Thread: Date to complete cores for match?

I have heard various rumors on this topic, that cores need to be completed by November 1st to apply to the following year's match? Is this accurate? If not, is there a date that all cores need to complete given the peds issue? Also, what is the date that electives need to be finished by in order to participate in the April ceremony, and also in order to participate in Match?

One more piece of advice I am looking for, if I want to have Step 2 completed for the interview process, what is the latest date I should take it? I guess I am asking around what month it is that the interview process starts.

Thank you in advance.

I have peds scheduled for 12/09 and I plan to match in 2010. You don't need all cores done by November to match the next year. As far walking in the graduation ceremony, I am not sure, but I think you need to have all your clinicals done by April.

No cores do not need to be complete by november 1st. I think they need to be completed prior to residency start ( electives too)

You submit your application at the beginning of September if it is ready. So if you want programs to see your step 2 score then you should probably take it at the latest by early-mid July to give 6 weeks for the results.

I think the rule you are thinking of is actually that you must start clinicals by November 1 two calendar years before you hope to match (to match in March 2011, you should start clinicals by Nov 1, 2009 at the latest). There is no specific deadline for cores or electives in order to match.

Requirements for matching:

ECFMG Verified: Step 1, 2CK, 2CS passed

Required to start residency:

ECFMG Certified: As above PLUS having graduated (all clinicals complete)

It would be advisable to complete cores before taking Step 2CK (to have exposure to all the material), but you are by no means required to.

Originally Posted by BrianB4837

Also, what is the date that electives need to be finished by in order to participate in the April ceremony?

I asked this same question to Ms. LJ (the grad coordinator) and she implied that as long as your 72 weeks of rotations were complete, you could participate. You wouldn't actually need to have officially graduated with all paperwork, etc. complete. She also implied that you'd keep your same graduation date and not get bumped to a later date if your paperwork, etc. was not complete.

Sorry if that doesn't seem to make any sense.

As a current grad and going through the 09 match I can tell you for sure that there is no required date that you must finish rotations by to either graduate AUC or successfully match.

However there are guidelines and recommendations so you can have the best chance of both!! For AUC graduation, you can walk the year that you will be matching no matter if you have finished rotations or not - and the walk is usually in April. But you won't get your actual diploma until you finish rotations and pass all the shelves. Step2 is not required for graduation or getting your diploma.

However Step2CK/CS is tantamount to successfully matching into a residency program! You want to register for the CS six months in advance to the date that you will take it, and that date should be three months before you apply for residency - which you should be in preparation for as early as June the year before you match, but no later than Sept 1st. That was probably confusing, but basically it's prudent to register for the CS and CK as soon as possible after starting rotations in third year and you'd want to take them no later than end of July the year you will fill out ERAS.

Once Sept. rolls around you want to have CS/CK scores ready and you want to send out all the applications the first week of Sept. This gives you the best chance! Lemme tell you why - a lot of programs now have a point system in evaluating residents for interviews as to make it fair and objective.

The point system goes something like this: let's say everyone has a potential of 100 points. As an IMG/FMG already you are NEGATIVE X amount of points (which differs place to place).
If you pass the Step1 with a 99% - you get a full 5 points, if you got 75, you get 1 point.
Step2 CS is ~3 points, multiple attempts deduct points.
Step2 CK is ~10 points, low %tile and multiple attempts deduct points.
PALS/ACLS each carry 1/2 points.
Four LOR's from american doctors is ~5 points.
Professionally edited personal statement ~3 points.
Research/publications is ~1-3 points.
Application received by end of Sept. deduct NO points
Application received by Oct. deduct 5-10 points
Application received by Nov. deduct 10 points or thrown out depending on # applicants/interview pool.
Application received by Dec. deduct 20 points or thrown out depending on # applicants/interview pool.

I could go on but that's just a very basic breakdown and there are a lot of other things that get factored in - but it's something to think about when applying. Don't worry about your graduation, you can even walk the year AFTER you graduate on paper. Don't worry about finishing your cores/electives by a certain date either as long as it's before May/June of match year. The important thing is to maximize your points so you are above the interview threshold!

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I am matching this year and peds will be my last rotation of medical school. To take CK, I studied peds really well and did not do too shabby. I suppose I can deal with children academically, even though they are almost as foreign to me as space aliens.