Worth applying for a match?

[lazyandlost]

Hey guys, this is going to sounds really dumb but I was curious if anyone else was in this situation. Long story short, my GPA isn't the best ( 2.70 60% class rank) due to various reasons, but I have had glowing reviews so far in my clinical rotations and have some very strong letters. I never thought I could even consider an internship or residency with my grades but it seems like I shouldn't be dissuaded yet. I was hoping for some advice on what I should do, if its worth applying to academic/ competitive places.

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[Mythical]

Do it. Only apply to places you would be willing to go if you were matched there. Let’s say you rank five places and you don’t match to any of them. No worries: there is always the scramble. I don’t have stats to back me up, but anecdotally I think with starting salaries and signing bonuses climbing higher and higher to meet overwhelming demand (in GP, at least), more internship slots are going un-filled. Hence more opportunities to match up during the scramble if you don’t get matched initially to one of your ranked choices. A close friend of mine was ranked in the bottom 10% of her class going into fourth year. She then went on to kill it on clinics and had outstanding letters. She got into one of her top choice internships, which many of her top 10% classmates had applied for and not gotten matched to, and they loved her so much they kept her on for residency. All this is to say you have nothing to lose (okay, besides virmp application fee) and potentially a lot to gain! Best of luck.

 

[JaynaAli]

You won’t get one if you don’t apply. Will your GPA make it harder to match? Undoubtedly, especially in more competitive specialties. But GPA isn’t the only factor they consider so with strong letters of recommendation it isn’t impossible. Just keep your expectations reasonable and decide what your goals are.