Transitional Year

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chromuffin

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How many of these programs should one reasonably apply to? Seems like it’s a crap shoot no matter what your step scores are.

FWIW,

Step 1: 218
Step 2: waiting (practice tests 240s)
 
How many of these programs should one reasonably apply to? Seems like it’s a crap shoot no matter what your step scores are.

FWIW,

Step 1: 218
Step 2: waiting (practice tests 240s)
I can't really answer that myself, but it may be helpful if they knew if you're an MD/IMG/DO...?

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Transitional internships are the most competitive around. Typically you need very high step scores to match. You are competing against students who match derm, ophtho, etc. Preliminary medicine is less competitive. Preliminary surgery is the least competitive. You should apply to at least a few of those as backup. Your chance of matching anesthesia is much higher than your chance of matching a transitional internship.
 
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How many of these programs should one reasonably apply to? Seems like it’s a crap shoot no matter what your step scores are.

FWIW,

Step 1: 218
Step 2: waiting (practice tests 240s)

Probably going to be hard with a 218. What are you applying into?
 
Hmm, from other sites 10 is reasonable if you're applying to say 40-60 categorical programs? But I think it's specialty dependent and again how many you want to apply to overall.
Someone else can speak that more, tho.

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How many of these programs should one reasonably apply to? Seems like it’s a crap shoot no matter what your step scores are.

FWIW,

Step 1: 218
Step 2: waiting (practice tests 240s)

I heard that transitional years are super competitive and can be hard to get even with a 250. Like literally derm and plastics applicants can't even match them sometimes. IDK what exactly they are looking for, but it seems to be high step 1 from what I've seen and probably decent LOR.

Not saying that a 218 couldn't match a TY, but I'd be surprised since even the best applicants can't be 100% certain to land a TY
 
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DOes anyone know if we would need a different personal statement than the one for our categorical?
 
Besides TYs, ask around about which prelim years are cush. Some prelims compete with TYs - no joke. I've heard of six months' elective time in some IM prelims.
 
How many of these programs should one reasonably apply to? Seems like it’s a crap shoot no matter what your step scores are.

FWIW,

Step 1: 218
Step 2: waiting (practice tests 240s)

It is extremely unlikely that you will even get an interview for a TY with a step score of 218. They have tons of derm, rad, optho, and rad onc people applying with 250s and 260s.

Save your money and apply to prelim IM programs at non-malignant academic centers.
 
Regardless of whether I apply to a TY or prelim year, I still don’t know how many programs to apply to in order to be safe. I’m fortunate in that there are some programs within my state that I can reasonably apply to, but outside of those handful, I’m at a loss. I really don’t care if it’s prelim or transitional to be quite honest.. I just do not want surgery and will do whatever it takes to avoid it.
 
Does applying for transitional years differ from applying for prelim years in terms of cost? In other words, do you have to pay the $99 for the first 10 transitional year programs and then $99 for the first 10 prelim year programs as well? I planned on only applying to my state's transitional year programs but don't want to waste $99 on <10 programs when I'm predominantly applying to prelim programs.
 
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