Competitive Pediatric Residency

[Rybaby]

Hello Everyone,

I am a current 4th year medical student trying to get information on how competitive it is to get into high caliber pediatric programs, specifically CHOP, Boston CHildrens, and Johns Hopkins. If anyone from these programs knows anything about some of the general characteristics of the accepted resident applicants, I would be most appreciative.

Personally, I have:
4 papers, and 4 presentations
270 on Step I
Junior AOA
Honors on all rotations

Thank you

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[zedpol]

you're fine

 

[tatabox80]

This is a joke right?

 

[blanche]

dear god i sure hope so....i mean i'm starting to freak out that my 265 isn't going to cut it!!!!!!!

(just kidding, btw..)

 

[oompaloompa]

Hello Everyone,

I am a current 4th year medical student trying to get information on how competitive it is to get into high caliber pediatric programs, specifically CHOP, Boston CHildrens, and Johns Hopkins. If anyone from these programs knows anything about some of the general characteristics of the accepted resident applicants, I would be most appreciative.

Personally, I have:
4 papers, and 4 presentations
270 on Step I
Junior AOA
Honors on all rotations

Thank you

Well, I'm not from any of these programs, but I visited the Boston Children's website the other day and saw that about 60% of the intern class this year have PhDs and almost all are from the Ivies. It was a serious blow, let me tell you, as I really like Boston. I'm starting to think they only downloaded my application so that they could post it on the wall to give everyone walking by a good laugh. Oh well

 

[notstudying]

...270 on Step I...

I didn't know it went up that high...

 

[tkrohn]

Ryan,

I really think you will be VERY competitive for all the programs you apply to. Make sure you contact your favorites and let them know that they are your favorites to hedge your bets of getting an interview.

Tyler

 

[Rybaby]

Good to see yah, Tyler! I hope all is going well with your applications. THe only problem is that we've never sent an applicant to CHOP and have only sent one person to Boston from USC, so its hard to have real perspective on the competitiveness.

 

[tkrohn]

Ryan,
I wasn't aware of that, however, have you been able to take a closer look at our pediatrics applicants. I would venture to guess that they either a) wanted to stay in California and not venture east, or b) weren't exactly the strongest applicants. It seems that most of the USC students with a resume as strong as yours go into radiology, orthopedics, or emergency. Have you received any interview invitations yet?

 

[Saluki]

It is intimidating looking at Boston Children's residency program site- 1/3 of the applicants have PhDs- what the heck! And why should musical ability, auto repair skills, and varsity athletics be important in the selection of residents?

 

[Uncus]

1 person out of all US applicants to pediatrics in 2005 had 270 or greater. Is this a joke?

 

[tkrohn]

No, he's not joking... he really got a 270!

 

[Doctor&Geek]

According to

http://www.childrenshospital.org/bcrp/Site2214/mainpageS2214P2sublevel9.html

Only 10/28 categorical and 10/43 total interns in the BCRP have PhDs.

Methinks the someone above has a penchant for hyperbole.

 

[Saluki]

I didn't realize they had separate categorical and community tracks... Are most programs like that? What happens if you're doing the community and decide that you'd like to subspecialize after all?

 

[tkrohn]

According to

http://www.childrenshospital.org/bcrp/Site2214/mainpageS2214P2sublevel9.html

Only 10/28 categorical and 10/43 total interns in the BCRP have PhDs.

Methinks the someone above has a penchant for hyperbole.

Methinks the someone above needs to learn modern English.

 

[Os4prez]

just dont screw up your interview my friend. Once you get the interview you are almost on teh same playing field as the other guy who got a 215 and got an interview at chop or boston childrens. at that point they just wanna see if theyd like to work with you or not. the interview is an integral part of the residency process, obviously something you already know. but noones a shoo in in pediatrics and noone is an absolute cut either. it all depends, sometimes the guy with the 270 just aint who they lookin for. dont let them find an excuse to say that about you.
that being said, good luck and if you dont get in to the place of your choice then ill be extremely surprised cuz that just dont make no sense.

 

[kidsfirstdoc]

look u will be fine no matter where u train.....just make sure they have all strong dept's
they don't need to be BIG names or the "A" list

some programs with great rep's aren't so great once you get there

BEWARE

 

[medstudent99]

270?!?!?! i'm still reeling in amazement

 

[KidDoc29]

Are you for real dude? First of all, you obviously already recognize that credentials like those are well beyond adequate for any pediatric spot; I suspect you just wanted to fish for some praise - lame! That is assuming the information is real, which is questionable.

Furthermore, it is people like you that allow places like the 3 you mentioned to perpetuate their mythology as powerhouse training institutions. Hopkins is a dump in the ghetto, living on a dream from the days of Osler and Halstead. A onetime grand-dame that has seen its day. Boston and CHOP likewise have their faults. I think you may be mistaking the academic reputation of the medical center with the quality of the trainining program - a huge mistake to make. There are much, much better pediatric residencies out there.

 

[Palmetto]

KidDoc:

I'd be madder if I could manage to take you seriously. I can't speak for CHOP and Boston, but I remember being very impressed by both places on the interview circuit. I can speak for Hopkins, and I take umbrage at the "dump in a ghetto." The Lane clinic is brand-sparkling-new, the Children's center has been redone, and the new 10-story tower is under construction. Baltimore, for a northern city, is a lot nicer than I thought it was going to be (but still, lock your doors.) But I'm not going to take smack talk from someone who goes to a program that made them this miserable as an intern:

I am 8 months into my Pediatric residency at a fairly well-repsected program, and while I love caring for and working around children, it is simply not for me. I don't know how I ended up in this situation. I did Surgery as my very first 3rd year rotation, and my lack of any clinical knowledge or skill led to a mediocre grade; my 4th year sub-I on the Peds Surg service was equally unimpressive - no OR time at all, endless afternoon consults for Broviacs so the residents could all go home post-call, and not much opportunity to interact with attendings. Although I loved the operative experiences and had considered surgery, I just didn't think that I would have good chances of matching anywhere decent, so I took my second choice...Peds. My plan had been to subspecialize in something procedural with high acuity such as cardiology, NICU, or PICU, and just kinda swallow the fact that I would never be a surgeon.
Well..... I am miserable. I dread going to work. The endless hours of writing notes and rounding with very little if any time spent giving patient care is wearing very thin. The complete refusal to allow trainees to do ANYthing the least bit invasive to a child without sedation and the presence of a fellow has left me 8 months into my year with ZERO technical ability. And I find myself longingly wishing I was in the OR correcting pathology instead of just talking about it. I still wok 80+ hours a week, except only about 12 of those are spent doing anything of any clinical or educational merit. I have been reticent to discuss this w/ any of my colleagues or PD until I have a plan in place for how to proceed.
The things I know for sure: I absolutely cannot envision myself as a pediatrician of any kind, except possibly an intensivist. I will always feel like only "half a physician" if I am unable to possess technical skills and offer my patients operative therapies. And I will not be able to keep up the charade required in order to keep on smiling each day, knowing that you are in the wrong profession.
I need serious advice about what to do. I can't very well get letters form surgeons for ERAS, it's too late to apply for this year, I will not even have the opportunity to meet any surgeons in my institution until I do my PGY-2 peds surg rotation next year, etc etc etc. My head is swimming and meanwhile I am having nighmares about RSV, constipation, and Ritalin. HELP!!!!! I MUST find a way to become a surgeon!

 

[halodoctor]

Good to see yah, Tyler! I hope all is going well with your applications. THe only problem is that we've never sent an applicant to CHOP and have only sent one person to Boston from USC, so its hard to have real perspective on the competitiveness.

that's probably because the other 270's in previous years were going for orthopedic surgery or plastics... not peds...

good luck though.

 

[poutsara]

Hello Everyone,

I am a current 4th year medical student trying to get information on how competitive it is to get into high caliber pediatric programs, specifically CHOP, Boston CHildrens, and Johns Hopkins. If anyone from these programs knows anything about some of the general characteristics of the accepted resident applicants, I would be most appreciative.

Personally, I have:
4 papers, and 4 presentations
270 on Step I
Junior AOA
Honors on all rotations

Thank you

one of my classmates had a <200 step I, failed step II twice and is currently a resident at Boston Children's. pediatrics is not rocket science.

 

[Saluki]

one of my classmates had a <200 step I, failed step II twice and is currently a resident at Boston Children's. pediatrics is not rocket science.

That seems a bit far-fetched... I have known several people with much better stats who didn't even get interviews at Boston? Did they have something special going for them?

 

[ChildNeuro]

. . . Hopkins is a dump in the ghetto, living on a dream from the days of Osler and Halstead. A onetime grand-dame that has seen its day. Boston and CHOP likewise have their faults . . .

Wow, this is the funniest post I have read in a while because it generalizes and makes Hopkins look like it is living in the past or something. I think they are still like in the top 10 or something, and alot of us would trade our left pinky finger for an interview, and the other pinky for the residency position. Personally, I love the City of Baltimore and would feel comfortable doing residency there, unlike many big cities. But seriously, why are so stressed out about doing surgery, if you really want to do it then wouldn't you be ahead if you can prove yourself in a pediatrics residency?

 

[motek42]

Hello Everyone,

I am a current 4th year medical student trying to get information on how competitive it is to get into high caliber pediatric programs, specifically CHOP, Boston CHildrens, and Johns Hopkins. If anyone from these programs knows anything about some of the general characteristics of the accepted resident applicants, I would be most appreciative.

Personally, I have:
4 papers, and 4 presentations
270 on Step I
Junior AOA
Honors on all rotations

Thank you

If doing research and getting excellent grades are your sole focus, you may not get into a great peds program. You need descent scrores to get your foot int he door, but then it is about what else you can do & how you interact with people. Whay don;t you take some time away from publishing and go volunteer with people who need it? Or use a 4th year elective to go to a 3rd world country and help the AIDS orphans? Just helping by being there caring for them, bringing supplies. Not researching them. It will make you a much stronger applicant & help you decide if pediatrics is really what you want to do.

 

[blanche]

If doing research and getting excellent grades are your sole focus, you may not get into a great peds program. You need descent scrores to get your foot int he door, but then it is about what else you can do & how you interact with people. Whay don;t you take some time away from publishing and go volunteer with people who need it? Or use a 4th year elective to go to a 3rd world country and help the AIDS orphans? Just helping by being there caring for them, bringing supplies. Not researching them. It will make you a much stronger applicant & help you decide if pediatrics is really what you want to do.

pediatrics is a great field b/c you get to work with people 'who need it' and there are HUGE needs for research...really, i think more people like the op need to go into peds, who knows maybe this dude will be heading up a center in the future giving cutting edge therapies to children with enzyme deficiencies, metabolic disorders, whatever he wants...look at how far cystic fibrosis has come, and we need to get more people on board to how much needs to be done with pediatric illness. it's not just rsv, asthma, and more asthma..hell, you referred to developing countries, i believe, and why can't we get enough supplies to combat treatable illnesses. hey there's something to research! by the way, i think 'not researching them' is not the best way to 'help them', we're not dr. evil here, alot of times these families are d.e.s.p.e.r.a.t.e. for something, anything, to be done when they have a terminal illnesss or poor prognosis. i have little faith that A.L.L. would have such a good survival rate if people had never 'researched them'.

 

[ChildNeuro]

There is a great need for pediatric researchers, and I think the NIH even offers loan repayment programs for those that are interested. Just because someone is interested in accumulating "book smarts" and likes research does not mean they won't interact well with children, or be a good pediatrician. I would think that the more competitive pediatrics places would place some mroe emphasis on grades, board scores, and research interests. Usually, if you don't want to do research or specialize then you will do well at a big name place or a smaller community place. I don't think that necessarily after you get your foot in the door it is "how well you interact with people" which is subjective anyway.