Urology Sub-Internships

[Velocity670]

Hello Everyone,
I've posted previously, but now that I am getting closer to sub-internships, wanted to gauge my options in terms of sub-internships. I'm a 4th-year medical student at a US mid-tier MD program currently taking a year off to pursue research as I really enjoy academics and envision it in my future. Ideally, I would like to match to a big city (West Coast region, Chicago, etc), but whatever works! I know some of my Urology faculty at my institution pretty well since M1 and have been fortunate enough to know some really well-known Urologists via my research experience. Please give me an honest evaluation of what you think and any advice you may have for me moving forward in terms of which sub-internships I have a good shot at (probably try to do 2-3) and applying to Urology in general. Appreciate it!

Things going against me:
-average clinical grades (did get excellent comments on my 1 mo Urology rotation on surgery)
-below average step 1 score (for Urology)
-Low-mid tier school
-desire to match west coast primarily

Gender: Male
Hometown: West Coast
Family: West Coast

Step 1: 239
Step 2: 252

Letters of Recommendations:
-2 letters from field-defining urologists (hopefully)
-Hopefully one from my home program from the Division Chief (known me since I was an M1)
-Any other people I feel will give me an awesome letter

Clerkship Grades (Clinical grade, Shelf):

IM: NH, P

Neurology: NH, NH

Family Medicine: H, P

Psychiatry: H, NH

Pediatrics: NH, NH

Surgery: NH, NH

OBGYN: H, P

MSPE Comments: Really positive and specific to my skills. Comment on my humor (lulz) and ability to work with the team. Most comments are not generalized.

Research (authorship, journal):

Published: 6
1 bench drug delivery paper (3rd, Advanced Therapeutics)

1 Urology case report (1st, Journal of endourology Case Reports)

1 Urology paper (4th, Journal of Endourology)

1 Urology paper case series (2nd, Journal of Endourology Case Reports)

1 Urology paper (1st, Central European Journal of Urology)

1 Urology paper (2nd, Journal of Endourology)

Submitted: 1 (more projects ongoing)
1 Urology Paper (3rd, Journal of Endourology)

Abstracts: 6, not including submissions for AUA 2022 and WCET 2022
1x AUA Podium (I am 2nd author, but 1st author presented)
3x World Congress of Endourology (1x first author, 1x second author, 1x 4th author)
1x Society of Urologic Oncology
1x Random Conference

Presentations:
5 (3 in urology)

Extracurriculars: I have had 2 leadership roles in medical school and have received the highest honor of volunteering at our free clinic. I also teach High School students basic urology techniques/procedures once a month.

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[Fission Chips]

You and I had very similar applications (I matched 2 years ago). I had 1 less paper than you but an above-average for Urology step 1, basically identical clinical grades. I did not take a research year. I think you'll have plenty of interviews and you'll match somewhere, but you should be prepared to not match on the West Coast. Not saying it won't happen, but realize that everyone in Urology is competitive and many applicants want to end up there. Overall I think your application is excellent, but your step 1 may hold you back from the big name schools. I'm really not sure if places like UCSF screen based on step 1 but I wouldn't be surprised if they set it at 240.

If you are only willing to consider west coast, you'll probably want to do 3 aways. If you are going to apply elsewhere to make sure you match somewhere, 2 is plenty. I think you'd have a decent shot at UCSD, Davis, Cedars-Sinai, OHSU, Loma Linda, Kaiser. You may want to rotate at UCSF because that would set you up well for academics if you matched there. Maybe someone has more insight about screening by step 1.

Just keep in mind, plenty of qualified applicants go unmatched every year... people with good publications, great step scores, etc. I think this happens when people do not apply broadly enough or limit themselves geographically, mixed with bad luck. You can always move to the west coast after residency, so I'd recommend applying very broadly across the US. I'm not sure how many programs people are applying to these days, but I applied to ~100 and got 24 interview invites, attended 17 (and I'm still paying off that credit card I used to buy all the tickets). I think you may get more than I did given your research year.

 

[Velocity670]

Thanks for the insight, Fission Chips! Urology is definitely up and coming, so I'll be bracing for tough competition. I have a meeting set up with my home program director to better parse out my aways but just wanted to get an idea of how many I should do. 3 seems a bit tiresome, but if that's what I got to do, so be it. This doesn't include my home program, right?

In terms of choosing aways, I agree I do not want to limit myself to Cali, so I was thinking one in Cali, one in the midwest (ie. Chicago), and one somewhere TBD. California already seems a bit of a dream, so not sure UCSF would be a good option ahah.

Appreciate the help.

 

[Fission Chips]

Thanks for the insight, Fission Chips! Urology is definitely up and coming, so I'll be bracing for tough competition. I have a meeting set up with my home program director to better parse out my aways but just wanted to get an idea of how many I should do. 3 seems a bit tiresome, but if that's what I got to do, so be it. This doesn't include my home program, right?

In terms of choosing aways, I agree I do not want to limit myself to Cali, so I was thinking one in Cali, one in the midwest (ie. Chicago), and one somewhere TBD. California already seems a bit of a dream, so not sure UCSF would be a good option ahah.

Appreciate the help.

I would recommend 3 total (home + 2 away) if you're okay with the possibility of matching outside the west coast. 3 aways is a lot and I'd only recommend that if you HAD to match west coast... but you'll be burned out by your 3rd. I think you'll have an excellent shot at matching into a great program if you apply broadly enough... I would be surprised if you didn't match. Good luck, hope you end up in the West!

 

[Velocity670]

Update for those who wonder what the end result was.

After post above,
Step 2 - 252
2 Sub-I's
10 publications, 17 presentations total at AUA and WCET
100 applications sent
22 IVs
Attended 18 (4 had conflicts)
Matched in California (home state)
The effort paid off and I am thrilled to go back home