Twice unmatched. I need advice.

[Toolesag26]

Hey everyone. I would like opinions/advice.

My app:
Top 30 American medical school
Graduated in 50 percentile of my class
Step 1 235, Step 2 239
1 research year in ortho (2 full lengths as second author, 15 abstracts)
Not AOA
Mostly high pass on clinical. 2 honors. 1 pass.

Out of medical school I applied for ortho and did not match. Subsequently did and Gen Surg prelim year at a respectable program. I dual applied ortho and Gen Surg. Got 2 ortho interviews and only 6 Gen Surg (to my surprise. Thought I’d get more Gen Surg). I did not match again this year. I like to think I’m a good interviewer. My program director seems to think the Gen Surg programs thought GS was my backup and therefore didn’t give interviews.

I now realize ortho isn’t going to happen. Should I go for a prelim pgy2 now in Gen Surg In hope of getting a categorical 3 after? Or should I forget surgery all together? It seems to me someone with my scores from an upper tier American medical school should be able to get a categorical Gen Surg position. Thoughts?

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[neoexile]

Hey everyone. I would like opinions/advice.

My app:
Top 30 American medical school
Graduated in 50 percentile of my class
Step 1 235, Step 2 239
1 research year in ortho (2 full lengths as second author, 15 abstracts)
Not AOA
Mostly high pass on clinical. 2 honors. 1 pass.

Out of medical school I applied for ortho and did not match. Subsequently did and Gen Surg prelim year at a respectable program. I dual applied ortho and Gen Surg. Got 2 ortho interviews and only 6 Gen Surg (to my surprise. Thought I’d get more Gen Surg). I did not match again this year. I like to think I’m a good interviewer. My program director seems to think the Gen Surg programs thought GS was my backup and therefore didn’t give interviews.

I now realize ortho isn’t going to happen. Should I go for a prelim pgy2 now in Gen Surg In hope of getting a categorical 3 after? Or should I forget surgery all together? It seems to me someone with my scores from an upper tier American medical school should be able to get a categorical Gen Surg position. Thoughts?

Are we sure you are interviewing alright? Have you done practice interviews to see where your shortcomings are? There is also one on youtube which I found useful.

 

[ConfusedChemist]

get some new reference letters? Might be some flags in there you don't know about

 

[deleted480308]

Why did your home gen surg program say they didn’t take you?

 

[lynxrunner]

If I were in your position I would keep an eye out for categorical PGY-2 positions and then take a PGY-2 prelim position somewhere if you aren't able to get a categorical spot in the next couple of weeks-months. You'll have to communicate your interest in gen surg over ortho well, though, because as you said it looks like a backup and they want to train someone who really wants to be there. I know there was one categorical PGY2 spot open recently in FL - Open Training Positions | Association of Program Directors in Surgery

 

[sinombre]

Why did your home gen surg program say they didn’t take you?

Probably because they didn't want to end up with someone who they thought might not want to be there. With attrition rates as high as they are in surgery it makes sense for program directors to only rank people who they think really want to stick around.

 

[doc05]

Do you even have an interest in general surgery?