Step 1 of 192....

[GAMed]

So I am male medical student in the state of georgia with a really really low step 1 one score... I have done well in my clinical clerkships (our school still grades us) and I have been getting mostly A's with one B in Family Medicine. I really would like to match OB GYN at a academic program. I enter the match next year and Im worried this wont be possible. Any advice, help, stories would be incredibly helpful to ease this stressed out medical student. I have research with a publication and have been very involved both on the leadership side of things as well as in the community.

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[ckliethe]

I started a similar thread a few weeks ago. Don't lose hope. Continue to work hard and try to improve on your step 2's. Here is the thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=698490

 

[Diane L. Evans]

Show improvement in step 2. If you are a DO you do not need to take USMLE to match in most programs. Do some research and tr to get a poster presentation or article published ask your OB/GYN faculty if they have any case series or articles they need help writing. Do away rotations and shine a places you wish to match.

Good luck

Any particular geographical areas you want to go to?
D

 

[LOVE OB]

I disagree with not taking USMLE if you are a DO. Although I DID NOT MATCH in OB with good board scores, my interviewers all commended me for taking both sets of tests. I think it can only strengthen your application.

Trying not to give up!!!

 

[Bethanechol]

I'm also in a similar boat as the OP and ckliethe. I scored just under 200 in my Step 1, with good clinical grades (A's and B's), multiple publications and national poster presentations (not in obgyn though). I'm obviously going to work very hard to get a 220+ score in Step II early in 4th year to prove that my Step I score was not indicative of my academic abilities. According to the Charting Outcomes 2009, it looks like 97/109 US applicants with score ranges between 191 and 200 matched (match rate of 89%). This looks like a very good match rate despite the poor score range. Do most people in this range match at community programs only or are there also many lower/middle tier academic programs willing to take us on too? I'm open to moving to anywhere in the country in order to match into a decent academic program (including less popular cities). Any advice or thoughts on this? How many programs do I need to apply to and rank in order to make sure I safely match? Thanks in advance!

 

[Diane L. Evans]

NOTE: FYI Just my opinion...

The only problem with a DO taking USMLE is that there is extra time taken away from things you could productively do like writing a research paper. The USMLE takes a tremendous amount studying effort to do well!

The USMLE is a tough exam and requires a significant greater effort as a DO to do well. This does not mean we are any less trained but the exam in itself involves more basic sciences which as DO's do not get as many hours as the allopathic counterpart. Traditionally those hours are lost to OMT and neuroanatomy.

By taking both exams your USMLE scores will be the ones used and if you score average this could reduce your chances of acceptance. Whereas if you show marked improvement in COMLEX this looks more favorably.

 

[LOVE OB]

Actually, I scored bit higher on my USMLE than my COMLEX. I took them one week apart. Still managed not to match though