Lower step 1?

[Guest]

You don't know OHSU intern's Step 1 score, pubs, away performance.

[Guest]

How beneficial would a research gap year be for someone with a low step 1 score?
I had a terrible test day and landed a 219, about 20-30 points lower than expected from practice tests. My plan is to kill Step 2, honor as many clinicals, and take a research year to get more pubs and network. Right now I have 6 publications (3 first author), other posters/presentations, and a research-based Masters completed. No home program unfortunately, but I have connections with a nearby program. Would it be worthwhile to go for this research year? Even with that I'll likely apply for gen surg as well as backup.

[Guest]

(07-14-2019, 12:01 PM)Guest Wrote: How beneficial would a research gap year be for someone with a low step 1 score?
I had a terrible test day and landed a 219, about 20-30 points lower than expected from practice tests. My plan is to kill Step 2, honor as many clinicals, and take a research year to get more pubs and network. Right now I have 6 publications (3 first author), other posters/presentations, and a research-based Masters completed. No home program unfortunately, but I have connections with a nearby program. Would it be worthwhile to go for this research year? Even with that I'll likely apply for gen surg as well as backup.

Having a score that low and no home program is a pretty big uphill climb.

I would do at least 5 aways, and do everything you can to get a mentor (preferably a chair or PD) to call places for you. Your problem is you will be filtered out by step score. Sub-i at low to mid tier places and perform really well, that's your best shot, not necessarily taking a year off to get more pubs.

[Guest]

(07-14-2019, 01:16 PM)IGuest Wrote:

(07-14-2019, 12:01 PM)Guest Wrote: How beneficial would a research gap year be for someone with a low step 1 score?
I had a terrible test day and landed a 219, about 20-30 points lower than expected from practice tests. My plan is to kill Step 2, honor as many clinicals, and take a research year to get more pubs and network. Right now I have 6 publications (3 first author), other posters/presentations, and a research-based Masters completed. No home program unfortunately, but I have connections with a nearby program. Would it be worthwhile to go for this research year? Even with that I'll likely apply for gen surg as well as backup.

Having a score that low and no home program is a pretty big uphill climb.

I would do at least 5 aways, and do everything you can to get a mentor (preferably a chair or PD) to call places for you. Your problem is you will be filtered out by step score. Sub-i at low to mid tier places and perform really well, that's your best shot, not necessarily taking a year off to get more pubs.

Are there schools that even allow 5 aways?

[Guest]

The only way to do 5 aways would be to do a research year after M3, having taken Step2CK right after M3. Then coming off your research year do aways June-October.

I would do your research year at a program that would consider you for residency as well. If you go to a highly research oriented program for your research year, you might get several papers and a nice letter but the mid and top tier programs won't consider you with that score.

[Guest]

(07-14-2019, 05:20 PM)Guest Wrote:

(07-14-2019, 01:16 PM)IGuest Wrote:

(07-14-2019, 12:01 PM)Guest Wrote: How beneficial would a research gap year be for someone with a low step 1 score?
I had a terrible test day and landed a 219, about 20-30 points lower than expected from practice tests. My plan is to kill Step 2, honor as many clinicals, and take a research year to get more pubs and network. Right now I have 6 publications (3 first author), other posters/presentations, and a research-based Masters completed. No home program unfortunately, but I have connections with a nearby program. Would it be worthwhile to go for this research year? Even with that I'll likely apply for gen surg as well as backup.

Having a score that low and no home program is a pretty big uphill climb.

I would do at least 5 aways, and do everything you can to get a mentor (preferably a chair or PD) to call places for you. Your problem is you will be filtered out by step score. Sub-i at low to mid tier places and perform really well, that's your best shot, not necessarily taking a year off to get more pubs.

Are there schools that even allow 5 aways?

My school will, but you wouldn’t get any credit for the last two as you could only do 3 months in one specialty but they would allow you to do extra rotations that counted as your vacation time.

[Guest]

Thank you all for the input, I appreciate the advice.

[Guest]

Do programs consider all scores within the 240-250 range the same? Would a 242 weigh the same as a 247 or are scores higher than 245 "more competitive" for screening purposes?

[Guest]

(07-15-2019, 06:44 AM)Guest Wrote: Do programs consider all scores within the 240-250 range the same? Would a 242 weigh the same as a 247 or are scores higher than 245 "more competitive" for screening purposes?

it's the same shit unless you are identical or similar to another candidate and step 1 score may be a tie break. To be honest if a program really wants you, they would call your references

[Guest]

I haven't heard of a cutoff for interview greater than 240. Usually PDs have some type of scoring system for boards, research, letters, etc to quantify applicants before formulating a rank list. I don't think having a 270 gets you bonus points.