Hi everyone!
I'm a mid 20s male OB/GYN applicant from the Caribbean. I had to take some time off between M2 and M3 due to sickness in the family. So I am off track and will graduate in July and cannot match until 2018. I took Step 1 in June 2014 and scored a disappointing 219 (wasn't prepared at all due to above issue). Currently I am preparing for Step 2 and feel much more confident (hoping for 240-250). I have good grades; 3.7 basic science and 3.9 clinical with all honors. All rotations were done at full academic hospitals or academic affiliated community hospitals. I will have letters from respected OB/GYN physicians. I have sub-Is in OB Gyn and Gyn Surgery, as well as an elective in GynOnc.
I am very passionate about maternal and fetal healthcare and my first day on OB, I fell in love with the field. I like the L&D and I especially like the Gyn Onc. In fact, my goal is to match GynOnc after residency. Although I likeL&D, I love GynOnc. So this brings me to my questions.
1) realistically will my step 1 score hold me back from most academic programs? As I said earlier, GynOnc is the ultimate goal.
2) what can I do during my off year to strengthen my application? Is research for 1 year worth it? If so, how do I go about applying? Do I apply for post-doc fellow positions or research associate?
3) I have the opportunity to work at a women's clinic in Uganda and India. Would this be more beneficial compared to a research gig? It would only be for a couple months until interview season starts.
4) As I stated above, I have a total of 3 OB related electives. Do programs take into account how many electives you did?
5) what other advice can you guys give me to help me throughout the application process?
6) should I apply to Prelim OB programs?
Thanks in advance!
I'm a mid 20s male OB/GYN applicant from the Caribbean. I had to take some time off between M2 and M3 due to sickness in the family. So I am off track and will graduate in July and cannot match until 2018. I took Step 1 in June 2014 and scored a disappointing 219 (wasn't prepared at all due to above issue). Currently I am preparing for Step 2 and feel much more confident (hoping for 240-250). I have good grades; 3.7 basic science and 3.9 clinical with all honors. All rotations were done at full academic hospitals or academic affiliated community hospitals. I will have letters from respected OB/GYN physicians. I have sub-Is in OB Gyn and Gyn Surgery, as well as an elective in GynOnc.
I am very passionate about maternal and fetal healthcare and my first day on OB, I fell in love with the field. I like the L&D and I especially like the Gyn Onc. In fact, my goal is to match GynOnc after residency. Although I likeL&D, I love GynOnc. So this brings me to my questions.
1) realistically will my step 1 score hold me back from most academic programs? As I said earlier, GynOnc is the ultimate goal.
2) what can I do during my off year to strengthen my application? Is research for 1 year worth it? If so, how do I go about applying? Do I apply for post-doc fellow positions or research associate?
3) I have the opportunity to work at a women's clinic in Uganda and India. Would this be more beneficial compared to a research gig? It would only be for a couple months until interview season starts.
4) As I stated above, I have a total of 3 OB related electives. Do programs take into account how many electives you did?
5) what other advice can you guys give me to help me throughout the application process?
6) should I apply to Prelim OB programs?
Thanks in advance!
