EM Aways: Will pre-clinical course remediation prevent me from getting aways?

[EMBoundHopeful]

Hey everyone,

I posted this in the MD forum but didn't even realize we had an EM one here as well...so here goes:

MS3 applicant at an MD school who is hopefully EM bound. Been applying to aways through VSLO/VSAS with a STEP1 score of 223 and fairly normal MS3 clinical grades in the High Pass range.

Back when I was in my first semester of medical school, I failed anatomy and had to remediate it. I had very exceptional circumstances that led to this, and I'm not proud of it. But is this going to prevent me from getting aways at programs? I've applied to a fairly broad range of programs and have shown direct initiative and the places where I've wanted to go.

I'm starting to worry though because some of my classmates have received acceptances at the same program where I've applied to. Granted, their step scores are probably higher but I'm really scared that this failure in anatomy is going to hold me back. I also know how uncertain things are because of CoVID but now I'm legit worried about my app since I can now confirm classmates are being informed.

Thoughts? Would really appreciate it.

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[gamerEMdoc]

No, it shouldn't. You are either not getting invites because you applied to narrowly OR because the places you applied to are not accepting invites at the moment because of covid.

 

[EMBoundHopeful]

No, it shouldn't. You are either not getting invites because you applied to narrowly OR because the places you applied to are not accepting invites at the moment because of covid.

Hi, thank you for responding. If my classmates are receiving word back/acceptances from the same program where I applied to, then it must be that that school is also reviewing applications right now, right? It could be too soon for me to say I've been rejected as they're probably just releasing things but it's either that it's still too early, or that there's something in my application holding me back, right?

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Yes they very well may have rejected you, or at least placed you on a waitlist pile. But it's one single program. That place may reject you, it is what it is. Maybe your step 1 is too low for their cutoff. I understand the disappointment of not getting to rotate at the place you want, but that's just the reality of how this whole process works, you don't get to dictate where you rotate, interview, or match. It's a competition. Your classmates got a rotation at a place you didn't, it is not the end of the world. You said you applied to a broad range of programs. What does that mean? Did you apply to 10, 20, 30? Were they all in the same region?

 

[EMBoundHopeful]

Yes they very well may have rejected you, or at least placed you on a waitlist pile. But it's one single program. That place may reject you, it is what it is. Maybe your step 1 is too low for their cutoff. I understand the disappointment of not getting to rotate at the place you want, but that's just the reality of how this whole process works, you don't get to dictate where you rotate, interview, or match. It's a competition. Your classmates got a rotation at a place you didn't, it is not the end of the world. You said you applied to a broad range of programs. What does that mean? Did you apply to 10, 20, 30? Were they all in the same region?

Yeah, I know. I know that my step1 score is higher than their cutoff so I don't know what could be causing this. I'll PM you with details on the programs just to stay private

I've applied to about 14 programs so far. A few have been in my home state but there's a fair mix of OOS as well so now kind of trying to reassess the situation

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Yeah but lets say they set a cutoff of 220. And you are 223. And they have say 100 applicants for 30 rotations. And 65 of those have scores higher than yours. Just because you are above the cutoff doesn't mean you'll get the rotation.

 

[EMBoundHopeful]

Yeah but lets say they set a cutoff of 220. And you are 223. And they have say 100 applicants for 30 rotations. And 65 of those have scores higher than yours. Just because you are above the cutoff doesn't mean you'll get the rotation.

I agree for sure. But at this program, I have heard people from previous years scoring in the 21Xs, even right at 220 and still getting an offer. I'd say nearly 10 people I know or have heard of were in this STEP1 score range. So it makes me wonder if the cutoff is a little lower or less strict for an away rotation here, especially if people at like a 211 are getting invited last year.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

I agree for sure. But at this program, I have heard people from previous years scoring in the 21Xs, even right at 220 and still getting an offer. I'd say nearly 10 people I know or have heard of were in this STEP1 score range. So it makes me wonder if the cutoff is a little lower or less strict for an away rotation here, especially if people at like a 211 are getting invited last year.

Who knows. Maybe they got an onslaught of apps because other programs aren't allowing rotations?

 

[EMBoundHopeful]

Who knows. Maybe they got an onslaught of apps because other programs aren't allowing rotations?

Yeah. Possibly. Just really upset right now, if I'm honest. But I guess I can't make any assumptions till I hear back

 

[deleted941485]

Aren’t there a lot of community based EM programs that will literally take anybody that have cropped up over the last few years?

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Aren’t there a lot of community based EM programs that will literally take anybody that have cropped up over the last few years?

As a community based ED academic, I'm gonna let that comment go. Haha. Take anybody? IDK, there sure seems to be people still going unmatched. Are they less competitive? Sure. But that doesn't mean they will take anybody.