Research v Prelim advice needed...

So now I’m here with interview invites from the 2 schools I rotated at and a boatload of rejections. Things went well on rotation but we all know the match stats for ortho. Looking for info on a research year vs prelim year.

Here’s the skinny:

Step1: 225
Step2: 249

Preclinicals: A’s first year, B’s second year
Clinicals: A’s in everything except Peds (89%), Psych (89%) and Neuro (88%)

Class rank: 50th Percentile

Research: One gen surg paper (case study/discussion) accepted at a small time journal, One ortho paper (case study/discussion) submitted, did some ortho research (chart reviews) with unpublishable results. *Quite literally doing all this myself because research is a foreign concept out here*

Will be graduating from a rural Midwest school where even the dean told me “We generally don’t have much luck matching into ortho”. We have no ortho residency and we’re so isolated that I’ve had ample opportunity to work with the ortho docs and even first assist on over 80 cases (yeah, I kept track, got great letters too). Unfortunately, I’ve found that I really really really like it and still want to try another year, pending a probable failed match this year.

While nothing can raise my step score, I’m uncertain how to proceed and nobody around here knows anything about ortho. A research year would strengthen my paper app but it may not matter with the cutoff/irreversible damage my step 1 gave me. How do you even apply to research year positions and what is the timeline for doing so? I would think you would want something lined up before SOAP. Or, based on my numbers, would I get more out of soaping into prelim surg at an institution with an ortho residency?

Any advice appreciated.

I think the real advantage of the research year is more to give you the opportunity to connect in a real personal way with a particular ortho department that they then get to know you, like you and ultimately help you get some additional interviews at other institutions or facilitate your match at their own location. Your background and scores necessitate a "custom" process. As you recognize, the cut offs used by most programs will screen out most of the time. So, your advantage is when a program gets to know you, you are a known quantity and they can see your dedication and drive. A prelim surgery position is unlikely to ultimately help you do this. That being said, if you don't love the idea of research, then the dedicated ortho research year is probably not for you. Also, you already have some research and having more is not really going to strengthen your application any - like I said, the research year would be more about the connections you could make. Few programs have them - -I know Wake Forest used to, HSS might also have some, NYU and possibly Cleveland Clinic? MGH also used to have research positions in their orthopaedics/spine section. Best option is to just call some of the bigger name ortho departments and ask about opportunities. It might require a fair amount of leg work on your part to secure a research position.

Thanks for your post man,

BTW, I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I myself have only 2 invites (from places I didn't rotate at). Step 1: 233 Step 2: 247. A's 3rd yrs, top 40% of the class. I've been wondering the same as you myself.

From what I understand from attendings and residents a research year is the most beneficial if you can build a strong relationship with the dept to significantly increase your chances of matching there. It seems like its less about going to a big name place where you are just another researcher and more about a chair, PD, faculty, etc saying "I've known this guy for a year, he's a hard worker, great guy, a thinker and I think he'd be a great resident", even if that means its a smaller program. If you think about it, you technically only need 1 place to really really like you to match. But again, that may have been just what I was told.

BTW, is it too much bad luck if maybe we start a post about some of us that are "less fortunate" as far as interviews so far? While its great that people are getting such amazing interviews, its so hard to gauge whether this is representative of the general cohort this year. I know there are a thousand factors (scores, AOA, papers, who is a member of orthogate, etc) to skew data...I dunno, I guess I was just thinking of something to maybe boost (or drop) morale.

Continued good luck to you and everyone else!

OP,

PM me and I can answer your questions. I didn't match last year with similar scores to yourself and the above posters and did a research year, now applying again.

orthoM3 wrote: OP,

PM me and I can answer your questions. I didn't match last year with similar scores to yourself and the above posters and did a research year, now applying again.

I'm in the same boat. I'm doing a research year this year as well. I'm happy to answer questions if you guys PM me, but I'm not sure if this is worth anything to people, as I'm applying this year as well. I thought my opinion might actually be of value to people if I match this year. We'll see. I can at least share the perspective I have. Maybe it can help someone. Take it with a grain of salt, I suppose. Good luck to all.

I think that Crimson hit the nail right on the head. I'm a PGY4 and I've seen plenty of medical students come through, sometimes with lower stats. The one's who I have seen most successfully match at big time programs were the folks who did a research year and were productive (5-10 pubs) and then they did a prelim gen surg at the same place as the research year. This may be overkill for some but it proves to programs that you can be amazing research wise and clinically.

Another idea (and this would require you to make sure your school allows this) is to not graduate from medical school and instead become an MS5. During that 5th year you can still do lots of research and even do extended away rotations because you would still have your med school's malpractice insurance. Also this is a benefit because you don't have the "Independent" applicant status, but are viewed closer to all of the other MS4s (although not totally equal to it). Just a thought.