WOOT! I matched UC Irvine!

[SCIronMike]

Actually, I had a feeling I would be staying close to home because Michigan didn't fill. Since Michigan was high on my list and my interview went great there, I figured I would either be at the two local programs (UCI or UCLA) or RIC. My goal was to stay in So Cal...... lived here all my life. It's hard to imagine leaving the sunshine for a colder climate. Anyways, I am SOOOO pumped. YEAH BABY!

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[SCIronMike]

Actually, I had a feeling I would be staying close to home because Michigan didn't fill. Since Michigan was high on my list and my interview went great there, I figured I would either be at the two local programs (UCI or UCLA) or RIC. My goal was to stay in So Cal...... lived here all my life. It's hard to imagine leaving the sunshine for a colder climate. Anyways, I am SOOOO pumped. YEAH BABY!

I've gotten a couple PMs asking me some questions about my background, so here it is........ hope this helps those who are curious.

what med school you go to
University of Southern California for undergrad and medical school. I was a Kinesiology major in undergrad and focused on biomechanics.

did you do a rotation at UCIrvine's program
Yes, I rotated at UC Irvine, UCLA / West LA VA, and also Rancho Los Amigos

what is your gpa
We don't have first or second year grades at USC. I did very well on my core clerkships though and the evaluations were excellent.

are you DO or MD?
MD

Board scores
If there is one weakness, it is my USMLE scores. My step 1 score was around the 200 mark. I did not have a Step 2 score at the time I applied.

How many LOR's did you have and were they all PM&R, any from program directors?
I submitted 4 LORs. One from a professor of medicine at USC, one from an assistant professor of medicine at USC, one from an attending at Rancho Los Amigos, and one from the assistant program director at UC Irvine.

Previous experience?
I was a kinesiology major and did a lot of work in biomechanics. That's pretty much it.

Research experience?
In med school, I spent two years in a biomechanics / orthopaedics lab and published 3 papers in the field of spine mechanics.

Extracurricular stuff?
Your typical stuff. Organizations, clubs, etc. Nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[DJPJ69Camaro]

I've gotten a couple PMs asking me some questions about my background, so here it is........ hope this helps those who are curious.

what med school you go to
University of Southern California for undergrad and medical school. I was a Kinesiology major in undergrad and focused on biomechanics.

did you do a rotation at UCIrvine's program
Yes, I rotated at UC Irvine, UCLA / West LA VA, and also Rancho Los Amigos

what is your gpa
We don't have first or second year grades at USC. I did very well on my core clerkships though and the evaluations were excellent.

are you DO or MD?
MD

Board scores
If there is one weakness, it is my USMLE scores. My step 1 score was around the 200 mark. I did not have a Step 2 score at the time I applied.

How many LOR's did you have and were they all PM&R, any from program directors?
I submitted 4 LORs. One from a professor of medicine at USC, one from an assistant professor of medicine at USC, one from an attending at Rancho Los Amigos, and one from the assistant program director at UC Irvine.

Previous experience?
I was a kinesiology major and did a lot of work in biomechanics. That's pretty much it.

Research experience?
In med school, I spent two years in a biomechanics / orthopaedics lab and published 3 papers in the field of spine mechanics.

Extracurricular stuff?
Your typical stuff. Organizations, clubs, etc. Nothing out of the ordinary.

So why do you think you didn't match into RIC? Your resume seems very impressive, RIC impressive. Did you place RIC higher than UCI? I'm just curious, because I had a friend who did research there, did rotations there, placed it at the top of his list, but ended up in California anyway.

 

[paz5559]

For future applicants, and I preface this by saying I am a New Yorker, and therefore cynicism is ingrained in my nature

Always remember that people always will paint themselves in a light most favorable to their cause. So if their mission is to tell you I am a terribly qualified candidate, but I didn't match, they will highlight the good, and forget to mention the murder conviction, or the three times they failed step one.

Also, if they matched to the program in BFE, they are probably gonna tell you they couldn't be happier, at least in public, and tell you it was a geographical preference, when, in fact, it is just as likely they ranked the top programs, and just didn't match.

For me, you always have to remember that scene from the Wizard of Oz where the Great and Powerful Oz says "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain." I personally think you always have to look at people's motivations, subtexts, and personal agendas. I personally ALWAYS look behind the curtain, but like I said up front, I am a cynic by nature, and not trusting (or perhaps naive) enough to take what people say at face value.

 

[cyanocobalamin]

Any match in California is impressive regardless of the so-called caliber of the program - programs of lesser prestige in California are harder matches than programs of prestige in the northeast, midwest or south sans Florida. Why? It's obvious really. A lot of people from California who went to medical school elsewhere are yearning to return, those who are currently in California are unable to part, and those from elsewhere want to see what it's all about.

 

[SCIronMike]

So why do you think you didn't match into RIC? Your resume seems very impressive, RIC impressive. Did you place RIC higher than UCI? I'm just curious, because I had a friend who did research there, did rotations there, placed it at the top of his list, but ended up in California anyway.

Well, the easy answer to that question is that RIC was below the California schools on my rank order list. To be perfectly honest with you, the program that I was most impressed with was University of Michigan. However, I ranked U of Michigan 4th behind two CA schools and RIC. I left RIC up there because of reputation, which is an unusual thing for me to do because perceived reputation usually is not important at all to me.

I know that UC Irvine doesn't get discussed much on this message board, but I was extremely impressed with the program when I rotated there. If there was no match process, I would have gladly skipped the entire interview trail and match process and gone to UCI. The attendings there are amazing and the location really can't be beat. At the end of the interview process, my opinion had not changed and I still wanted to be at UC Irvine. I will rotate at three extremely nice hospitals, I will live exactly three blocks from the sands of Huntington Beach, I will get to work in an incredible biomechanics lab and hopefully publish throughout my residency. Everything about UCI that "felt right" for me.

 

[SCIronMike]

Any match in California is impressive regardless of the so-called caliber of the program - programs of lesser prestige in California are harder matches than programs of prestige in the northeast, midwest or south sans Florida. Why? It's obvious really. A lot of people from California who went to medical school elsewhere are yearning to return, those who are currently in California are unable to part, and those from elsewhere want to see what it's all about.

You definitely hit this one on the nail. When I was rotating at the UCLA/GLAVA program, I attended their annual research day and their department chairman gave a "state of the program address". They proudly announced that they had matched all their residency spots that year within the top 10 on the program's rank order list.

I think the CA programs pretty much get who they want in the process. When I rotated at both UCI and UCLA, I met extremely competitive candidates (HIGH step 1 scores and AOA) who definitely wanted to be in southern California above all other factors. Many of them had gone to college in CA but had ended up out of state for med school. One particular candidate who I rotated with both at UCI and UCLA was extremely impressive. REALLY sweet, great with patients, great paper qualifications. She was from Chicago Med School, but was born the LA area and wanted to come back home. I just spoke with her recently, and she is going to the UCLA program. She mentioned in her e-mail that she could not decide between UCI and UCLA, but ended up choosing UCLA because of a couples match with her fiancee who preferred radiology at UCLA.

For me, I was born in a little town on the coast here in So Cal called Palos Verdes Estates. I went to USC undergrad and USC medical school. I met my wife at USC and she has a great opportunity to continue her great job here in So Cal while teaching as a part-time professor at USC. Even though we are both only 26 and 25, we are both so established in So Cal that it would be extremely difficult to leave.

My next goal though is to get my little brother interested in PM&R He's just finishing up his 2nd year at UC San Francisco and is about to start his rotations. That little bugger was supposed to join me at USC med school (we both went to USC undergrad), but when he got into Hopkins, UCSF, and the such he bolted on me I need to convince him that being in the same residency program with me is the way to go........

 

[SCIronMike]

Oh yeah, and I didn't apply anywhere on the East Coast. I really couldn't see myself going there for 3 or 4 years. I focused my efforts on UCI, UCLA, Baylor / UT Houston, U of Michigan, RIC, LSU, and Colorado. I had a GREAT GREAT GREAT interview at Michigan so I pretty much knew I wasn't going to drop below 4 on my rank order list.

 

[normalforce]

Just to put a little sense into all of this for you applicants next year. No matter where you go, there will always be people trying to bring you down. From how you look, to where you went to med school, from your MCAT to your USMLE I, to where you matched etc.... Always, everywhere. (I am not referring to anyone in particular on our PM&R board)

HOWEVER, the bulk of people are going to be generally complimentary, fun and laid back. This will hold true on the interview trail, on this board, etc...

It is easy, referring to this board in particular, to pick a person and go to the profile of messages they have posted, and see if they are a positive or negative person. I would recommend it, especially if you take anyone's advice for anything from a discussion board.

And always remember, just because you didn't get your top choice (if you don't) etc... You are going to be a physician, with a great responsibilty, a great and meaningful life, and you will have a great time. Regardless of if you are going to Kessler/RIC/Baylor or a smaller program. WHATEVER happens, take everything with a grain of salt. You are in a phenomenal positision regardless of where you match. Always remember that. And if you need any help, walk outside anywhere, at any point in time, and see what a lot of other people are doing. MOST are not doing what they want/ what they love/ what their passion is, for whatever the reason may be. You are. PERIOD. Always keep life in perspective and you will never be disappointed. Or, as HOMER (SIMPSON) would say, "Son, you have failed miserably, the point here is, never try, then you can never be disappointed."

Again, good luck and anyone can PM for any advice anytime.