What would be my chances of matching Urology?

[didaleetle]

I just finished my 1st semester of med school, but I want to plan ahead and would like advice.

I'm interested in Urology but I hear its one of the more competitive specialties and I'm wondering how I'll stack up.

Here are some factors that might affect my competitiveness:

-Osteopathic student
-I predict I will finish on the top half of the class, but towards the middle, nothing impressive
-I shadowed a Urologist as an undergrad, its what sold me on Urology and medicine in general
-I participated in research with that Urologist and presented the abstract via poster at an AUA meeting

I also have an opportunity to do an internship at the AUA headquarters this summer. If I go for it, will it significantly improve my chances? If not, I might just dedicate my summer to studying for boards early so that I can nail it to improve my chances.

Anything else I should be doing to better my chances?

Thanks

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[cpants]

Too early to say your chances after only one semester of med school. You've made a good start getting that abstract presented. To maximize your chances you need to publish as much as possible. Make sure you write up that abstract and submit to journals. Get started on more projects ASAP. You also need to absolutely smoke the boards. Matching uro as an osteopath is very, very hard. Most MD programs will not even look at your application. Not saying that's right, but it is reality. There are only a handful of DO programs, unfortunately.

 

[didaleetle]

Thanks for your response and advice cpants. Ya, I know I'm at a disadvantage as a DO. Its ok, I'll just do the best I can do and then see how things go.

How can I go about starting more projects while in med school? We don't have a Urologist associated with our school I don't think. Is it up to me to find a Urologist in the area who happens to do research and is willing to let me be a part of it? Seems like a stretch for someone in my position. I feel I got lucky with the Urologist I previously shadowed.

Also, does anyone think I should do the internship at the AUA headquarters? Maybe, if nothing else, just to gain connections within Urology? I've heard that helps come residency time.
I'm not sure how the whole MD/DO thing factors into the AUA, maybe networking there is a lost cause if most of the connections are associated with MD programs that wouldn't look at my app? If that's the case maybe putting my effort towards something else that would help me.

Thanks everyone.

 

[fiznat]

Why are you interested in Urology?

 

[didaleetle]

Why are you interested in Urology?

Summary: My mom had kidney issues since she was 13 yrs old. She went years without adequate treatment. Finally, she saw a Urologist who helped her out a lot. So when I was an undergrad and deciding what I wanted to do with my life, I went to a Urology clinic to shadow a doc to see if medicine was for me. Was fortunate enough to get a good Uro doc who allowed me to shadow him and I loved every minute. I did shadow other specialties after that as well, loved them too, but not as much as urology. Ended up shadowing that Urologist every week for over a year, even though I know shadowing over 40hrs in the same specialty didn't benefit me on my med school app. It was simply fun. Never looked back.

 

[fiznat]

Just keep your eyes open. You are a MS1. You absolutely should be "looking back" to make sure the specialty you pick is the right one. Your focus right now should be on mastering the basic science and doing well on step 1. Forget about Urology for now. Just be a good student, and let your experiences over the next couple years guide your decisions.

Best of luck.

 

[startswithb]

Summary: My mom had kidney issues since she was 13 yrs old. She went years without adequate treatment. Finally, she saw a Urologist who helped her out a lot. So when I was an undergrad and deciding what I wanted to do with my life, I went to a Urology clinic to shadow a doc to see if medicine was for me. Was fortunate enough to get a good Uro doc who allowed me to shadow him and I loved every minute. I did shadow other specialties after that as well, loved them too, but not as much as urology. Ended up shadowing that Urologist every week for over a year, even though I know shadowing over 40hrs in the same specialty didn't benefit me on my med school app. It was simply fun. Never looked back.

This makes me sad, because it really would have benefited you to take an extra year off and do whatever it took to get you into an MD program. I would do what I have seen the successful DO grads matching into surgery have done, and that is to just focus on DO programs from the start. Find a program director of a DO urology program and ask them to mentor you. It is way too risky to go for just MD uro. The ones that do match AUA are rockstars and in my opinion, it's not good to assume that you will be one of them. Plan for the worst, hope for the best, as they say. This is not to say you can't apply for both, but focusing on great connections within the DO world would probably benefit you most right now.

 

[cpants]

Agree that your best chance is a DO program. Are there any other medical schools with a urology program in the area? If so, I would look to set up a meeting with the chair there and try to get involved with research. Urology is a great field, but there are other great fields that are way more accessible to a DO. Keep an open mind, and look into some other areas of medicine. There should be plenty of shadowing opportunities available at your school.

 

[ThePlummingAndPipes]

What are my chances?
USMLE Step 1 - 220
USMLE Step 2 - I did not take it yet
Lower tier medical school
Pre-clinical grades- Pass (school is pass/fail)
Clinical grades- probably 4 out of 6 Honors by the end of the year
Lots volunteering and extra-curriculum

Published as second author in a top 10 basic science journal (dedicated a year in research)
I have several second author non-urology publications, 2 first author urology publication, and a clinical research project in urology that I began during my 3rd year that wont be published but I will be able to have an abstract and poster presentation before interviews.

I am confused if I have a chance and where I should apply for away rotations. I need good letters from known names but I also need to get in somewhere. Any advice.

 

[cpants]

What are my chances?
USMLE Step 1 - 220
USMLE Step 2 - I did not take it yet
Lower tier medical school
Pre-clinical grades- Pass (school is pass/fail)
Clinical grades- probably 4 out of 6 Honors by the end of the year
Lots volunteering and extra-curriculum

Published as second author in a top 10 basic science journal (dedicated a year in research)
I have several second author non-urology publications, 2 first author urology publication, and a clinical research project in urology that I began during my 3rd year that wont be published but I will be able to have an abstract and poster presentation before interviews.

I am confused if I have a chance and where I should apply for away rotations. I need good letters from known names but I also need to get in somewhere. Any advice.

Good job on the research and grades. Your USMLE is below average for urology, but you should have a good chance at matching, especially if you nail some away rotations and get good letters. I recommend seeking out lower tier urology programs in areas you are interested in training. That will provide your best shot. Your best chance at matching is at a program where you rotate and perform well.

 

[ThePlummingAndPipes]

Good job on the research and grades. Your USMLE is below average for urology, but you should have a good chance at matching, especially if you nail some away rotations and get good letters. I recommend seeking out lower tier urology programs in areas you are interested in training. That will provide your best shot. Your best chance at matching is at a program where you rotate and perform well.

Thank you for your reassuring comment, it means a lot to me. I was told from my school that Urology was not an option due to my low step score.

My school will allow me to have 4 away rotations and I want to utilize them to their best potential. I agree doing an away rotation in a lower tier program will give me the best chance at matching in that program, but my concern is with my LORs. Would it be better to have my first 2 rotation in a top-tier program so I could accumulate letters from a reputable urologist or should I rotate at 4 lower tier program that I will have a better shot of getting into? What will happen if I don't match? Would you advise me to apply for general surgery as a back-up and do one away rotation in general surgery?

If it helps, I will have one letter from a urologist at my local hospital that I managed to get very close with throughout the year. He was not my preceptor so I was able to invite him over for dinner, have drinks, and follow him whenever I had free time during my other clerkships. My goal is to become an academic urologist.

Thank you and I am very grateful for your response!

 

[Chaoticsheath]

My MCAT score is 42. Lots of people have told me that I'll do great in medical school because of that score but I just wanted to know for sure. Does an MCAT score of 42 correlate with matching into urology? How much will that help my residency application? I assume they'll still care about that score. I'm also going to a top 11 medical school if that helps. I'm really excited about urology because my uncle does it and I'm planning on going into practice with him some day.

 

[BlueLabel]

My MCAT score is 42. Lots of people have told me that I'll do great in medical school because of that score but I just wanted to know for sure. Does an MCAT score of 42 correlate with matching into urology? How much will that help my residency application? I assume they'll still care about that score. I'm also going to a top 11 medical school if that helps. I'm really excited about urology because my uncle does it and I'm planning on going into practice with him some day.

 

[cpants]

My MCAT score is 42. Lots of people have told me that I'll do great in medical school because of that score but I just wanted to know for sure. Does an MCAT score of 42 correlate with matching into urology? How much will that help my residency application? I assume they'll still care about that score. I'm also going to a top 11 medical school if that helps. I'm really excited about urology because my uncle does it and I'm planning on going into practice with him some day.

Starting now, no one cares about your MCAT...at all. No one will ever ask you about it. It won't be reported on any applications. It's over. Sorry.

 

[cpants]

Thank you for your reassuring comment, it means a lot to me. I was told from my school that Urology was not an option due to my low step score.

My school will allow me to have 4 away rotations and I want to utilize them to their best potential. I agree doing an away rotation in a lower tier program will give me the best chance at matching in that program, but my concern is with my LORs. Would it be better to have my first 2 rotation in a top-tier program so I could accumulate letters from a reputable urologist or should I rotate at 4 lower tier program that I will have a better shot of getting into? What will happen if I don't match? Would you advise me to apply for general surgery as a back-up and do one away rotation in general surgery?

If it helps, I will have one letter from a urologist at my local hospital that I managed to get very close with throughout the year. He was not my preceptor so I was able to invite him over for dinner, have drinks, and follow him whenever I had free time during my other clerkships. My goal is to become an academic urologist.

Thank you and I am very grateful for your response!

I don't advise you to rotate at any 'high tier' type places. Those are the type of places which will never accept a person with below average USMLE's. An away rotation is about getting a letter and succeeding on a month long job interview. You are wasting half that opportunity if you rotate at a place where you are precluded from matching based on your stats. Urology is a tiny field, and the program directors at basically every program are well known and connected within urology. You don't need to rotate at a big name place to get a useful letter.

As far as backup plans go, it's a difficult and personal decision. Try to get as good an idea about your chances as you can from your home program director. Take what the dean says with a grain of salt -- their goal is 100% match, not you doing what you want to do.

 

[Dr.MMM]

Hello Dear Dr's.
My question is, how long does it take to be urologist? Can someone explain from beginning. PLZ

 

[hung]

google "urologymatch" and check it out

 

[ssmp]

Hello everyone!
I need advice on matching Urology!
Non-US IMG
Step 1 : 251
2 months USCE with LORs
going for 1-2 years of urology research.

What are my chances?
Thanks!

 

[cpants]

Sorry, but chances are very slim as an IMG. The research will need to be pretty special for a decent shot.

 

[ssmp]

Sorry, but chances are very slim as an IMG. The research will need to be pretty special for a decent shot.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[ssmp]

Thanks

23 IMGs matched uro last year (out of 40 who applied). Do the research years and network your butt off. I know a handful of the international uro residents and a couple of them got the spot because they had someone call to vouch for them. If you are a native Spanish speaker, network in Florida

Thanks for the encouragement and stats! Appreciate it!

 

[cpants]

23 IMGs matched uro last year (out of 40 who applied). Do the research years and network your butt off. I know a handful of the international uro residents and a couple of them got the spot because they had someone call to vouch for them. If you are a native Spanish speaker, network in Florida

Last year was an anomoly. Match rate has generally been in the mid 20% range over the last 5-10 years for IMG's. It's not impossible, but like I said that research better be pretty special. Wholeheartedly agree with the networking idea, which is certainly OP's best chance.

 

[19034872]

Hey everyone,

I'm a 4th year D.O. student applying Urology, currently going through my ERAS application and really feeling pretty down about my chances of matching. I feel that my weak extracurriculars and near absence of research are going to be too much to overcome. Is it possible to match with only 2 research experiences (1 urology: not primary author, not published and 1 Cardio: currently still working on) and only 1 meaningful volunteer experience? Thanks for any help.

 

[cpants]

Hey everyone,

I'm a 4th year D.O. student applying Urology, currently going through my ERAS application and really feeling pretty down about my chances of matching. I feel that my weak extracurriculars and near absence of research are going to be too much to overcome. Is it possible to match with only 2 research experiences (1 urology: not primary author, not published and 1 Cardio: currently still working on) and only 1 meaningful volunteer experience? Thanks for any help.

Not much you can do now except kill it on interviews. Good luck. Think about what your backup plan will be.

 

[JeBrAs]

Hey everyone,

I'm a 4th year D.O. student applying Urology, currently going through my ERAS application and really feeling pretty down about my chances of matching. I feel that my weak extracurriculars and near absence of research are going to be too much to overcome. Is it possible to match with only 2 research experiences (1 urology: not primary author, not published and 1 Cardio: currently still working on) and only 1 meaningful volunteer experience? Thanks for any help.

PM me