Should I Be Worried About Matching?

[slumberparty]

I start medical school at a DO school in the fall. I have the intention to go into psych. Of course this could change, but since I've had my mind set on this felid for a while, I don't want to not get into the field if I were to choose to apply to a psych residency.

I've ready various threads about how competitive psych is getting. I will match in 2021. Of course no one can predict the future, but what do you think the chances are that I will be able to match somewhere in psych if this is really what I want to do?

Should getting an ACGME spot as a DO be attainable?

I hope some of you can offer insight to ease my mind...or give me a reality check!

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[Rekt]

I start medical school at a DO school in the fall. I have the intention to go into psych. Of course this could change, but since I've had my mind set on this felid for a while, I don't want to not get into the field if I were to choose to apply to a psych residency.

I've ready various threads about how competitive psych is getting. I will match in 2021. Of course no one can predict the future, but what do you think the chances are that I will be able to match somewhere in psych if this is really what I want to do?

Should getting an ACGME spot as a DO be attainable?

I hope some of you can offer insight to ease my mind...or give me a reality check!

Yes, you should. Be on your game, do well in pre-clinicals, and plan to take step 1 no matter what. I can't imagine matching after 2021.

 

[slumberparty]

Really? That competitive? There's pretty much just fam med left in terms of competitiveness after psych, isn't there?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Really? That competitive? There's pretty much just fam med left in terms of competitiveness after psych, isn't there?

He didn't describe anything competitive, unless you expected to not take the USMLE for some reason.

Psych is becoming moderately competitive, that means people without USMLE scores probably will do worse in the future. But those who do and score within reasonable range, I'll call it and say that in 2021 it'll be an average between 222 to 226 should be able to match comfortably.

 

[acapnial]

I start medical school at a DO school in the fall. I have the intention to go into psych. Of course this could change, but since I've had my mind set on this felid for a while, I don't want to not get into the field if I were to choose to apply to a psych residency.

I've ready various threads about how competitive psych is getting. I will match in 2021. Of course no one can predict the future, but what do you think the chances are that I will be able to match somewhere in psych if this is really what I want to do?

Should getting an ACGME spot as a DO be attainable?

I hope some of you can offer insight to ease my mind...or give me a reality check!

You should take step 1, and all programs will be acgme by the time you get to one. Psych is getting more competitive, but really that just means it barely loses to family medicine instead of barely beating it in the competition of most uncompetitive field of residency. Don't get too worked up about it.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Psych is indeed going up in competitiveness, but it will probably never be deemed a "competitive" field.

 

[postbacpremed87]

Every DO should take the USMLE Step 1 and I would argue Step 2 CK as well. You are being compared against those who took it? Guess who wins out if they have taken it and you haven't?

 

[ortnakas]

Psych is getting more competitive, but it's not going to turn into ortho or derm in the next four years. You should be fine. And you're worrying about it way too early, anyway.

 

[kbeitz]

PSYCHIATRY by preferred specialty applicants
2007: 1.2 APPLICANTS/SPOT (MEAN STEP 1: 208)
2009: 1.5 APPLICANTS/SPOT (MEAN STEP 1: 215)
2011: 1.5 APPLICANTS/SPOT (MEAN STEP 1: 212)
2014: 1.4 APPLICANTS/SPOT (MEAN STEP 1: 220)

DERMATOLOGY by preferred specialty applicants
2007: 1.8 APPLICANTS/SPOT (MEAN STEP 1: 240)
2009: 1.7 APPLICANTS/SPOT (MEAN STEP 1: 243)
2011: 1.4 APPLICANTS/SPOT (MEAN STEP 1: 247)
2014: 1.4 APPLICANTS/SPOT (MEAN STEP 1: 250)

Every specialty has its own distribution of competitiveness which leads to students self-selecting into different specialties based on their relative competitiveness. To put those ratios in context, all the surgical matches had at least 1.5 app/spot in 2014. What this means is that students have started to funnel down into the traditionally less competitive specialties as residency growth has slowed and as the number of graduating students has increased.

Psych is highly competitive in the context of the number of "low performing" applicants fighting for a spot. US MD students will not have to fight as hard for spots because they go into their parent programs. Independent applicants (DO, IMG) have no parent programs.

So to answer the OP, you will likely be swimming in a sea of competition in 2021 no matter what your specialty choice.

 

[LyMed]

One step at a time - focus on doing well on the USMLE. I personally think Psych will be fine, and you shouldn't be disheartened.