WAMC: Mediocre Step 1, interested in global health

[Otsile2367]

Hey everyone,

Long-time MS3 reader of SDN, here. Thought I'd finally solicit some advice of my own as I'm pretty interested in med-peds and global health, but my school doesn't offer much guidance in the former.

School: Top 10 US Allopathic
Pre-clinical grades: All P's (P/F system)
Step 1: 221 (my main weakness as I see it)
Clinical Grades: 1/1 honors so far (psychiatry), hoping for many more (obviously medicine and peds most of all)
Step 2: Looking over where I went wrong on Step 1, will complete before ERAS application, goal is 250+
Research: Publication from undergrad, published abstract and oral presentation at a national conference during med school, another publication in a minor journal is in the works
ECs: multiple leadership positions in med school, 2-month international community health project, service awards for volunteering, etc.
Other: Currently applying to Doris Duke and a few other fellowships to do a year of international research in between 3rd and 4th year. Mentor (who is a med-peds doc) says he'll fund me even if I don't get an official fellowship, so hopefully that'll work out either way.

I know top programs probably aren't in the cards for me with that Step 1 score (UPenn was the dream), but my main goal is to get into as good a program as I can, on the east coast, with good global health exposure.

What do you all think? Any constructive insight is appreciated. Snide remarks and sarcasm are welcome too. Thanks in advance

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[URHere]

My Step 1 score was also my biggest red flag - higher than yours, but below the national average for my graduation year.

When I interviewed, I didn't get any love from most programs on the East Coast (no invites from Duke, UNC, Penn, Pitt, Harvard programs, Yale, Brown, etc). I did get plenty of interviews from bigger name programs in the midwest and west coast who seemed to care more about my research and global health background, and you may have more luck than I did because your school is more highly ranked (my school was top 30-40 range).

My advice would be to take Step 2 CK early with the hope of significantly improving your score, then to apply EVERYWHERE on the east coast if that's where you want to be. If, in the end, you care more about name than location, also add in some academic programs in the Midwest and South.

 

[Otsile2367]

Thanks for the response, URHere. That's helpful. Would you mind telling me a bit more about your stats? Step 2 score? Honors in Med and/or Peds?

It seems to me, apart from a potential international research year in between 3rd and 4th year, my top priorities should be honors in Med and Peds and a great Step 2 score. Anything else I can do? Trying to setup an app where the only thing that raises an eyebrow is my Step 1 score.

 

[URHere]

Thanks for the response, URHere. That's helpful. Would you mind telling me a bit more about your stats? Step 2 score? Honors in Med and/or Peds?

It seems to me, apart from a potential international research year in between 3rd and 4th year, my top priorities should be honors in Med and Peds and a great Step 2 score. Anything else I can do? Trying to setup an app where the only thing that raises an eyebrow is my Step 1 score.

I had a 229 on Step 1, and scored mid-250s on Step 2. Near honors in both IM and Peds (my first 2 clerkships), honors in everything else including sub-Is.

I think you have the right idea. Honestly, if any program is so offended by your step 1 score that they wouldn't consider you even with your research experience and top-notch medical school, I doubt there's really anything that you could do to change their mind anyway. Just work hard, apply to all of the programs you are interested in, and make sure you have plenty of back-ups just in case.

 

[tantacles]

Hey everyone,

Long-time MS3 reader of SDN, here. Thought I'd finally solicit some advice of my own as I'm pretty interested in med-peds and global health, but my school doesn't offer much guidance in the former.

School: Top 10 US Allopathic
Pre-clinical grades: All P's (P/F system)
Step 1: 221 (my main weakness as I see it)
Clinical Grades: 1/1 honors so far (psychiatry), hoping for many more (obviously medicine and peds most of all)
Step 2: Looking over where I went wrong on Step 1, will complete before ERAS application, goal is 250+
Research: Publication from undergrad, published abstract and oral presentation at a national conference during med school, another publication in a minor journal is in the works
ECs: multiple leadership positions in med school, 2-month community health project in rural Kenya, service awards for volunteering, etc.
Other: Currently applying to Doris Duke and a few other fellowships to do a year of international research in between 3rd and 4th year. Mentor (who is a med-peds doc) says he'll fund me even if I don't get an official fellowship, so hopefully that'll work out either way.

I know top programs probably aren't in the cards for me with that Step 1 score (UPenn was the dream), but my main goal is to get into as good a program as I can, on the east coast, with good global health exposure.

What do you all think? Any constructive insight is appreciated. Snide remarks and sarcasm are welcome too. Thanks in advance

Definitely possible for you to get into a very strong program with a global health focus. Try your best to be broad about where you want to go as the top programs (I interviewed at Penn and didn't match there) are extremely selective even post-interview, though tons of programs in the midwest have great global health programs. See the thread below for some ideas about programs with strong global health programs, and see the applicant spreadsheet (in another recent post) for some idea of your chances at various programs.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/med-peds-global-health.1218007/

 

[Otsile2367]

Thanks, tantacles! This is really helpful.