Step 1 - what specialties can I match into a solid program with?

[lilPhysician]

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234 Step 1; I hope to match into a program that is a soild program (top 30 program in the respective field) but not necessarily top 5....what fields should I be considering?

Fields that I am thinking about:

IM
anesthesiology
EM
urology - I know its a reach

on the fence/ not enough knowledge:
optho - super competitive, I know its a reach


Fields I know I dont want to do:
Peds
rads
pathology

any help would be greatly appreciated😀

 

[VisionaryTics]

234 Step 1; I hope to match into a program that is a soild program (top 30 program in the respective field) but not necessarily top 5....what fields should I be considering?

Fields that I am thinking about:

IM
anesthesiology
EM
urology - I know its a reach

on the fence/ not enough knowledge:
optho - super competitive, I know its a reach


Fields I know I dont want to do:
Peds
rads
pathology

any help would be greatly appreciated😀

Those fields are all pretty different and your Step 1 will be fine for any of them (including ophthalmology).

Is your question which one you would be most competitive for? Pretty stupid to choose your career based on that.

 

[evilbooyaa]

I'd say the main goal for you is to find what specialties you would like to do the most, and tailor your applications accordingly.

Just going to a top 5 or top 30 residency in some specialty is pointless if that's not what you want to do for the rest of your life. If I really wanted to do ophtho (which it sounds like you might want to) I'd be willing to take non top 30 residencies in it.

 

[GoSpursGo]

With a strong app, I think any of those possible specialties is within reach; remember, even if the average step score for a specialty is 240, half of the scores by definition have to be below that number. Of course, for the more "competitive," research-heavy ones like urology or ophtho, you will need to get moving on that asap, as well as getting high pass/honors in as many of your 3rd year clerkships as possible (especially IM and Surgery).

With that step score, there are no doors closed to you, you just need to work harder to make all of the other parts of your app shine if your heart is really set on one of those surgical subspecialties.

 

[ArcGurren]

234 Step 1; I hope to match into a program that is a soild program (top 30 program in the respective field) but not necessarily top 5....what fields should I be considering?

Fields that I am thinking about:

IM
anesthesiology
EM
urology - I know its a reach

on the fence/ not enough knowledge:
optho - super competitive, I know its a reach


Fields I know I dont want to do:
Peds
rads
pathology

any help would be greatly appreciated😀

Anesthesia, EM, IM are all within reasonable reach with a 234. You'll have to apply broadly in all of them but you should match well at a program you'd be happy at. It's hard to quantify a top 30 program in EM to be honest because it's still a relatively new specialty.

Urology might be a little tougher but people do match with relatively average board scores. The key is letters of recommendation, away rotations, and definitely research with publications. You'd also have to definitely apply very broadly.

 

[ArcGurren]

Those fields are all pretty different and your Step 1 will be fine for any of them (including ophthalmology).

Is your question which one you would be most competitive for? Pretty stupid to choose your career based on that.

Ophtho is actually getting progressively very tough to match with each new class of applicants - the average step 1 score is in the mid 240s and typically you need a lot of places ranked + a lot of research to match well. It is doable with a 234 though but he'd definitely have to buckle down so to speak.

 

[VisionaryTics]

Ophtho is actually getting progressively very tough to match with each new class of applicants - the average step 1 score is in the mid 240s and typically you need a lot of places ranked + a lot of research to match well. It is doable with a 234 though but he'd definitely have to buckle down so to speak.

According to SFMatch, the average was 238 this year. Certainly not out of OPs reach.

-edit- Although, yeah, ophtho applicants have a lot more going for them than just a good Step 1 score. If OP is interested in a competitive specialty, he should probably get the ball rolling on some research soon-ish.

 

[ArcGurren]

According to SFMatch, the average was 238 this year. Certainly not out of OPs reach.

-edit- Although, yeah, ophtho applicants have a lot more going for them than just a good Step 1 score. If OP is interested in a competitive specialty, he should probably get the ball rolling on some research soon-ish.

I'll have to check the recent data on SFMatch since I remember at least two years ago the average being in the 240 range but yeah my point basically still stands - he should a) get exposure to the field and b) if he really really loves it or whatever, get hooked up with some research.

 

[FSU2013]

With a strong app, I think any of those possible specialties is within reach; remember, even if the average step score for a specialty is 240, half of the scores by definition have to be below that number. Of course, for the more "competitive," research-heavy ones like urology or ophtho, you will need to get moving on that asap, as well as getting high pass/honors in as many of your 3rd year clerkships as possible (especially IM and Surgery).

With that step score, there are no doors closed to you, you just need to work harder to make all of the other parts of your app shine if your heart is really set on one of those surgical subspecialties.

I believe you're referring to median 🙂

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

 

[Ilovewater]

Ophtho is actually getting progressively very tough to match with each new class of applicants - the average step 1 score is in the mid 240s and typically you need a lot of places ranked + a lot of research to match well. It is doable with a 234 though but he'd definitely have to buckle down so to speak.

How much research are you talking about? I have one 1st author publication (clinical), and I currently have a case study on hold (will finish once I'm done with surgery rotation). I've been lurking in the ophtho forums, and I'm worried that I won't be that competitive after seeing some people's stats. =/ Of course I still have to see what my grades will be for 3rd year.

 

[secants]

Kind of off topic, but if one completes a case study but it doesnt get published, can you still write that on ERAS? I'm only asking because it seems case studies are fairly easy to do assuming you're getting a good mix of cases on the wards.

 

[ArcGurren]

How much research are you talking about? I have one 1st author publication (clinical), and I currently have a case study on hold (will finish once I'm done with surgery rotation). I've been lurking in the ophtho forums, and I'm worried that I won't be that competitive after seeing some people's stats. =/ Of course I still have to see what my grades will be for 3rd year.

I don't know, to be honest. I'm applying for IM this year, but I had previously been somewhat interested in Ophtho. I didn't have any solid research in it. Anecdotally though my understanding is that some clinical research with at least 1 pub and maybe a few pending abstracts looks good.

 

[airplanes]

Ophtho is actually getting progressively very tough to match with each new class of applicants - the average step 1 score is in the mid 240s and typically you need a lot of places ranked + a lot of research to match well. It is doable with a 234 though but he'd definitely have to buckle down so to speak.

Nah it's been creeping up a point or so every year. This year it was 238.