US MD unmatched applicant

[PreMedical73]

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Long story short:

US MD student applied broadly to psychiatry, got 10 interviews, didn’t match. No backup.

STEP 1 210
STEP 2 213
STEP 2CS Pass

All 1st attempt. Repeated 2nd year. No clinical year fails, great evaluations and letters, no professionalism complaints.

What should I do to make sure to match next year. Thinking of IM /FM, Psychiatry is ridiculously competitive but still want to try again for it. I should’ve have had a back up this year. How hard will it be next year for me and what should I do to make sure I MATCH.

Thanks.

 

[MusicalMed]

Sorry to hear about your circumstances.

Do you have a team at your school that can help set you on the right track?

 

[Med Ed]

It's time to learn to love IM/FM.

You can try to match in psych again, but it will be an even longer shot the second time around. Your best hope may be to start IM and try to find an open PGY-2 slot in psychiatry down the road.

 

[Mass Effect]

Your second-year repeat was likely a big red flag, but if you got 10 interviews, I would also work on your interview skills. Programs don't waste interview slots. If they gave you an interview slot, they were willing to give you a chance. In your case, a passable interview won't cut it. You need to be stellar to make up for the repeated year.

 

[Splenda88]

I would have FM/IM as a backup this time around. Even if you apply 100 psych programs, you should at least apply to 50+ FM/IM. I was between IM and Psych last year and I was so scared about not match(ing), so I applied only IM. My stats were tad bid better than yours (~220 step1 and 220+ step2, passed CS all first attempt). I had no repeat and I even honored my psych rotation.

If someone stats are not good (220+ step1 and 230+ step2 with no red flags), that person should not be too confident matching into psych these days; there are so many applicants now for not that many spots.

 

[deleted480308]

I would go fm or Im and prepare to talk a out still liking psych and wanting to focus on mental health integration. Maybe even talk about fellowship training like the tnt pcp program at uc davis

 

[afib123]

fm

 

[PreMedical73]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I am currently doing acting internships in IM & FM for the next 3 months to get LORs for next cycle. Planning on taking Step 3 in August/ early September. Currently have a lead for research year at my home institution and if that doesn’t work out, thinking of doing the MD/MPH program at my Med School (drawback more loans) so hopefully research year works out.

Any tips for applying to different specialties? How do I hide all my psych volunteer work and add professional memberships in FM, IM, & Psych. I don’t want to decrease my chances either with an application for multiple specialties. I will have done acting internships in all three specialties. Also I am a little worried about IM program chances with my **** scores. A lot of the program websites have 220 cut offs.

 

[deleted480308]

Don’t hide the psych work. You did it.

 

[Med Ed]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I am currently doing acting internships in IM & FM for the next 3 months to get LORs for next cycle. Planning on taking Step 3 in August/ early September. Currently have a lead for research year at my home institution and if that doesn’t work out, thinking of doing the MD/MPH program at my Med School (drawback more loans) so hopefully research year works out.

Any tips for applying to different specialties? How do I hide all my psych volunteer work and add professional memberships in FM, IM, & Psych. I don’t want to decrease my chances either with an application for multiple specialties. I will have done acting internships in all three specialties. Also I am a little worried about IM program chances with my **** scores. A lot of the program websites have 220 cut offs.

You are looking at the wrong programs given your level of competitiveness. I don't mean to rub any salt, but you repeated a year, the rest of your performance looks below average, and you have already failed to match once. You are not a hot commodity.

You will therefore need a broad application strategy, focusing on university-based programs in the upper midwest and community-based programs in the upper midwest and elsewhere. Good luck.

 

[PreMedical73]

Thanks. I’m not aiming for any big university programs just mostly community programs.