Thread: Need some advice on 2010 match

Hi, I just finished my 5th semester in april. I was originally planning to take the step in august, but family members have been urging me to take the exam in july instead in order to start rotations early enough to make the 2010 match. However, I have been talking to other students who finished basic sciences around the same time I did and they actually seem to think it's already too late to start rotations early enough to make it to the 2010 match instead of 2011. I know it doesn't look good on your application if you've been waiting around for a year after step 1, but I'm worried about not being adequately prepared to do well on the step 1 if I take it a month earlier. Any advice? Also, is there any advice as to what I should do in the meantime if I still end up having to wait for rotations?

Sorry, you are a full year behind for the 2010 match. I finished basic sciences in April 2008 and took Step 1 in June 2008, and yet I am behind the ball for the 2010 match. In order for me to match in 2010, I'd have to have taken Step 2 CK by August this year and the CS in 2 weeks. However, I won't be done with all my cores until at least October. If I want a high score on Step 2, I should wait until all my cores are over.

For you, given the similarity of your situation to mine, I would say it will be a stretch to match in 2011 and your best bet would be a match in 2012.

Yeah, I'm in the class that finished 5th in April. Tight timeline as far as matching for 2011. You'd have to take Step 1 by end of June to start clinicals by Sept and do your rotations back to back to make the match for 2011. 2012 is a more feasible goal in our situation. Alternatively if you do your cores in the UK your cores are back to back there.

Do not plan on getting your rotations back to back because it won't happen.

Yeah most likely you'll be in the 2012 Match (if the world doesn't end first). No matter how optimistic the outlook is on paper, the sad fact is that it is tough to get back to back rotations.

I got my core rotations back to back, but i chose to come to Tulsa, Ok.