Unofficial WAMC Psychiatry Residency Thread 2023

[mistafab]

Maybe I was over reacting, but if you can look at your content a little bit, you may have offended some impressive programs. You did say that there are not many "top" programs in the west coast. I would suggest that you say on the "West coast", and capitalize a cardinal direction. There are multiple examples of West coast programs that are firmly in the top ten.

Unless some very talented spin doctors are fooling me, grant dollars and publications lists are confirming what I am saying. I have experienced the East coast, but there is nothing "restricting" about the West coast. I guess if you don't like blue states, that could be an issue, but New England is fairly blue as well.

It’s all good in the neighborhood. I’m involved in recruitment now. There’s many great programs on the west, however given the need to apply to many programs for safe match yield, they should consider applying to all of them.

They also need more than those just for sheer numbers sake to be safer with regards to matching. They need to decide if “top” is more important than “west” and vice versa for the other, at least, dozen programs they need to apply to in addition.

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[TheWolfOfMainStreet]

Red flags: Repeat year due to preclinical course failure (school didn't offer any remediation), 2 attempts on COMLEX level 1
School: Bottom tier DO
Clinicals: Straight A's (School uses letter grades)
Step 1: N/A
COMLEX 1: 39X fail then 44X pass
Step 2: N/A
COMLEX 2: Score pending but expecting close to 500
LOR: 3 Psych, including local psych PD
Research: 3-4 basic class poster day presentations during MPH and OMS-1
EC: COVID vaccine clinic, online tutoring, leadership of psych related school student org

Netted 2 away rotations so far (one is a sub-I and the other is just a normal away).

Obviously, my best angle is either my local program (who seem to like me) or impressing on an away. But say I throw in an app to like every program that takes DOs and doesn't explicitly state they require boards passed on 1st attempt. That's like 200 programs.

WAMC? How many interviews do you think I can get off that?

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

It’s all good in the neighborhood. I’m involved in recruitment now. There’s many great programs on the west, however given the need to apply to many programs for safe match yield, they should consider applying to all of them.

They also need more than those just for sheer numbers sake to be safer with regards to matching. They need to decide if “top” is more important than “west” and vice versa for the other, at least, dozen programs they need to apply to in addition.

We are cool and geography clearly is king to most applicants. The numbers argument may be East over West, but There are about a dozen new programs per year out West so just wait because the slope will change this.

 

[deleted939704]

That’s my point, it’s maybe ten “top” programs on the west coast. They need to apply to all of them. And if they want to keep west coast restricted as a priority over going to “top schools,” then they also need at least a dozen additional programs.

If “top program” is more important than the west coast restriction, they should apply elsewhere as well. 10 or less is too low for applications.

Don’t suicide match your good application.

thanks for the advice. i am also open to east coast programs, but do not have any connections there, nor am i doing any away rotations. would it still be worth it to apply, or would it be a money sink?

 

[mistafab]

thanks for the advice. i am also open to east coast programs, but do not have any connections there, nor am i doing any away rotations. would it still be worth it to apply, or would it be a money sink?

It is worth applying to any residency that you would want to match at.

Caveat being - cut yourself off at a reasonable number

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

It is worth applying to any residency that you would want to match at.

I'm going to print a tee shirt with this on it.

 

[callmedr55]

US MD/MS interested in research tracks

Red flags: none
Undergrad: Ivy
School: T10
Preclinicals: P/F (all P)
Clinicals: P/F (all P)
Step 1: pass
Step 2: 249
LOR: 1 excellent letter from research mentor (clinical psychologist), hopefully 2 clinical psychiatrist, 1 IM. Should all be pretty strong.
Research: ~25 pubs, basically all psych clinical/public health, >half first-author, IFs mostly 5-8. Tons of posters plus some national conference talks and grand rounds at several depts at my home hospital. I have been doing research in the same area since undergrad so strong vision and have multiple awards plus ideas for future mentors and projects.
ECs: won’t give specifics but they’re pretty strong and unique (not psych necessarily but not unrelated)
Other: concurrently earning masters degree in research, from NE and most interested in research tracks in NE. Will my step score or lack of PhD make this difficult? Would love a list of research track programs outside of the best known ones. Open to other parts of country for research tracks but no farther west than Chicago. Also, would aways help in this scenario and/or medicine sub-I? How many programs should I aim for and what split of research vs non-research?

 

[FlowRate]

US MD/MS interested in research tracks

Red flags: none
Undergrad: Ivy
School: T10
Preclinicals: P/F (all P)
Clinicals: P/F (all P)
Step 1: pass
Step 2: 249
LOR: 1 excellent letter from research mentor (clinical psychologist), hopefully 2 clinical psychiatrist, 1 IM. Should all be pretty strong.
Research: ~25 pubs, basically all psych clinical/public health, >half first-author, IFs mostly 5-8. Tons of posters plus some national conference talks and grand rounds at several depts at my home hospital. I have been doing research in the same area since undergrad so strong vision and have multiple awards plus ideas for future mentors and projects.
ECs: won’t give specifics but they’re pretty strong and unique (not psych necessarily but not unrelated)
Other: concurrently earning masters degree in research, from NE and most interested in research tracks in NE. Will my step score or lack of PhD make this difficult? Would love a list of research track programs outside of the best known ones. Open to other parts of country for research tracks but no farther west than Chicago. Also, would aways help in this scenario and/or medicine sub-I? How many programs should I aim for and what split of research vs non-research?

Unless things have really changed in the last 3 years (since I've been out of residency/no longer on any residency selection committees), I don't see why your step score would hurt you or why you'd need to do much else extra.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Red flags: No failures, no remediation. Took research year, no publications.
School: Mid-tier MD
Clinicals: All Pass (school uses Fail/Low Pass/Pass/High Pass/Honors); Pass on pediatric Sub-I, Honors Psych Sub-I
Step 1: Pass
Step 2: 229
LOR: 2 Psych, 1 IM
Research: a few posters in undergrad.
EC: Med school LGBT org executive officer, outreach for autism screening

What are my chances at matching psych - anywhere? Would prefer not to be in malignant/sweatshop program or in Southeast US; would be happy with community program in Midwest.

 

[FlowRate]

Red flags: No failures, no remediation. Took research year, no publications.
School: Mid-tier MD
Clinicals: All Pass (school uses Fail/Low Pass/Pass/High Pass/Honors); Pass on pediatric Sub-I, Honors Psych Sub-I
Step 1: Pass
Step 2: 229
LOR: 2 Psych, 1 IM
Research: a few posters in undergrad.
EC: Med school LGBT org executive officer, outreach for autism screening

What are my chances at matching psych - anywhere? Would prefer not to be in malignant/sweatshop program or in Southeast US; would be happy with community program in Midwest.

My usual caveat that I haven't been part of residency selection in a few years and the program I was involved in was super picky.

I think you're fine for matching somewhere. Especially if your letters are good and you interview well. Midwest community sounds totally doable or even midwest academic if you wanted to apply to those sorts of programs as well.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

My usual caveat that I haven't been part of residency selection in a few years and the program I was involved in was super picky.

I think you're fine for matching somewhere. Especially if your letters are good and you interview well. Midwest community sounds totally doable or even midwest academic if you wanted to apply to those sorts of programs as well.

Thanks. For what it's worth, I'm in the Northeast US, with no ties to the Midwest. I've heard that an applicant can punch above their weight by applying to programs in the Midwest and South...if this is true that's great. I'm not turning down an academic program, either...just looking to match somewhere that is 1) not in the South 2) not a pure "sweatshop" model full of IMGs that were attendings in other countries.

 

[FlowRate]

Thanks. For what it's worth, I'm in the Northeast US, with no ties to the Midwest. I've heard that an applicant can punch above their weight by applying to programs in the Midwest and South...if this is true that's great. I'm not turning down an academic program, either...just looking to match somewhere that is 1) not in the South 2) not a pure "sweatshop" model full of IMGs that were attendings in other countries.

Just curious, have you spent much time in the South? Is there a particular reason you don't want to live there?

Given you have no red flags and you're at a mid tier MD program I see no reason why you'd end up at an IMG sweatshop type place.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

I dislike the climate in the South. A lot of heat, down there. Visited a few times, have family members from there. Some of 'em moved up a few generations ago, looking for work and better opportunities. I prefer cooler Northern and Midwestern climates, although I'd consider somewhere like New Mexico or Arizona, and I certainly wouldn't turn down a half-decent California or Nevada program, either.

 

[waveringatom]

.

 

[mistafab]

I would apply to a lot of programs. DOs totally match, even at top programs, but you have multiple red flags that would make me worry you would continue to struggle.

You can probably still match though. Apply broadly. Get advice from your home program as well. Good luck.

 

[bGMx]

Red flags: very minor traffic violation misdemeanor charge with a great story behind it, 4+ years ago.
School: well recognized top 30 MD school
Clinicals: 35th percentile of class: 2 Pass, 3 High Pass, 1 Honors (Psychiatry); Honors on IM & Psychiatry Sub-i, MSPEs are glowing and highlight strong psychiatry qualities, many electives are psychiatry focused
Step 1: Pass
Step 2: High 24X
LOR: 3 Psychiatrists (Sub-I, Addiction Psychiatry, Clerkship), 1 Rural Family Med, 1 Outpatient IM
Research: 2 Posters, 3 Oral Presentations, 2 Pending Peer Reviewed Publications (Second and First Author) all psychiatry related/adjacent from bench research to clinical qualitative research. Ongoing research presently.
EC: Leadership in school and national psychiatry groups, ethics award, lots of pre-medical school volunteering + work experience (including significant work as psychiatric technician pre-medical school)
Other: very clear longitudinal dedication to humanism and psychiatry, and I'm *allegedly* a fun person to be around according to preceptors and friends

I'm interested in programs that will train me to be a great clinician while also engaging in research as an aside, though I don't want it to be a program requirement, as research is more of a hobby for me than a deep aspirational goal. Biggest thing I'm looking for is a strong pairing of psychotherapy with biological thought in an academic setting. I intend to pursue an addiction psychiatry fellowship, and also get psychodynamic training. I love psychiatry too much to not learn as much as I can. I am worried that my clerkship grades will hold me back, and potentially the misdemeanor?, though my grades are an upward trend from Passes to High Passes to Honors. As a nontraditional student from a marginalized population and no other family ever in graduate school, it took me some time to understand what my job was as a clerk (to shut up and do vs learn as much from patients as possible). My MSPEs are super positive despite the underwhelming performance. I assume my LORs are the same. Thanks all!

 

[mistafab]

Red flags: very minor traffic violation misdemeanor charge with a great story behind it, 4+ years ago.
School: well recognized top 30 MD school
Clinicals: 35th percentile of class: 2 Pass, 3 High Pass, 1 Honors (Psychiatry); Honors on IM & Psychiatry Sub-i, MSPEs are glowing and highlight strong psychiatry qualities, many electives are psychiatry focused
Step 1: Pass
Step 2: High 24X
LOR: 3 Psychiatrists (Sub-I, Addiction Psychiatry, Clerkship), 1 Rural Family Med, 1 Outpatient IM
Research: 2 Posters, 3 Oral Presentations, 2 Pending Peer Reviewed Publications (Second and First Author) all psychiatry related/adjacent from bench research to clinical qualitative research. Ongoing research presently.
EC: Leadership in school and national psychiatry groups, ethics award, lots of pre-medical school volunteering + work experience (including significant work as psychiatric technician pre-medical school)
Other: very clear longitudinal dedication to humanism and psychiatry, and I'm *allegedly* a fun person to be around according to preceptors and friends

I'm interested in programs that will train me to be a great clinician while also engaging in research as an aside, though I don't want it to be a program requirement, as research is more of a hobby for me than a deep aspirational goal. Biggest thing I'm looking for is a strong pairing of psychotherapy with biological thought in an academic setting. I intend to pursue an addiction psychiatry fellowship, and also get psychodynamic training. I love psychiatry too much to not learn as much as I can. I am worried that my clerkship grades will hold me back, and potentially the misdemeanor?, though my grades are an upward trend from Passes to High Passes to Honors. As a nontraditional student from a marginalized population and no other family ever in graduate school, it took me some time to understand what my job was as a clerk (to shut up and do vs learn as much from patients as possible). My MSPEs are super positive despite the underwhelming performance. I assume my LORs are the same. Thanks all!

You’re a good candidate to match at a good program. Would mix in a few reach programs, mostly competitive places, and a few safety places (as well as home program if you’d be okay going there).

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

I would apply to a lot of programs. DOs totally match, even at top programs, but you have multiple red flags that would make me worry you would continue to struggle.

You can probably still match though. Apply broadly. Get advice from your home program as well. Good luck.

OP definitely needs a backup specialty. Plenty would say that they're DOA for psych and have an uphill battle for FM anywhere.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Just curious, have you spent much time in the South? Is there a particular reason you don't want to live there?

Given you have no red flags and you're at a mid tier MD program I see no reason why you'd end up at an IMG sweatshop type place.

UPDATE:

Received 19 interviews, attended 17, did not match psych.

 

[calvinhobbes]

UPDATE:

Received 19 interviews, attended 17, did not match psych.

Sorry to hear that. Did you soap?

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Sorry to hear that. Did you soap?

No, wound up in FM.

 

[Cmaato]

UPDATE:

Received 19 interviews, attended 17, did not match psych.

How many programs did you apply to? And what type of programs? I am sorry to hear that, and good luck!

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

How many programs did you apply to? And what type of programs? I am sorry to hear that, and good luck!

Over a hundred; lots of community programs in the mix.

 

[calvinhobbes]

No, wound up in FM.

Very happy you still matched! Either way you’re going to make good money and take care of patients, FM is great!