated basic scientist

These aren't even actual publication numbers. Present a poster at your school's research day and get selected to give one talk at a conference (and thus also present your poster) = 3 pubs.

I'm not even the most accomplished MD/PhD in my class and my "publication" number is in the top 10% of literally every specialty on that table. I have classmates whose numbers are easily 1.5-2x as high as mine.