What Else Do I Need?

[hubo323]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I'm a 3rd year medical student coming from a top 20 med school and going to apply to Internal Med residencies. I'm really only interested in the top programs including Mass Gen, The Brigham, Stanford, UCSF, Johns Hopkins, etc. Here are my current scores and standings...

Step 1: 253/99
Step 2: Will take next year

Core clerkships: Honors in Neuro, Psych, Med, Surg, Family Med; Obgyn and Peds currently not finished, but most likely Honors

Some volunteer and extracurriculars during med school. Extensive extracurriculars in undergrad. Will obviously try to get letters from top recommenders and chief of division. Limited research in med school.

My main question is, how important is research? I currently have applied to a few year-off research programs, but am not 100% sure I want to take the time off. Is there anything else I need to make me competitive at these programs? Thanks in advance!

 

[McGillGrad]

Your stats are 'par for the course' for top programs.

Unfortunately, every other applicant will look like you on paper. That's where published research and LOR from big names make the difference. You may, or may not, win them over with the interview.

The X factor that you are missing (according to NRMP published data) is:

AOA
Published research
Top 5% class rank

 

[ANCAdoc]

You are interested in the top 20 academic programs. Research is be important, and many of your peers would have had some experience. You don't need to publish, but getting the experience is key (abstracts are good too).

You don't need to take a year off and do research to achieve this. Find a mentor who does clinic work. Ask to join an existing study, perhaps you can help obtain data from their clinic records and help with analyzing the data.

 

[gutonc]

I'm a 3rd year medical student coming from a top 20 med school and going to apply to Internal Med residencies. I'm really only interested in the top programs including Mass Gen, The Brigham, Stanford, UCSF, Johns Hopkins, etc. Here are my current scores and standings...

Step 1: 253/99
Step 2: Will take next year

Core clerkships: Honors in Neuro, Psych, Med, Surg, Family Med; Obgyn and Peds currently not finished, but most likely Honors

Some volunteer and extracurriculars during med school. Extensive extracurriculars in undergrad. Will obviously try to get letters from top recommenders and chief of division. Limited research in med school.

My main question is, how important is research? I currently have applied to a few year-off research programs, but am not 100% sure I want to take the time off. Is there anything else I need to make me competitive at these programs? Thanks in advance!

Don't be a D-bag gunner. Otherwise you'll be fine.

 

[EMRocksmyworld]

I'm sure you will be fine with your awesome stats. Do research if you're actually interested in it, otherwise don't The biggest thing would be to get elected to AOA, which it sounds like you're on track for. Then, once you've applied, be sure to be a nice, friendly, pleasant person on all of your interviews! They want to find people they will actually enjoy working with, not just someone who is a God on paper (although that will definitely help you get in the door). I seriously think that is SO important, as I'm sure others will attest to. That is assuming, of course, that you actually are a nice person, which I certainly hope.

And PLEASE stop writing 253/99- everyone knows that 253 is a 99. It makes you sound like an IMG (no offense to them intended by that). 🙂

 

[yohimbine1]

I'm a 3rd year medical student coming from a top 20 med school and going to apply to Internal Med residencies. I'm really only interested in the top programs including Mass Gen, The Brigham, Stanford, UCSF, Johns Hopkins, etc. Here are my current scores and standings...

Step 1: 253/99
Step 2: Will take next year

Core clerkships: Honors in Neuro, Psych, Med, Surg, Family Med; Obgyn and Peds currently not finished, but most likely Honors

Some volunteer and extracurriculars during med school. Extensive extracurriculars in undergrad. Will obviously try to get letters from top recommenders and chief of division. Limited research in med school.

My main question is, how important is research? I currently have applied to a few year-off research programs, but am not 100% sure I want to take the time off. Is there anything else I need to make me competitive at these programs? Thanks in advance!

you need to go into rads