Another "What are my Chances" Thread

[peyerpatch]

I posted in the other "what are my chances thread" but think I'll get a better response and insight in a separate thread.

So I just got my CK back yesterday, so we'll start with stats:

Step 1: 211-220
Step 2: 241-250
Rank: second quartile (I think...)
Clinical: h/p system. Two Hs, neither in Med or peds

Extracurricular: I don't have a background in research. I have more involvement with volunteer groups (homeless outreach) and the schools LGBT group.

Other: I'm bilingual in Spanish/English which could maybe be a plus?

Why Med/peds: I like the breadth and depth you get with Med/Peds. I really like the in hospital, more acute cases which is what makes me lean towards med/peds over family (also I'm not interested in Ob). I also think I might like to get into health education, and I think a strong background in peds and medicine could be valuable in an educational setting.

Thoughts and advice?

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[andrek82]

I had similar stats and did well. I would say that you should research the programs for average scores and mission statements. If you won't make the Freida cutoff, that doesn't mean you can't apply (it is notoriously inaccurate), but you should think twice and consider reaching out a week or two after eras gets sent to programs if there is a place you really want to be. In terms of numbers of program to which you should apply, 20 to 30 is reasonable for most folks. If you're especially concerned, you can apply more broadly of course, but those stats, especially with your step 2 bump, and if you can be a compelling interviewee should set you up well.

 

[tantacles]

I posted in the other "what are my chances thread" but think I'll get a better response and insight in a separate thread.

So I just got my CK back yesterday, so we'll start with stats:

Step 1: 219
Step 2: 243
Rank: second quartile (I think...)
Clinical: h/p system. Two Hs, neither in Med or peds

Extracurricular: I don't have a background in research. I have more involvement with volunteer groups (homeless outreach) and the schools LGBT group.

Other: I'm bilingual in Spanish/English which could maybe be a plus?

Why Med/peds: I like the breadth and depth you get with Med/Peds. I really like the in hospital, more acute cases which is what makes me lean towards med/peds over family (also I'm not interested in Ob). I also think I might like to get into health education, and I think a strong background in peds and medicine could be valuable in an educational setting.

Thoughts and advice?

I agree with @andrek82. With your stats, you will likely be able to match med-peds somewhere, but you will likely not be competitive at top academic programs or university programs in popular urban areas. Med-peds is competitive compared to medicine or peds alone, but tends to be more clinical, so not having research likely will not be detrimental to your application. More practical might be to choose a list of 20-30 med-peds programs that you wish to apply to, and then we can do a better job of advising and help you figure out some potential changes to your list based on your preferences.

 

[peyerpatch]

Thanks for the responses!

Right now I have a list of about 40 programs focused predominantly on the Midwest (where I'm from) and the south with a sprinkling of east coast and west (Utah, Arizona, Colorado). Thinking of states broadly - I'm leaning towards programs in Texas, Florida, and Chicago/Indianapolis.

I would like to be in a program that rotates students as I really like teaching and academic medicine is a focus I take in my personal statement.

I really have no idea how I can even discern where to apply. Any advice would be helpful. This uncertainty is why I've made myself a list of pretty much everywhere in the south and Midwest,

 

[URHere]

Thanks for the responses!

Right now I have a list of about 40 programs focused predominantly on the Midwest (where I'm from) and the south with a sprinkling of east coast and west (Utah, Arizona, Colorado). Thinking of states broadly - I'm leaning towards programs in Texas, Florida, and Chicago/Indianapolis.

I would like to be in a program that rotates students as I really like teaching and academic medicine is a focus I take in my personal statement.

I really have no idea how I can even discern where to apply. Any advice would be helpful. This uncertainty is why I've made myself a list of pretty much everywhere in the south and Midwest,

In general, the better the reputation of the IM or Peds program in the academic world, the more difficult it will be for you to match there with a low step 1 score and without Med/Peds honors. Of programs you mentioned, I would say that Colorado and UChicago would be long shots, and I suspect that Utah is on the cusp of being too competitive (although still definitely worth applying to). Banner in Arizona would be a good place to try, as would USF, UMiami, and some of the smaller name programs in the midwest. I don't know much about Texas, but I think you'd have a better shot at UT Houston than UTSW or Baylor (however, if you have any ties to the state, it wouldn't hurt to apply to all 3). IU would probably still be worth applying to because they have the largest med-peds residency class in the country. Overall, South and Midwest are likely to give you some extra leeway simply because fewer people want to live there.

Also, your post reminded me that we never posted the reviews/results of the med-peds interview spreadsheet from last year, so I uploaded that info in a separate thread. One of the PDFs is a list of applicant stats that shows which programs interviewed or declined each applicant. That may be useful information for you.