Step II help please

[aesop]

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[CarleneM]

To my knowledge, no. Though I'm most familiar with programs in the northeast, I'd be quite surprised to hear a psych PD was particularly interested in the step 2 score. They don't even care that much about the step 1 score, except at the top programs and even then its just one piece of data. We were strongly advised at my school to take the step 2 later in the year (by the end of december to ensure its back for graduation) if our step 1 was good. I would say your step 1 score is not "good" but rather "fantastic"...

 

[atsai3]

Hello everybody, I'm an MSIV who just recently made the decision to go into psychiatry after finishing my neurology rotation (have been trying to decide between the 2 for forever and now the decision is incredibly clear). Anyway, I have read on other boards that if you are happy with your step I score, then it is a good idea (or at least an option) to push off step II tell dec/jan so your score comes back after the rank lists are already out? Does this hold true for psychiatry as well? Will not having a step II score keep me out of any psych programs?

My Background (if it matters): would like to go to research oriented psychiatry residency as want to do research and teach eventually, from mid tier american medical school, step I 253/99, honored all 3rd year rotations except peds, will be borderline for AOA (don't know yet), 3 publications (2 1st author), lots of abstracts

Any help you guys can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Your Step I score is fine. Hold off on Step II until after the rank lists are due.

-AT.

 

[Doc Samson]

I agree. Your performance to date should buy you an interview wherever you apply (although MGH can sometimes be picky about that "mid-tier medical school" thing), a step 2 score will not add anything to your app.

 

[bth7]

Hello everybody, I'm an MSIV who just recently made the decision to go into psychiatry after finishing my neurology rotation (have been trying to decide between the 2 for forever and now the decision is incredibly clear).

I know this is off-topic, but do you care to share your reasoning behind your decision. You seem like a thoughtful person with a genuine interest in both fields (psych and neuro), what really synched it for you?

Thanks for all the posts too. This was a helpful discussion.

bth

 

[aesop]

I know this is off-topic, but do you care to share your reasoning behind your decision. You seem like a thoughtful person with a genuine interest in both fields (psych and neuro), what really synched it for you?

Thanks for all the posts too. This was a helpful discussion.

bth

Ok, will give it a shot:
1. Although, I have a fairly diverse set of interests in neuroscience, realized I am way more interested in CNS pathology rather then peripheral nervous system pathology (i.e. am not particularly interested in the differential of peripheral neuropathies)
2. All of my favorite patients during the month had major psych or neuropsychiatric disorders, and it was their psych disorders that I found myself naturally focusing on
3. When studying for the shelf exams for each I found the psych disorders much more interesting.
4. I found many of the neuro pts (i.e. ALS) quite depressing and felt a lot more emotionally drained at the end of the day then on my psych rotation
5. Realized addiction research and treatment was a strong interest of mine a d this is traditionally considered more a part of psychiatry then neurology
Hope that helps. At the end of the day, a lot of it also came down to subjective feeling I had while on each rotation and is hard to describe.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Ok, will give it a shot:
1. Although, I have a fairly diverse set of interests in neuroscience, realized I am way more interested in CNS pathology rather then peripheral nervous system pathology (i.e. am not particularly interested in the differential of peripheral neuropathies)
2. All of my favorite patients during the month had major psych or neuropsychiatric disorders, and it was their psych disorders that I found myself naturally focusing on
3. When studying for the shelf exams for each I found the psych disorders much more interesting.
4. I found many of the neuro pts (i.e. ALS) quite depressing and felt a lot more emotionally drained at the end of the day then on my psych rotation
5. Realized addiction research and treatment was a strong interest of mine a d this is traditionally considered more a part of psychiatry then neurology
Hope that helps. At the end of the day, a lot of it also came down to subjective feeling I had while on each rotation and is hard to describe.

I vote we let him in! 😍

 

[Doc Samson]

I vote we let him in! 😍

Fine - but I'm holding off on the hearts b/c he didn't mention psychotherapy once!

 

[Effervescent]

I know this is off-topic, but do you care to share your reasoning behind your decision. You seem like a thoughtful person with a genuine interest in both fields (psych and neuro), what really synched it for you?

Thanks for all the posts too. This was a helpful discussion.

bth

Thought I'd reply to this, too, as I also thought neuro might be a possibility for me. (I loved my 3rd yr Psych rotation but scheduled Neuro [4th yr rot at my school] for early in the year because I thought I should take a hard look at Neuro, as well...)

I'd have to agree with a lot of the OP's reasons for preferring psych, including:
1)Spending the rest of my life doing nerve conduction tests (PNS stuff) - no thanks!
2)Yeah, the patients with the "psych" issues were definitely the most interesting...

We had a lot of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's patients come in to the clinic where I was working. (Who's "territory" is Alzheimer's, anyway? We took my grandpa to a *psychiatrist* when he started developing dementia... I was surprised to see all these patients coming in to the *neurologist's* office for managament of dementia & to receive psychotropic medications... They were managing a lot of depression & anxiety, too.)

ANYWAY, I particularly found the dementia patients to be interesting but I always wanted to hear more about how their illness was affecting their life and relationships, and how they were coping. (And give them some space to express their emotions.) It seemed like we weren't going into that so much as just "here's your refill, see you next time". Also, when they came in with family members and everyone was frustrated because the kids are now having to set limits for the parents (time to stop driving, stop managing own finances, time for home healthcare aid, time to move into assisted living, etc.), I would have like to have spent more time letting everyone express their feelings about all of that (both the patient AND the family) and trying to help them work out an acceptable solution that they FELT GOOD about.

So - while I found the patients interesting - it was always the psychosocial aspects of their situation that I was most interested in - and we just didn't seem to have enough time to delve into that much.