what are good tests that help narrow what speciality to take?

[titanlord1]

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what are good tests that help narrow what speciality to take?

 

[armybound]

Step 1.

But seriously, it will largely be determined by what interests you and what your scores are.

I'm sure there are aptitude tests out there.

 

[WillburCobb]

what are good tests that help narrow what speciality to take?

USMLE Step 1

 

[mrh125]

USMLE Step 1

This. At the very least it'll narrow you down a hell of a lot. It's pretty much the destroyer of dreams and overly-ambitious med school students. I'd highly recommend not even deciding your speciality until you get your step 1 score (unless it can make you pull of a higher step 1).

 

[armybound]

This. At the very least it'll narrow you down a hell of a lot. It's pretty much the destroyer of dreams and overly-ambitious med school students. I'd highly recommend not even deciding your speciality until you get your step 1 score (unless it can make you pull of a higher step 1).

I think it's good to have a couple in mind, one in case you do really well and one that doesn't require as high of a score. Work hard from day 1 to get in the more competitive specialty and the research, etc will be helpful regardless of the score.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Clinical year

 

[BillrothI]

Here is a good place to start (just for kicks): http://schools.studentdoctor.net/selector

-Bill

 

[titanlord1]

sorry guys i ment personality tests that shows which is best for you. i know these arent the best indicator but i just want a general idea.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Here's a nice cartoon I found on the web (for those who really value their
free time).

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

AAMC's careers in medicine page has a lot of good resources, but the full site isn't available to new med students until you start classes I believe.

 

[titanlord1]

AAMC's careers in medicine page has a lot of good resources, but the full site isn't available to new med students until you start classes I believe.

that will be a problem : /

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

that will be a problem : /

There's a lot of great content about each specialty that you can view now, however.

Are you really pre-pharm? If so, probably better to ask this question in the pharm forum.

 

[theseeker4]

that will be a problem : /

Why? You have lots of time to decide....browse the residency boards on this site to get a feel for a lot of the day-to-day workings of the various specialties, as well as the most common complaints about the specialties by the residents and attendings working in them. I think this will be much more valuable for you right now than a personality test, which very roughly estimates your "fit" for a specialty with questions that may or may not realistically assess you.

 

[tn4596]

Here's a nice cartoon I found on the web (for those who really value their
free time).

Pls aware on where to find more comics. Thank you

 

[WillburCobb]

Most of the tests out there (even the SDN one) are a crap shoot and not good predictors. My top 5 specialties on any one I've taken have always been very different between these tests.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Pls aware on where to find more comics. Thank you

Do a google search for "medical specialty cartoon" and you'll find stuff like this:

Is this what you were asking?

 

[DermViser]

what are good tests that help narrow what speciality to take?

USMLE Step 1

 

[chillaxbro]

 

[WillburCobb]

USMLE Step 1

Though some may argue that ACT and SAT scores have a closer correlation with what specialty is most appropriate.

 

[armybound]

Though some may argue that ACT and SAT scores have a closer correlation with what specialty is most appropriate.

Well the reason we're saying Step 1 is because it will open or close doors for you. You might love ortho, but a 210 isn't going to help. I had a classmate who was planning on going peds until he got a really good Step score, now he's in radiology.

 

[DermViser]

Well the reason we're saying Step 1 is because it will open or close doors for you. You might love ortho, but a 210 isn't going to help. I had a classmate who was planning on going peds until he got a really good Step score, now he's in radiology.

Hence my fitting avatar (which I got from the GomerBlog). Step 1 score spurs the biggest sudden change in heart in students.

 

[deleted407021]

IM -_-

 

[WillburCobb]

Well the reason we're saying Step 1 is because it will open or close doors for you. You might love ortho, but a 210 isn't going to help. I had a classmate who was planning on going peds until he got a really good Step score, now he's in radiology.

I realize that. That's what I was getting at when I first posted the step 1 comment at the beginning of the thread. I was taking a shot at some of the few premeds here who strongly believed that their ACT and/or SAT success would strongly correlate with their med school/step 1 success. One of whom, although a troll, dermviser got into a flame war with a couple weeks ago.

 

[armybound]

I realize that. That's what I was getting at when I first posted the step 1 comment at the beginning of the thread. I was taking a shot at some of the few premeds here who strongly believed that their ACT and/or SAT success would strongly correlate with their med school/step 1 success. One of whom, although a troll, dermviser got into a flame war with a couple weeks ago.

gotcha

fkn premeds

 

[WillburCobb]

gotcha

fkn premeds

Exactly. 21 ACT (I honestly slept through almost half of it), 32 MCAT, and god knows I could very well end-up with a 140 step 1, fail it two more times and be dismissed from med school. Also, sorry if I came off really snarky in that last post.