What more can I do at this point to get into a psych residency?

[nebuchadnezzarII]

STEP 1 = 205; US Medical Student (MD Program)
ECs = A couple of psych-related things, but nothing major.
Research = None. Not very interested in research.
Red Flags = None that I can think of. Hopefully none going forward either.
Clerkship Grades = Mostly average.

I want to match into psych, preferably in California. I know it's terrible to limit myself geographically, but I am obligated to by circumstances out of my control. I'm fine with any program that will take me as long as I get to become a psychiatrist!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Dharma]

Plenty of programs around there. Sweatshops included.

 

[nebuchadnezzarII]

Plenty of programs around there. Sweatshops included.

Hey man, I'm willing to put down 80 hours per week of slave labor as long as I'm there in California. Do the sweatshops accept AMGs? I'm worried they may be IMG-only.

 

[PlasticBag]

You could try to do a sub-I or two at the NYC programs.

 

[MedMan80]

Really not sure why you're fretting, you seem to have good stats. Maybe you won't get into one of the Ivey leagues, but a mid-tier program, sure. Having survived a NY-Sweatshop, you don't want to go to such programs.

 

[Amygdarya]

OP, your Step score is fine (assuming your CK score will be in the same range and you pass CS on your first attempt), but "mostly average" clinical grades (especially in psychiatry) and lack of research and/or significant extracurriculars in psychiatry will likely keep you out of the top four (Columbia, Cornell, NYU, MtSinai main), as these are very competitive, unless you come from one of them and have some influential letter writers. However, as mentioned, there are plenty of other programs in NYC ranging in quality of training and level of malignancy. In your shoes I'd apply to all and really try to get into Albert Einstein or MtSinai-BI, maybe SUNY Downstate, MtInai-StLuke's or or Maimo or NYMC (the last one is not in the city but fairly close). Email programs to express interest if you don't get interview invites from them by mid-October.

Also, as someone who went to med school in NYC and loves the city but is now in residency elsewhere, there are plenty of great places outside of NYC, and you're likely to be happier at residencies outside of NYC because of things like hospital logistics and support staff, which don't matter to you as a medical student but make a whole lot of difference as a resident. So unless your spouse has a job in NYC and absolutely cannot move, ailing close relatives in the city or something like this, I would seriously look outside NYC.

 

[nebuchadnezzarII]

Really not sure why you're fretting, you seem to have good stats. Maybe you won't get into one of the Ivey leagues, but a mid-tier program, sure. Having survived a NY-Sweatshop, you don't want to go to such programs.

Thank you. Can you tell me about your experience at a NYC sweatshop? Were you there for psychiatry? What exactly is so bad about it? (I'm not saying you're wrong, I just don't know). Do you have to administer medications and such yourself? I am fretting about matching because I have no research, psychiatry is getting more competitive, and because I'm very stubborn about being in NYC.

So unless your spouse has a job in NYC and absolutely cannot move, ailing close relatives in the city or something like this, I would seriously look outside NYC.

I appreciate the input! I'm really not looking to get into one of the top programs. But as you stated, I have a commitment to NYC due to one of these social reasons. I would be open to doing residency elsewhere and worrying a whole lot less if my social obligation changes. I will definitely try to get into one of those mid-tier programs. Can you give me an example of the abuse residents suffer in the lesser programs? Are these programs only open for IMGs?

 

[wolfvgang22]

Nothing is "only open to IMGs" lol

 

[splik]

Nothing is "only open to IMGs" lol

actually there are some programs which only do pre-match, and US medical students are not allowed to take positions outside the match, so for all intents and purposes there are some sweatshops out there only open to IMGs.

 

[MedMan80]

Thank you. Can you tell me about your experience at a NYC sweatshop? Were you there for psychiatry? What exactly is so bad about it? (I'm not saying you're wrong, I just don't know). Do you have to administer medications and such yourself? I am fretting about matching because I have no research, psychiatry is getting more competitive, and because I'm very stubborn about being in NYC.



I appreciate the input! I'm really not looking to get into one of the top programs. But as you stated, I have a commitment to NYC due to one of these social reasons. I would be open to doing residency elsewhere and worrying a whole lot less if my social obligation changes. I will definitely try to get into one of those mid-tier programs. Can you give me an example of the abuse residents suffer in the lesser programs? Are these programs only open for IMGs?

In my experience you wont be administering medications, but the very definition of a sweatshop is production if low quality at high quantity. My program was very clinically heavy, without much supervision, I'm talking about running the psych ER with attending available by ph only, poor quality and lacking didactics, they were able to get away with alot of this as many of my colleagues were desperate IMG who could not get in anywhere else and did not wish to rock the boat to complain.

Psychiatry is a field in which you can't get excellent training with JUST hands on exposure, you need didactics, mentorship, direction, there's a-lot of reading. Particularly on the history of psychiatry/psychotherapy modalities. The city programs, Harlem/Elmhurst/Jamaica are pretty poorly financed and rely on residents to run their clinical services with minimal oversight for the most part. Im being particularly vague about exactly where I trained but, I found that my exposure in CAP fellowship to be very enriching and it was not a sweatshop (thank god i matched there).

 

[LABrondo]

actually there are some programs which only do pre-match, and US medical students are not allowed to take positions outside the match, so for all intents and purposes there are some sweatshops out there only open to IMGs.

US DO students are allowed to take positions outside the match though!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[deleted407021]

US DO students are allowed to take positions outside the match though!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

:O