Currently an MS1 at a CA MD school. I am considering Psychiatry and wanted to know what I should focus on in order to have a shot at the more competitive residencies in CA (UCSF, UCLA UC Davis etc). Are pre-clinical grades more important now that STEP1 is P/NP? My school requires us to begin research during the 2nd sem of M1, so I'm thinking of doing research in the field. I also have a few thousand hours of work in the field (behavior therapy) prior to matriculation
What do Psych PD's look for in an applicant
- Thread starter aayz345
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Your passion for psych, personality and interview, and demonstrating that you’re more than just a physician (what are your interests, activities, leadership and service attributes, etc).
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You’re going to go wherever you want as long as you interview ok
The interview is probably the biggest thing in psych.
Hold a normal conversation during your interviews. Seriously, just be normal. This sounds simple, but for a lot of people it's not. Have good banter, ask non-formulaic questions, don't seem like a robot. Smile. Show self-deprecating humor at times. Be a fun, easy person to talk to. This is the biggest thing. Our program actively looks for narcissistic and avoidant traits in applicants. I would assume programs are actively sizing up your personality while you are interviewing. Don't be nervous, just be yourself and trust the process.
Hold a normal conversation during your interviews. Seriously, just be normal. This sounds simple, but for a lot of people it's not. Have good banter, ask non-formulaic questions, don't seem like a robot. Smile. Show self-deprecating humor at times. Be a fun, easy person to talk to. This is the biggest thing. Our program actively looks for narcissistic and avoidant traits in applicants. I would assume programs are actively sizing up your personality while you are interviewing. Don't be nervous, just be yourself and trust the process.
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I think since Step 1 won't become pass/fail until at least 2022, none of us know how this will affect applications because we have no experience with this a factor yet. Regarding your question about whether pre-clinical grades will be more important, I'd say don't worry if they are or aren't. Just try your best to get the highest grades possible, not for the grade itself, but because it's important to learn as much as possible to have a good foundation. Think about it, if we had a crystal ball that can tell us for sure pre-clinical grades won't be scrutinized more closely, would you then say oh, good, I can slack off? I doubt it. You can't control how this change in Step 1 will affect things. You CAN control what you bring to the table in your app such as grades, ECs, research, etc.
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I can’t speak for all programs, but my previous program started by narrowing the pool of applicants. They started by cutting anyone who failed any course or step. You had to finish med school in only 4 years or if 5, have gotten a MBA/MPH. PhD’s were not particularly desirable unless specific interest was noted as it wasn’t a top 25 research institute. No point in wasting an interview spot. Must have graduated from a US MD school. Must not have started or completed another residency.
The remaining applicants had a decent chance of getting invited for an interview. The interview then mattered the most, but board scores were second. Anyone that barely passed Step 1 or 2 would receive a drop in ranking. LOR’s rarely effected anything. Dean’s letter could drop you, but rarely did it help.
So easy summary is don’t have any red flags, get good board scores, and interview well.
