If you're otherwise good on paper/coming from a high tier med school and aiming for a "lower tier" program, what are the chances of getting an interview and getting ranked if you don't do a SubI there? If the chances are good, would it be advisable to not do a SubI to avoid running the risk of seeming average.
It seems like a good number of people match at places they don't do SubI's.
How much does research help to make up for a lower step 2 score? For example, does an applicant with 50 publications (pub med indexed) and a step 2 score of 235 coming from a state medical school have a chance of matching neurosurgery at a mid/lower tier program?
Sub Is can hurt if you do a bad job. But the lesson to learn isn’t that you should avoid sub Is. It’s that’s you should avoid doing a bad job.
There's such a focus on research, which is fine when it’s high quality. But I think the system needs to make time for more SubIs. That’s how you get to know the program and how the program gets to know you. And honest letters about SubIs would be gold. So much backdoor horse trading, or people who slip through because they learned how to do meta-analyses. It’s a shame.
The letter to the editors I spend a lot of time writing should matter more than your subI's
Assuming you show up early/stay late, read up on all cases and patients, help whenever possible, and have a decent understanding of fundamentals, what else can you really do on a SubI to stand out? Even if you're not socially awkward, you're in a strange spot as a student because everyone is busy + typically avoid small talk at work, especially with students.
If you're a women you can sleep with the PD, always keeps
Sub-I's are more about showing that you don't have pathological traits like lying, tardiness, etc. Don't try too hard to stand out. Be present and available, also offer to help with student appropriate tasks like changing dressings, pulling drains, etc.
I have had the pleasure of working with subIs who actually feel like a dependable hand on the team. Echo the above, don’t try to hard, be kind to others, do student tasks, be present, and remember there’s something to learn in every case. A talk/presentation is the only time the whole department sees you. Best to present your research, and if not, best to present something new that generates discussion.
Sub I is guaranteed to hurt your feet.
