Please Help! Bad step I score.

I'm badly in need of any advice.

I'm a third yr med student, w/ step I of 190.

I was told by my program director that even with a soild step II score, I'd have little chance of getting in anywhere.
But I still wanna know if I can do anything to get into ANY ortho program in the country because I recently fell in love with ortho and can't imagine doing anything else! what are the things I can do from now on?

Any, ANY advice would be greatly appreciated.

Rock Step II. I'm talking 250+. You need to try to get to know your own orhto dept as well as possible. Take calls with the residents, get to know them, etc. Take as many ortho electives as possible. Do externships early in your fourth year. Apply for them in Jan because they fill up fast. You will need someone to go to bat for you.
Do some sort of research.

Even with all of that, nothing is guaranteed. Unfortunately for some, fortunately for some, USMLE is the big equalizer. If you go to a less reputable school and rock the boards you look better than someone at a reputable school who does poorly on the boards. We all take roughly the same test.

If you can take step II early and rock it, that is your best bet, probably. There are review courses out there for it. Plan on taking a month off to study and you may want to invest in the review course. There is a killer one in Kansas City that a friend of mine took after she failed step I. She went up big time. She took the same review course prior to taking step II just in case and was very happy with her results. It is very expensive though. Plan on making rocking step II the focus of the next year of your life. It is hard to sacrifice 24-7 (I've done it) but in the end, you may get what you want.

AOA status will probably help.

I'm a MS IV so my opinion is just that. I hope it all works out for you.

My bible for the next year is Your advice, justmatch.
I will start studying for step II from this minute.
I know some ortho residents at my school already but will try to get to know them some more.
Externships and research are also what I will pursue.
Live 24/7 from now for a year for any ortho spot.

Any other advice, justmatch, or anybody else?

More advice I get, the better my plan for the next year will be, I think.

JustMatch,

"There is a killer one in Kansas City"-- I'd like to know more about it, please.
Can you tell me more about it? e.g., their phone number, etc.?

THanks sooo much again!

I'll ask my friend... and get back to you.

I'm not one to dissuade people from their dreams...on the contrary. However, one has to deal in reality and a 190 on Step I is barely passing if I remember right. You need to take a long, hard, no BS look at what you're after and the mountain you have to climb to get there. If you do that and really can't see yourself being happy any other possible way, then you have to go for it. I guess I'm just saying that you are in one hell of a hole already. I love ortho as much as the next guy, but contrary to what some people give the idea of, there is life outside of ortho and I think it's an easy thing to lose sight of. If you decide to go for it, good luck, but do your homework.

OF