AnnaLee said:
Hi everyone,
I am a third year who would really like to stay in the bay area for my residency due to family reasons. I have good grades and scores, but my research is weak. I have heard that UCSF is huge on basic research... Do students even have a chance at a school like UCSF or Stanford without significant research? How much would a post-sophomore fellowship before my fourth year help?
Thanks for the advice!
If you have good grades and scores, I think you should be fine. You are right in that the two big programs in the bay area are "huge" on basic science research. Nonetheless, just because you don't have much basic research experience (like the majority of your fellow pathology applicants, by the way) does NOT mean that you are locked out from these institutions. For instance, yes UCSF wants to recruit a significant number of MD/PhDs and that applicant pool is a different pool in and of itself. However, their goal is NOT to recruit ALL MD/PhDs in their residency programs. They value a mix of folks--something like 1/3 MD/PhDs, 1/3 MDs who want to do academic pathology, and 1/3 MDs who want to do private practice path. Stanford also seeks a balance; although their residency program is smaller so who knows how the proportions play out at their program from year to year.
The post-sophomore fellowship can only help your application. What you need to ask yourself is, do you really need it? Most of us who apply to pathology have NOT done a PSF. Sure, once in a while you come across genius freaks with ridiculously insane Step 1 scores and PSFs under their belts (like a certain person who frequents this forum). Joking aside, I do know that UCSF does have a PSF program and if you're seriously considering this option, you should look into theirs. When I interviewed there, the chair of the department said that the one or two post-sophomore fellows who were working there would eventually join the program. So, my impression is that once you get into their PSF, you should be more or less a shoe-in for their residency program (of course, assuming you don't piss people off).
Lastly, if you are committed to living in the Bay Area...definitely let them know it. I'm from the east coast and so the question I got most frequently from almost all my interviewers was, "So why are you looking here." Honestly, I do love San Francisco and hopefully they believed my answer...but we shall see. Your desire to stay in the Bay Area can only serve to help you so make sure that you communicate this with them.
Addendum: PSFs won't make you a more attractive candidate from a basic science point of view. If that's your thing, go get a PhD (note sarcasm here). PSFs will make you a more attractive candidate in the sense that you will look like someone who has thoroughly investigated pathology as a career option. And the additional pathology experience will help in your applications.