Wording of MSPE/Dean's Letter

[Seona]

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So I just got my Dean's Letter (my school lets us review them) and it says "Very Good Student" at the bottom. I know this means lower 2 quartiles, so my question is: am I screwed to match at the higher-up places?

 

[pgy13]

...on where you go to school, and where you are applying, as well as what else you have to offer on your CV.

 

[Seona]

...on where you go to school, and where you are applying, as well as what else you have to offer on your CV.

I go to a top 15 med school. Applying to places like UCLA, Stanford, UNC, Duke, Emory, Baylor, WashU, etc. as well as some other not-so-top tier places. The thing that worries me is that I have no research in med school (had plenty in undergrad) and decent extracurriculars. I've gotten 7 invites so far without the Dean's Letter...so I'm not sure whether to freak out or relax over this "Very Good".

 

[huktonfonix]

what kind of jacked up, hand holding, kumbayah singing, feel good society are we living in where "very good student" is the lower half of your class (Im assuming thats what bottom 2 quartiles means). If that were the case, call a spade a spade and say "below average". Then again, this is the same society with "no child left behind" that continues to pass on children to higher grades despite not meeting standards.

 

[Seona]

what kind of jacked up, hand holding, kumbayah singing, feel good society are we living in where "very good student" is the lower half of your class (Im assuming thats what bottom 2 quartiles means). If that were the case, call a spade a spade and say "below average". Then again, this is the same society with "no child left behind" that continues to pass on children to higher grades despite not meeting standards.

Yeh, but I think they're trying to avoid the harsh look of "Below Average" written on a Dean's Letter (saves me the heart attack, anyway). It kinda sucks because these things aren't standardized across med schools. For instance, half of my clinical rotations are honors...but unfortunately, everyone else also did amazingly well (and in basic sciences too). My step 1 is >240, but the average at my school is 238. Well, shoot...

 

[CrispDO]

From what you say about your Step 1 scores and clinical rotations I cannot believe you wouldnt match wherever you want and at least at one of your top 3 choices. If you don't then I need to quit pursuing Anesthesia now.

 

[guitarguy09]

Just by hearing about your grades in clerkships and your Step scores, as someone who just went through the match last year... I think you'll be fine. As long as you interview well you should be good. It sounds like you go to a great school with lots of great students, if this is in fact the case, they'll know what kind of student you are based on previous years (remember, they do this every year). Best of luck!

 

[DO4lifer]

don't worry about it. just roll with what you got and make the best of it! 👍

 

[CristaGalli]

Seriously, i thought this sort of neurotic posting would've come from the pre-med forums, or that by med school people like you wouldve have grown out of this kind of behavior. For **** sake, you have a >240 step 1, mostly honors, and 7 interviews already...and you are posting a question about a "very good student" on your deans letter....you need to relax, seriously.

 

[Seona]

Seriously, i thought this sort of neurotic posting would've come from the pre-med forums, or that by med school people like you wouldve have grown out of this kind of behavior. For **** sake, you have a >240 step 1, mostly honors, and 7 interviews already...and you are posting a question about a "very good student" on your deans letter....you need to relax, seriously.

Ok, I'm more relaxed now...but maybe some of y'all don't understand the MSPE. "Very Good" translates into the "bottom 50% percentile". This isn't just like my vague translation; each school's definition key is literally written on the back of the MSPE. There have been many studies done on the correlation between the specific "descriptor term" used in the Dean's Letter and rate of acceptance, future performance in residency, etc. Here's an example: http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1076633207003042

 

[lane]

i suggest you loosen your sphincter a few notches before interviews start because this sort of neurotic, insecure behavior will be evident and hinder your far more than what you're whining about right now. while you may be below average in your class, you are most likely above average compared to the applicant pool as a whole given your board score.

 

[coprolalia]

Propanolol 10mg PO TID. (Getsomeonetowriteyouascript.)

-copro

 

[ReformNot]

So I just got my Dean's Letter (my school lets us review them) and it says "Very Good Student" at the bottom. I know this means lower 2 quartiles, so my question is: am I screwed to match at the higher-up places?

Here is one study on the relationship between dean's letter rankings and later evaluations by residency program directors:

http://ecommons.med.harvard.edu/ec_res/90524857-C4EE-4C5B-8F7A-53EF73D69A6D/Workshop_3_Lurie.pdf

However, it did not answer how one can compare students graduated from different institutes so I would guess "very good" (or whatever) from one school is probably not the same as "very good" from another school in the eyes of the PDs.

 

[Eta Carinae]

ooooh nooooooooooo, I guess matching outside our solar system is your only option now.