Would it be better to do research before or after preliminary medicine year?

[lsres]

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It looks like I will not match in PM&R this year since I had no interviews although the scramble is a possibility. Does anyone know if it would be better to do a year of research in PM&R and then do a year in preliminary medicine or do a year in preliminary medicine first? I really want to help patients as a physiatrist and am hoping that research would help me overcome my low board scores and show my dedication and what I know.

 

[axm397]

It looks like I will not match in PM&R this year since I had no interviews although the scramble is a possibility. Does anyone know if it would be better to do a year of research in PM&R and then do a year in preliminary medicine or do a year in preliminary medicine first? I really want to help patients as a physiatrist and am hoping that research would help me overcome my low board scores and show my dedication and what I know.

First of all, you probably need to re-assess your application as a whole. Is it really JUST your "low board scores" that got you no interviews? Are there other factors you may just not recognize? Is there anyone you can trust to give you an honest opinion on what kind of strengths and weaknesses you have? After you take an honest inventory of yourself, then you can identify areas you can change/improve and some things that are not within your control (i.e. where you went to med school, your board scores, etc.)

there are a few things you can do to enhance your application without taking a year off to solely do research. You can do your prelim year at an institution where there is a PM&R residency program. Most prelim programs will allow electives. do them in PM&R. Find a physiatrst at that program doing research and ask to piggy-back on an on-going project. (You are looking for better letters of recommendation from physiatrists - the more "name" the better). If you can get a publication, that's just extra credit.

Hope this helps.

 

[lsres]

Thank you for the advice. That seems to be the best road to take right now.

🙂