What it takes to get AOA?

[sincity college]

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I was wondering what it really takes to get AOA. I've heard about it, but don't really know what it means/takes to achieve it. Do you essentially have to rock every exam you take (~ 1 SD above mean) in order to get this? Or do you need to stay around top quartile and then do well on a couple exams??

 

[Ableton]

The selection process varies depending on the medical school... some take only grades into account, while others have a fair amount of politicking.

At the end of the day, all you should really focus on is doing the best that you can, and everything else will fall into place.

 

[turkeyjerky]

At my school, junior aoa is based solely on grades and step one, basically the top 6 or 7 students in the class get it. Senior aoa is bases on grades, clinical>>pre-clinical, as well as mushy stuff like leadership, volunteering and popularity. I think they even have to write an essay. Roughly 25 people, all of whom must be in the top quartile, get selected as seniors.

 

[njbmd]

This Alpha Omega Alpha topic comes up every year so using the "Search" function can get an answer faster than starting a new thread. See this thread Older AOA Thread. If you are talking about the American Osteopathic Association, then all you have to do is join.

 

[meister]

If you're gifted, study a fair amount and you'll get it.

If you're smart, study your ass off and you'll get it.

If you're average, study more than everyoe else and you'll get it.

If you're dumb, never leave the library.

 

[Pianoman32]

If you're gifted, study a fair amount and you'll get it.

If you're smart, study your ass off and you'll get it.

If you're average, study more than everyoe else and you'll get it.

If you're dumb, never leave the library.

I would modify this a little.....

If you're amazing at memorizing random facts, study a fair amount and you'll get it.

If you're pretty good at memorizing random facts, study your ass off and you'll get in.

If you're average at memorizing random facts, study more than everyone else and you'll get it.

If you're horrible at memorizing random facts, never leave the library.

 

[reedman]

I would modify this a little.....

If you're amazing at memorizing random facts, study a fair amount and you'll get it.

If you're pretty good at memorizing random facts, study your ass off and you'll get in.

If you're average at memorizing random facts, study more than everyone else and you'll get it.

If you're horrible at memorizing random facts, never leave the library.

^^^
yes

 

[ZagDoc]

I would modify this a little.....

If you're amazing at memorizing random facts, study a fair amount and you'll get it.

If you're pretty good at memorizing random facts, study your ass off and you'll get in.

If you're average at memorizing random facts, study more than everyone else and you'll get it.

If you're horrible at memorizing random facts, never leave the library.

At my school, this would be suicide for AOA, since it is determined by a student vote to "elect" candidates. Which means, yes, a great deal of politicking and social hierarchy plays into it.

The best thing to do to try to get into AOA... is to not worry about AOA. If that's all you worry about, you'll destroy yourself with all the stress and the narrow margin of error you allow yourself. Work on maximizing your own effort, get involved in projects which you feel passionate about, and if its in the cards, it'll happen.

 

[penguin24]

It is the top 16% of the class. Thus, study more than 84% of your classmates and you'll get in. I don't believe in these gifted, smart, normal, dumb, etc, categories; whoever puts in work will get AOA.

 

[J ROD]

Somehow, I dont see AOA in my future...

 

[edmadison]

It is the top 16% of the class.

Not quite right. You must be in the top 25% to be eligible, School can admit a max of 16% of each graduating class.

Ed

 

[riceman04]

there is no AOA at my school

 

[sunset823]

it depends on the school...I found out recently that at my school, preclinical grades are not even that important for AOA. If you're in the top half of your class, you're in the pool of consideration, and then the people with the highest step 1 scores (junior) or step 1 and clerkship grades (senior) will get it.

So find out about your school's policies, but generally only stress out over grades to the extent it'll show up on Step 1, which, depending on the class, won't be much.

 

[Deferoxamine]

I'm surprised no one here has mentioned "luck" yet.

 

[phospho]

it depends on the school...I found out recently that at my school, preclinical grades are not even that important for AOA. If you're in the top half of your class, you're in the pool of consideration, and then the people with the highest step 1 scores (junior) or step 1 and clerkship grades (senior) will get it.

So find out about your school's policies, but generally only stress out over grades to the extent it'll show up on Step 1, which, depending on the class, won't be much.

👍 same here

my school uses step 1 and clerkship grades... i'm sure they use other things, but they told us that that's what counts for the most part...

 

[penguin24]

Not quite right. You must be in the top 25% to be eligible, School can admit a max of 16% of each graduating class.

Ed

Schools can admit a max of 16% of each class, and so they do. Thus, you have to be in the top 16% to get in. I'm aware that you have to be in the top 25% to be eligible. However, the OP didn't title this tread "What does it take to be eligible for AOA", the title of the tread is "What does it take to get AOA", and it takes being in the top 16%, not 25%.

Different schools have different criteria for determining the top 16%, but generally the ppl who put in the most effort get in.

 

[XRanger]

my school is pass/fail so preclinical grades don't really matter. step 1 score and clinical grades determine AOA

 

[penguin24]

I always thought it was funny that AOA's motto is, "Be worthy to serve the suffering". Don't all docs serve the suffering?

They should change it to, "Worthy to land a Derm spot" or "Worthy to pop zits"

 

[njbmd]

I always thought it was funny that AOA's motto is, "Worthy to serve the suffering". Don't all docs serve the suffering?

They should change it to, "Worthy to land a Derm spot" or "Worthy to pop zits"

If you are going to quote the motto, at least be accurate in your quote. The motto is "Be worthy to serve the suffering". You don't have to be AOA to enter dermatology as many schools don't even have a chapter. Many derm residents are not AOA. I would encourage anyone who is interested in Derm or other competitive specialties to keep their academics as high as possible but don't despair if you are not AOA. It's certainly not a requirement for that (or any other) speciality.

Anyone that is interested can go to the Alpha Omega Alpha website Alpha Omega Alpha and check out the organization for themselves.

Certainly AOA does open doors but it's not the "end all" for matching into a competitive residency. I found that AOA was a nice complement to my residency application but it guaranteed nothing. The fellowship too is nice if you happen to land a residency where there is a chapter of AOA.

Also do keep in mind that you can be elected to AOA as a resident or as a faculty member if you are at a location that has a chapter. Those folks who didn't have a chapter at their medical school or were not selected as medical students can still have chance to enter AOA. Again, the organization promotes education, service, leadership and fellowship as does the AMA and NMA too. You can certainly engage in and be an example of all of those things without being a member of AOA.

Most medical students won't enter AOA during medical school but most American medical students will match, enter specialties and enjoy a great career. If you are competitive enough to meet the criteria for consideration by the chapter at your school, then "congratulations", otherwise, do your best and still enjoy a good career.

 

[penguin24]

I left out one word, big deal.

If you wanna shoot for Derm or Plastics, it would be foolish to not shoot for AOA. Obviously, AOA is not the end-all for getting one of these residencies, neither is a >260 Step 1, or 10 publications. I never said AOA was a requirement.

AOA is a marker of strong academic achievement and the motto is "Be worthy to serve the suffereing", I just think it's humorous that some of the strongest med students who get AOA go into Derm & Plastics where they do cosmetic/cash procedures like Botox/Boob jobs, while many med students who don't get AOA end up in primary care and they are the ones who truly serve the suffering. Of course this doesn't apply to everybody, I'm making a generalization with a little exageration to highlight my point. I have great respect for Dermatologist & Plastic Surgeons, don't get me wrong.