Closed.

[CrypticRomantic]

Closed.

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[GoSpursGo]

Delay graduation if possible and financially feasible.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

First, the LOA is probably not the cause of not matching. Lots of people take LOA's, and it's usually no big deal. So I expect there's something else at play here. LOA's are not red flags, in general. A reason for an LOA might be.

Looking at your post history, we can see that you're a DO student, that you took an LOA in your 1st year after failing two courses, you then did fine from there, low board scores (204/425 and 212/-), and applied to psych, and in mid Nov had 1 interview (probably -- you deleted the post but that's what the rest of the thread suggests). So, the LOA isn't the problem -- it's all the rest of it.

SDN always recommends delaying graduation because when you look at the data for current seniors vs prior grads, the current seniors do much better. People then assume that being a current senior is a huge benefit. The issue is that prior graduates have already (mostly) applied and not gotten a spot -- so whether they graduate and are a prior grad or extend so they are still a senior won't really make a difference. The application issue that made them not match the first time is the driving issue.

OK, given all that, advice for your specific situation:

1. You are not going to match to psych, almost no matter what you do. The only exception is going to be if you do a psych rotation at a program, and if they like you enough, they might overlook your scores. But probably not -- you'll get an interview, and they will say how nice you are, see those scores, and rank you in the bottom quarter of the list. You gave it your best shot this last year. Psych has become increasingly competitive over the last few years.

2. You should extend your training and build an application towards another field. You need to choose something that is non-competitive. Your options are Family Medicine, community based Internal Medicine, Pathology, or Neurology. Or Radiation Oncology, but don't make that mistake. Pick from that list. Do rotations in that field, generate LOR's. If you make the mistake of doing more psych rotations and applying to one of these as a backup, programs will see that and often decline to interview you at all.

 

[rokshana]

First, the LOA is probably not the cause of not matching. Lots of people take LOA's, and it's usually no big deal. So I expect there's something else at play here. LOA's are not red flags, in general. A reason for an LOA might be.

Looking at your post history, we can see that you're a DO student, that you took an LOA in your 1st year after failing two courses, you then did fine from there, low board scores (204/425 and 212/-), and applied to psych, and in mid Nov had 1 interview (probably -- you deleted the post but that's what the rest of the thread suggests). So, the LOA isn't the problem -- it's all the rest of it.

SDN always recommends delaying graduation because when you look at the data for current seniors vs prior grads, the current seniors do much better. People then assume that being a current senior is a huge benefit. The issue is that prior graduates have already (mostly) applied and not gotten a spot -- so whether they graduate and are a prior grad or extend so they are still a senior won't really make a difference. The application issue that made them not match the first time is the driving issue.

OK, given all that, advice for your specific situation:

1. You are not going to match to psych, almost no matter what you do. The only exception is going to be if you do a psych rotation at a program, and if they like you enough, they might overlook your scores. But probably not -- you'll get an interview, and they will say how nice you are, see those scores, and rank you in the bottom quarter of the list. You gave it your best shot this last year. Psych has become increasingly competitive over the last few years.

2. You should extend your training and build an application towards another field. You need to choose something that is non-competitive. Your options are Family Medicine, community based Internal Medicine, Pathology, or Neurology. Or Radiation Oncology, but don't make that mistake. Pick from that list. Do rotations in that field, generate LOR's. If you make the mistake of doing more psych rotations and applying to one of these as a backup, programs will see that and often decline to interview you at all.

Has rad onc dropped in competitiveness that much? When I was a med student...not THAT long ago! It was pretty competitive.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Has rad onc dropped in competitiveness that much? When I was a med student...not THAT long ago! It was pretty competitive.

Yes, it's a mess. You can get all the details in the Rad Onc forum.

 

[GoSpursGo]

SDN always recommends delaying graduation because when you look at the data for current seniors vs prior grads, the current seniors do much better. People then assume that being a current senior is a huge benefit. The issue is that prior graduates have already (mostly) applied and not gotten a spot -- so whether they graduate and are a prior grad or extend so they are still a senior won't really make a difference. The application issue that made them not match the first time is the driving issue.

I generally agree with the advice you gave the OP (surprise, surprise), but I just want to clarify that the main reason why I think it makes sense to delay graduation is exactly why you recommended the OP do it. In addition to the fact that you're a "graduating senior," it also gives you the opportunity to take more electives and improve your app (probably for a different field). If you graduate and don't take a spot in SOAP, then you're probably just sitting around doing nothing of any particular note for a year.

Thread closed by request of OP.