Advice in Regards to Residency Application for IM

[weny]

Hello-

I was wondering if anyone who is in IM residency now can give me some advice.

I have submitted my ERAS application with only my Step 1 score. I did not do well on step 1, 195 (80), but am aiming to improve on Step 2. I havent taken Step 2 CK or CS yet, but will in the next few weeks (I know it's getting late).

I was wondering if programs will wait for the Step 2 score (which I hope to be an improvement as compared to my Step 1) to come out and make their decision on my application....or will they just look at the dreaded Step 1 score of 80, and make a decision on that. So, I am in a dilemma here as to what I should do. I was planning on calling the programs and telling them my story and ask if they will wait for my Step 2 score...or will they see that 195 (80) and reject me right away, without waiting to see my Step 2 CK score (in which case, I shouldn't even apply to the program anyways).

Thanks for any help.

[rk403]

Well I'm not in an IM residency, but I'm going through the match right now.

I don't want to sound like an a$$ but I think that you may have waited too long to take STEP 2. Even if you were to take it tomorrow it would take at least 4 weeks for the scores to be released, that puts you in the beginning of November before the programs get your score. By then most, if not all of the invitations for interviews may have already been sent and most programs are already interviewing candidates and may not be looking at any more applications.

I'm sure you've been told this a million times but here it goes again. If you were worried about your STEP 1 score being too low and wanted to make yourself a better candidate by kickin a$$ on STEP 2, then it would have been best to have taken it well in advance of September 1. I'm afraid that all that they will use to base whether or not to give you an interview is your STEP 1 score.

This is just my opinion.

RK403

[wcb22]

rk403 has a point. you have to ask yourself, what are the PD's saying to themselves when they see your application?

what would you say if you were them?

they may have concerns that you might fail step 2. then they've wasted an interview spot, b/c most likely, you won't pass it in time for match 2007. they may see you as high risk. it goes without saying that you are more likely to fail step 2 with a 195/80 than you are a 230/93 on step 1. i don't think the latter person will fail it. now you might be absolutely ready for step 2, ready to slaughter this exam, but the PD's don't know that.

you still could match this year, but you might find getting a good university program a little tougher, unless you have some good contacts and connections. but if all you want to do is match, get those other 2 exams in, pronto!! remember how long it takes (especially step 2 cs) for these exams to be reported.

if all 3 exams (step 1, 2ck, 2cs) aren't in by rank order list day, feb 22, you are dropped from the match.

[Shah_Patel_PT]

Hello-

I was wondering if anyone who is in IM residency now can give me some advice.

I have submitted my ERAS application with only my Step 1 score. I did not do well on step 1, 195 (80), but am aiming to improve on Step 2. I havent taken Step 2 CK or CS yet, but will in the next few weeks (I know it's getting late).

I was wondering if programs will wait for the Step 2 score (which I hope to be an improvement as compared to my Step 1) to come out and make their decision on my application....or will they just look at the dreaded Step 1 score of 80, and make a decision on that. So, I am in a dilemma here as to what I should do. I was planning on calling the programs and telling them my story and ask if they will wait for my Step 2 score...or will they see that 195 (80) and reject me right away, without waiting to see my Step 2 CK score (in which case, I shouldn't even apply to the program anyways).

Thanks for any help.

Dont worry about it now...take CK as soon as you can.

I think you will still get a few interviews....since 80 is usually the cut off. (I mean it is a cut off for the first batch of interview invites.) Assuming you did good during basic and clinical sciences you will be fine. (Yes, they do look at the Ross transcript and ask Q)!

[singer]

Dont worry about it now...take CK as soon as you can.

I think you will still get a few interviews....since 80 is usually the cut off. Assuming you did good during basic and clinical sciences you will be fine. (Yes, they do look at the Ross transcript and ask Q)!

If that is correct then people who pass between a 182 and a 197 or so don't get residencies?

[zedpol]

If that is correct then people who pass between a 182 and a 197 or so don't get residencies?

No

added verbage so my msg isn't too short

Z

[rokshana]

If that is correct then people who pass between a 182 and a 197 or so don't get residencies?

no i think his point is that many programs that do have cut offs set around 85 - i'm sure there are programs that don't set a filter (correct me if i'm wrong Shah!)

while you are late- once your scores do come in call the programs that you are interested in and tell them you now have step II scores in and you are still interested in their programs- while most interview invitations do go out before Nov, many a times there are interview spots that come open later in the game(later in Jan) because people cancel interviews that were set up earlier in the year- or sometimes if the PD feels you could have potential (just calling them up sometimes speaks volumes) they will set up an impromptu interview.

[Shah_Patel_PT]

no i think his point is that many programs that do have cut offs set around 85 - i'm sure there are programs that don't set a filter (correct me if i'm wrong Shah!)

while you are late- once your scores do come in call the programs that you are interested in and tell them you now have step II scores in and you are still interested in their programs- while most interview invitations do go out before Nov, many a times there are interview spots that come open later in the game(later in Jan) because people cancel interviews that were set up earlier in the year- or sometimes if the PD feels you could have potential (just calling them up sometimes speaks volumes) they will set up an impromptu interview.

Yes you are right roskhana.

All I am saying is that when they pass the initial cutoff...they are given priority in interview invites.


Singer, et. al. :

Obviously....and theoretically..."you only need a 75 on either USMLE" to match...as a PD told me just yesterday. (Now the quality of such a program is a whole different issue, which i do not want to elaborate on)

But if you surpass this 75 mark....you will be at an advantage. (I know it is a cliche, but I want to emphasize that you WILL MATCH if you have a lower score)

[Gator98MD]

To the original poster, I am a second year resident in an Internal medicine residency currently. I will only say this, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt I got the number of residency interviews that I did because I had taken step 2 way in advance of submitting my eras application on sept 1. I did this intentionally to make my application as competitive as possible.
I must agree with the above posters who made the point that if you were concerned so much about your step one score than you should have taken step 2 long before submitting your application. I am not sure how much help it will be to call programs, but I am sure it would not hurt any either. Anyway, its water under the bridge at this point. I guess you wil have to see how things play out.