Will I match?? Confused, Please Help

[cooliomedy]

Hey everyone,

I'm a med student who plans on entering Rad Onc after match 2012, I'm totally confused about what I should do, here is some info bout me....please tell me if I have a chance and what I can do to make my app better!

Step I: 249, Step 2: need to decide to take early or late
School Rep: Non-existent, combined undergrad/med school
AOA: recently applied, top 25% of students were invited
GPA: 3.92
Honored Clerkships: OB/Gyn, Internal Med, Peds, Psych (high pass in surgery
Research: 1 abstract in non-rad onc (pathology) and 2 presentations (1 at school research day and 1 at experimental biology), plan to start another radonc/med onc case report next week
-Lots of community service activities, volunteer at amer cancer society hope lodge
-No home rad onc program

Currently on a rad onc rotation in town, plan to do 2-3 aways (one already scheduled at MD anderson)

Do I have a chance?
Should I take step 2 early and study hard to get a score in the 260s? will it help?
Its hard to get research started and I know how important it is, will I be able to on away rotations and will I have time?

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[lazers]

Hey everyone,

I'm a med student who plans on entering Rad Onc after match 2012, I'm totally confused about what I should do, here is some info bout me....please tell me if I have a chance and what I can do to make my app better!

Step I: 249, Step 2: need to decide to take early or late
School Rep: Non-existent, combined undergrad/med school
AOA: recently applied, top 25% of students were invited
GPA: 3.92
Honored Clerkships: OB/Gyn, Internal Med, Peds, Psych (high pass in surgery
Research: 1 abstract in non-rad onc (pathology) and 2 presentations (1 at school research day and 1 at experimental biology), plan to start another radonc/med onc case report next week
-Lots of community service activities, volunteer at amer cancer society hope lodge
-No home rad onc program

Currently on a rad onc rotation in town, plan to do 2-3 aways (one already scheduled at MD anderson)

Do I have a chance?
Should I take step 2 early and study hard to get a score in the 260s? will it help?
Its hard to get research started and I know how important it is, will I be able to on away rotations and will I have time?

It would be better if you put your time into the away rotatoins and research instead of studying for step 2. I think you have good stats and you should be able to match with a couple of aways and getting to know some faculty.

 

[mikedc813]

Applied from a very similar situation (albeit close to 5 year ago), my suggestions:

1. MDACC is great to get a letter from but with your lack of pedigree and limited research it could be a stretch getting a residency there. I would add other aways at more mid-upper tier places. Since I didn't have a home program, one thing I did was look for programs without attached med schools and rotated there.

2. Try to get yourself on some rad onc research when at your aways, it may not get completed but at least you can discuss it at interviews.

3. Step II is a +/-. I felt like it was a boost for me (similar step I) and a good score was received well at a few of my interviews but I know others who have not fel that way.

Agree. One strategy for aways is to rotate at places where you're more likely to match or places that you would like to go. If they like you, then you may be more likely to get interviewed. While MDACC is a great place, most won't match despite doing a rotation. Whether you do research during the away is not that important IMO. Your first priority is to do a great job on the rotation to get a strong letter of rec. If you can swing the research on the side (and there are clinical projects that you can complete in a month), then that's just gravy. Taking Step II early helped me since I was one of those applicants who did well on Step I but not stellar (i.e. 230s). I'd wait to take it if you did well on Step I. Why risk not doing well, right?

As has been restated on SDN time after time, there is no one right formula to matching. It takes a combination of a good academic record, some research, good interviews, and strong letters of rec. Being weaker in one area can be made up (to some extent) by being stronger in others. Don't let what is posted on this forum intimidate you as the folks on here are largely not representative of the whole. If rad onc is what you to do and you are reasonably competitive, then apply. You might surprise yourself.