Applying for Anesthesia residency through SOAP ( step 1 265, step 2 273, didn't participate in NRMP yet)

[gasman-85]

I'm a an IMG anesthesiologist who completed a residency in my home country 7 yrs ago, i 've been practicing for the last 6 yrs, and i immigrated to the US 6 ms ago. i scored 265 for step 1 , 273 for step 2 ck , took my step 2 cs in January and waiting for results (on march 4th), i don't have any USCE or LOR, my initial plan was to apply for next year's residency, but someone told me that i can apply for SOAP this year. is it worth it to apply now for NRMP ?!! Any feedback will be appreciated.

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[anbuitachi]

I'm a an IMG anesthesiologist who completed a residency in my home country 7 yrs ago, i 've been practicing for the last 6 yrs, and i immigrated to the US 6 ms ago. i scored 265 for step 1 , 273 for step 2 ck , took my step 2 cs in January and waiting for results (on march 4th), i don't have any USCE or LOR, my initial plan was to apply for next year's residency, but someone told me that i can apply for SOAP this year. is it worth it to apply now for NRMP ?!! Any feedback will be appreciated.

if you can apply soap, why not do it now? whats the worst that can happen?

 

[hununuh]

if you can apply soap, why not do it now? whats the worst that can happen?

Most, if not all, of residency programs are done with interviews for this season.

 

[lateo]

Don’t do it! Applying without LORs with an incomplete application would be a disaster, even with good scores. SOAP is WAY more competitive than Match, in Match you have 2:1 applicants to positions ratio, in SOAP it’s 20:1, and you’ll be competing with people from ortho and ENT who didn’t match to their highly competitive specialties and now go for anesthesia with excellent scores, experience and recommendations.

You have terrific scores. If you shadow some anesthesiologists to get US LORs, or work at an academic department to get some publications/recommendations, given that you don’t mess up your interviews you’ll land a position at a top-10 program. Why scramble for a random spot now, when you can work on perfecting your application, taking step 3, and land a great position a year later?

If you’re dying to start practicing, apply to SOAP for a prelim year with letters from your country (transitional year, IM or surgery, I highly recommend opting for a transitional year or cushy IM, surgery prelims generally suck). Get the letters of recommendation there and apply to NRMP in the proper cycle.

 

[hununuh]

Don’t do it! Applying without LORs with an incomplete application would be a disaster, even with good scores. SOAP is WAY more competitive than Match, in Match you have 2:1 applicants to positions ratio, in SOAP it’s 20:1, and you’ll be competing with people from ortho and ENT who didn’t match to their highly competitive specialties and now go for anesthesia with excellent scores, experience and recommendations.

You have terrific scores. If you shadow some anesthesiologists to get US LORs, or work at an academic department to get some publications/recommendations, given that you don’t mess up your interviews you’ll land a position at a top-10 program. Why scramble for a random spot now, when you can work on perfecting your application, taking step 3, and land a great position a year later?

If you’re dying to start practicing, apply to SOAP for a prelim year with letters from your country (transitional year, IM or surgery, I highly recommend opting for a transitional year or cushy IM, surgery prelims generally suck). Get the letters of recommendation there and apply to NRMP in the proper cycle.

That is a good point, but if he/she SOAPs into a program, he can start in July of 2020. If he applies next year, that is another year wasted. Just something to think about.

 

[Justice4all]

Unlikely to match via SOAP without USCE LORS.

 

[gasman-85]

Don’t do it! Applying without LORs with an incomplete application would be a disaster, even with good scores. SOAP is WAY more competitive than Match, in Match you have 2:1 applicants to positions ratio, in SOAP it’s 20:1, and you’ll be competing with people from ortho and ENT who didn’t match to their highly competitive specialties and now go for anesthesia with excellent scores, experience and recommendations.

You have terrific scores. If you shadow some anesthesiologists to get US LORs, or work at an academic department to get some publications/recommendations, given that you don’t mess up your interviews you’ll land a position at a top-10 program. Why scramble for a random spot now, when you can work on perfecting your application, taking step 3, and land a great position a year later?

If you’re dying to start practicing, apply to SOAP for a prelim year with letters from your country (transitional year, IM or surgery, I highly recommend opting for a transitional year or cushy IM, surgery prelims generally suck). Get the letters of recommendation there and apply to NRMP in the proper cycle.

Will failing to get a position through SOAP harm me to get interviews in the next match? or it won't make a difference, I just don't want to waste a year.

 

[Bru]

Take a year and don't settle for SOAPing into a some random program. Programs that have spots left usually have spots left for a reason.

 

[nimbus]

Have your app ready and get some letters. Wait for SOAP and see which programs are unfilled. Occasionally some great programs like UCSF or Michigan have gone unfilled. If no good programs are available, apply in the regular match next cycle.