Year off necessary?

[fusurg]

I've posted one other time, but a summary of my situation: 227 step 1, step 2 not back yet (expecting at least 245), mid tier allopathic school in NE, minimal EC involvement, clinical grades: HP in surgery, H in medicine, H in psych, HP everything else.

To make a long story short, I didn't decide on surgery until very late, and thus have my fourth year scheduled (including aways and LOR's) lined up for a different specialty. Now I'm not able to get a sub I in surgery before application season, which essentially leaves me with no surgery LOR's and a very weak application.

Am I essentially going to be forced to take a year off to get the necessary exposure and letters? For what it's worth, I'd like to end up in a smaller sort of city/town someday, not academics. I really appreciate the help guys.

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[Winged Scapula]

I've posted one other time, but a summary of my situation: 227 step 1, step 2 not back yet (expecting at least 245), mid tier allopathic school in NE, minimal EC involvement, clinical grades: HP in surgery, H in medicine, H in psych, HP everything else.

To make a long story short, I didn't decide on surgery until very late, and thus have my fourth year scheduled (including aways and LOR's) lined up for a different specialty. Now I'm not able to get a sub I in surgery before application season, which essentially leaves me with no surgery LOR's and a very weak application.

Am I essentially going to be forced to take a year off to get the necessary exposure and letters? For what it's worth, I'd like to end up in a smaller sort of city/town someday, not academics. I really appreciate the help guys.

So you're saying your school won't let you change your schedule? That's lame. Their goal should be to help you match.

Bottom line is you cannot apply without surgery LORs; the aways are optional for general surgery, so moot point there. Taking a year off will not help you, unless you were planning on delaying graduation. Once you graduate, the match rate goes down, you don't have school support etc.

If you have not already, Monday morning meet with your Clerkship coordinator and/or Dean and plead your case; they need to help you. Remind them that going unmatched will not look good for either you, neither will it if you default on your student loans (not that you would, but schools with high default rates can get loans anymore, so its a chip to use in bargaining if possible). You can get LORs from your 3rd year rotation (at least you should since you got a HP).

 

[SLUser11]

Most of the time, you can speak with a trusted advisor from your school who can help you through this. It's very late to decide on surgery, but taking a year off will be unlikely to improve your application. I'd try to get something done very quickly, and see if your school will help you out.

If not, I would look into delaying completion of the 4th year of med school for a year...rather than taking a year off, you can get an MPH, MBA, do some sort of fellowship, etc. That way it doesn't appear that you have a gap in your training.

 

[Tradewinds]

Does your school offer meetings with the Surgery Department Chair for all 4th years interested in surgery? I know ours does since many programs require a surgery chair letter. Maybe you can at least contact the program chair and ask them about potentially meeting so that you can talk about a letter. They must do this all the time so it shouldn't be unusual. You could bring your CV, transcripts etc. along with the evaluations and grades from your surgery rotation so that they can get a better idea of you as a candidate. You could also use the opportunity to get advice or get them on your side to try and change your schedule around. (Ridiculous that school wouldn't do their best to get you the bare minimum for applying to your specialty of choice, but unfortunately that is the case for quite a few students at my school as well, so I get it).

Also, can you ask one of the attendings you worked with during your junior surgery rotation for a letter? I'm sure they would be willing.

Good Luck!