ENT residency?

[shortcoat]

Hi,

I'm currently a fourth year who's switching gears from anesthesia to ENT. I know its an extremely competitive field and that I'm very late in the game. I scored a 239 on Step 1, have all high passes for third year except an honors in medicine, and go to a middle of the road US allopathic school. Any chance of matching? Should I scramble to set up externships?

Thanks.

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[TheThroat]

You should be fine. Do you have any research? Even you don't have Oto-specific stuff, any research experience will help, even if you don't have any publications. Ask some oto staff for a project to jump on, if you haven't already done this.

As far as externships, I would only try to set one up if you really want to go to that program.

I would apply to at least 25 to 30 programs.

 

[cchoukal]

I decided to add ENT to my list of specialties about a month ago, but last year, so you're late, but it's not over yet (I eventually switched BACK to anesthesiology). I'd Echo the research involvement; you really want to have something to say on your interviews. The Step I score is, as I recall, about average for people that match into ENT. An externship would be great, and since ENT is regular match this year, you've got some time. I'd try to get one for sept or oct. and GET A LETTER, which means try to spend enough time with one or two particular faculty so they know you well enough to write a letter at the end.

With your creds, I would actually max out the number of programs. Not to be a jerk, but to compare, I had a 248, senior AOA, honored most rotations, had an externship, and was on one research project. I applied to 35 and got 11 interview offers. There are all these models predicting your chances of matching based on the # of spots you interview for, but, obviously, more is better. Look at it this way: it's pretty cheap to apply to more programs, but it's really expensive to blow it this year, take a year to do something else, and then reapply. You have nothing to lose but a few hundred dollars by applying to more programs. I had a friend that applied to like 60 (which was the max for the early match app) and it cost her $1200. But, she matched.

Good luck.

 

[md2b2006]

Although I am an FMG, I have 3 years of surgical background, 5 years of research including ENT and a high GPA. However, my step 1 score was in the low 200's. I will be taking my step 2 next month. Does anyone know what score I should aim for in that to help my chances. Also, I will be doing an externship in october..do you think it will be too late to send in another recommendation letter at that time for the 2006 match??

Thanks for your help

 

[TheThroat]

Although I am an FMG, I have 3 years of surgical background, 5 years of research including ENT and a high GPA. However, my step 1 score was in the low 200's. I will be taking my step 2 next month. Does anyone know what score I should aim for in that to help my chances. Also, I will be doing an externship in october..do you think it will be too late to send in another recommendation letter at that time for the 2006 match??

Thanks for your help

I don't want to sound calloused, but you might have a hard time just starting out as an FMG. The low USMLE also hurts. I would try to get as high as you can on the step II, but most stats indicate that its pretty rare to have a big jump (like from low 200's to 240 or so).

As far as a letter from an October externship, since Oto is now regular match, I don't know if that is too late. It would have been way too late when Oto was early match.

 

[dr. neek]

Hate doing this but...

I am an American FMG at a well respected institution applying for ENT this year. I scored 240+ on step 1 and I just took step 2. I have two externships set up for Sept. and Oct. in ENT, and I honored all my clerkships for third year (we had shelf exams just like US grads), however I have no research. Does my outlook appear as bleakly as was stated in the previous post? What else is there to do?

Thanks...

 

[TheThroat]

Hate doing this but...

I am an American FMG at a well respected institution applying for ENT this year. I scored 240+ on step 1 and I just took step 2. I have two externships set up for Sept. and Oct. in ENT, and I honored all my clerkships for third year (we had shelf exams just like US grads), however I have no research. Does my outlook appear as bleakly as was stated in the previous post? What else is there to do?

Thanks...

When you do your externships, ask the staff where you go if you can do a case review or something. I have never interviewed a candidate (done about 90 interviews in the last 3 years) that had no research.

 

[pry]

If I have research including 2 publications as 2nd author, good grades but only got 211/86 on step 1 am i doomed as far as ENT goes?

 

[cchoukal]

You can never say for sure, but your step I score is below the national average for all test takers, and below the average score of people who apply to and fail to match into ENT. I suspected even with other great qualities on your ap, you would be screened out by many programs on score alone. But, if you apply to 60 programs, you might get a few bites...

 

[pry]

You can never say for sure, but your step I score is below the national average for all test takers, and below the average score of people who apply to and fail to match into ENT. I suspected even with other great qualities on your ap, you would be screened out by many programs on score alone. But, if you apply to 60 programs, you might get a few bites...

I appreciate the candid reply. I guess it is what I expected. Would taking step 2 and acing it and/or doing an externship at a place with a program that might be more inclined to look at an application if they know me? help or am I forced to look into something other than ENT?

 

[cchoukal]

All of the above are excellent ideas, but know that only the last two are really under your control. I'd bet a really stellar sub-I experience would go a long way to getting an interview.

 

[saswimr]

Not to beat the dead horse here. But I am a third year, 9th in my class after the first two years at a top 20 school. Honored so far in 4 rotations third year, many extracurriculars and some research in ENT. Only problem is a 215 step 1 score. Is that a death sentence for applying to ENT. Can step 2 really pull me out of this rut. And before anyone says, i dont know what the hell happened with my step 1. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[TheThroat]

Not to beat the dead horse here. But I am a third year, 9th in my class after the first two years at a top 20 school. Honored so far in 4 rotations third year, many extracurriculars and some research in ENT. Only problem is a 215 step 1 score. Is that a death sentence for applying to ENT. Can step 2 really pull me out of this rut. And before anyone says, i dont know what the hell happened with my step 1. Any help would be appreciated!

Sure, a good step II (230+) would overshadow your step I score.

 

[bigfrank]

Sure, a good step II (230+) would overshadow your step I score.

This is what I've heard.

 

[saswimr]

thanks for the advice!