What else can I do to improve my chances?

[SnowTown]

Average public med school

Step 1: 235

1st & 2nd year: 60% high pass, 40% pass

3rd year: high pass - psych, pass - surgery, medicine, ob/gyn, rotations left - family and pedi

Research: 1 undegrad , 2 med school projects - 4 abstracts, 1 poster, 1 manuscript as first author to be submitted (50/50 on whether or not it'll be published in time for ERAS). The 2 med school projects were in gen/burns surgery, no ortho research.

Did very very well as an engineering major in a top 20 (10?) engineering school (I heard an undergrad degree in engineering helps a little?)

So I'm obviously a below average applicant for ortho.

Here is what I plan on doing before submission of ERAS.

2~3 away ortho rotations. taking one month off to study and hopefully do very well on step 2. studying and hopefully honor or at least high pass the 2 remaining 3rd year rotations (family and pedi).

I think I'm getting 2 good ortho letters from my 3rd year surgery and home AI/Sub-I rotations, but probably nothing exceptional (definitely welcome any positive surprise here, I did tried my best). There is no way for me to honor my away ortho rotations since my school only gives fail or satisfactory for electives. I'm assigned to locations away from my home institution for my remaining 3rd year rotations, that plus that fact that i'm doing all away rotations in the beginning of 4th year means fitting in ortho research would be very difficult.

We see all the stats and statistics of people with 220s or even lower step 1 matching, so it can be done. However those with 220s mostly likely have other things that make for their application that the statistics are not going to show, such as really excellent 3rd year grades, awesome letters, crazy step 2 scores, jiving with interviewers, and/or the "it" factor...etc. Hopefully I can murder the step 2 and/or get a really good letter from my upcoming away.

With those random babbling of mine in mind, what else could I do to help my application?

Thanks for your inputs and reading through all (or just part of) that $%!+

[netminder]

Have you identified someone who would be a strong advocate on your behalf? Someone who would make phone calls to PD's s/he knows, telling them what a great candidate you are? I have heard that this can potentially have an impact with regard to getting interviews that may not otherwise have been offered.

[Doekie]

i GOT IN, AND SO CAN YOU. YOU CAN FIND MY STATS SOMEWHERE HERE.

[ROL_2010]

Average public med school

Step 1: 235

1st & 2nd year: 60% high pass, 40% pass

3rd year: high pass - psych, pass - surgery, medicine, ob/gyn, rotations left - family and pedi

Study harder for your standardized tests and work harder on your clinical rotations [/quote]