Switching to radiology as M4

[zama]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hey guys, I have step 1=243, honored or HP most of my 3rd year courses. I was really considering another field, but started thinking more and more about radiology recently. I have not had any contact with the department nor had an elective in radiology. I do have one year of research in neuro related stuff with soon to be published paper. I can get good letters from my research and faculty in neuro related fields. Would I need to get letter from a radiology faculty? What else should I do to help me match to a very good program? Thanks.

 

[AggieSean]

don't ask nutcancer. he'll probably tell you that your interest is bs and that your daddy must be a radiologist.

then again, if my name was "nutcancer" I don't what I'd do...

(here come comments about how I'm a pre-med and my opinion isn't worth ****, as he likes to spell it)

 

[nutcancer]

don't ask nutcancer. he'll probably tell you that your interest is bs and that your daddy must be a radiologist.

then again, if my name was "nutcancer" I don't what I'd do...

(here come comments about how I'm a pre-med and my opinion isn't worth ****, as he likes to spell it)

Sean - If you heed my advice and don't tell people you want to do radiology until you are a 4th year, you will have gotten better grades in 3rd year and you can then partially thank me for that.

The point I'm making is nobody is really going to take your interest seriously until you learn normal human function in year 1, abnormal human function in year 2, and go through about 7 core rotations in 3rd year. That's a whole lot of material to go through before one can make an informed decision about radiology. If you think you know what radiology is about as a premed who shadowed a radiologist (maybe his daddy), that's fine. But I can promise you if you still want to do radiology at the start of 4th year, your appreciation and understanding of this field will be a lot more profound and meaningful than it is now.

HOOK EM HORNS! ****!

 

[nutcancer]

Hey guys, I have step 1=243, honored or HP most of my 3rd year courses. I was really considering another field, but started thinking more and more about radiology recently. I have not had any contact with the department nor had an elective in radiology. I do have one year of research in neuro related stuff with soon to be published paper. I can get good letters from my research and faculty in neuro related fields. Would I need to get letter from a radiology faculty? What else should I do to help me match to a very good program? Thanks.

Zama - I'm obliged to respond I guess, although I'm also an MS4. You look pretty good on paper and I think you have a good shot to match in the top-tier. You'll probably need to schedule one or two radiology electives to get 1 radiology letter. In general about letters, programs expect 3-4 (with usually 1 or 0 from radiologist). Its popular to get one from IM, one from surg, and one from rads. I don't think a letter from your research contact will be meaningful unless you have worked with him/her clinically.

What field were you considering? Neurosurgery or neurology. Just curious.

 

[AggieSean]

Sean - If you heed my advice and don't tell people you want to do radiology until you are a 4th year, you will have gotten better grades in 3rd year and you can then partially thank me for that.

The point I'm making is nobody is really going to take your interest seriously until you learn normal human function in year 1, abnormal human function in year 2, and go through about 7 core rotations in 3rd year. That's a whole lot of material to go through before one can make an informed decision about radiology. If you think you know what radiology is about as a premed who shadowed a radiologist (maybe his daddy), that's fine. But I can promise you if you still want to do radiology at the start of 4th year, your appreciation and understanding of this field will be a lot more profound and meaningful than it is now.

HOOK EM HORNS! ****!

Glad we understand each other. 🙂 And what you said makes sense, you just came down kinda hard on the guy. 😉

And you're probably right about the first part too. If one actually focuses on what it takes to become a doctor instead of "Oh this class isn't important so who cares" or "Holy **** this class I have to make honors in or I'll never get into OpthalPathoDermoNeuroSurgery" then one's learning experience is far less likely to suffer. If you actually focus on just learning what you really need to know to become a good DOCTOR instead of the specialty I just described, then it would seem to me (though I am just a pre-med, and I don't mean that sarcastically) you're all the better for it.

Just my thoughts in response to yours, though. I'll go back to browsing the pre-allo forums and frantically waiting for interviews.

And hook what? 12-7? Good old Cart McCoy, taking his rightful place on the back board.

 

[Long Dong]

If you heed my advice and don't tell people you want to do radiology until you are a 4th year, you will have gotten better grades in 3rd year and you can then partially thank me for that.

True dat, word. 👍