planning for MS4

[newstart90]

Good evening everyone,

These questions may have been answered before but here are my scenarios:

We are wrapping up with our 3rd year this week and I am starting my application to ophthalmology this fall. The specialty rotation schedule is now designed as the following:
June home 4 weeks
August away 4 weeks
Mid September Clinical Partners 2 weeks
Would total of 10 weeks be enough for ophthalmology application?

This above schedule left my july wide open, which lead to my next question, what should I do for the month of july
I am currently debating between research vs. step2 ck. I would say 80% of the people i spoke to say delay step2 but 20%, especially my research pi who is the chairman at a solid ophthalmology program suggested me to take it in july. My backgrounds, step1 260+, shelf score all abover 90th percentile except family med (aquifer), research has 20+ published papers but scattered around different fields of medicine and surgery, only posters and 1 paper (under major revision) for ophthalmology.

I do have a project which is clinical that i may fit into july but with too much variables involved, IRB alone has been a constant headache to deal with. The other project is a literature research with ent department. while I am doing my part, the ent team has not event started theirs.

I also noticed all ophth interview won't happen till past November 1st this year. Are they potentially waiting for step2 score?

Appreciate any advice and consults. Thanks for the help!

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[TexasEye19]

I dont think you need to take step2 in July. Even if you do great it is not likely to help you very much - you will not have an issue receiving interviews with your application. Better yet, your app is solid enough that you can probably coast through your final year of med school without much to worry about. if you made a 260 then just wait til december or something and study for a week then take it... you will pass.

I would try to do another ophtho rotation at your home institution (if available), do another away, chill and enjoy a well-deserved month off while you finish your application, or do a chill elective. Don't bother with these projects causing headaches, its not worth your time. The most important determinants of matching are Step1 score, sprinkle in some research/grades/letters, and not being weird during the interview.

 

[newstart90]

I dont think you need to take step2 in July. Even if you do great it is not likely to help you very much - you will not have an issue receiving interviews with your application. Better yet, your app is solid enough that you can probably coast through your final year of med school without much to worry about. if you made a 260 then just wait til december or something and study for a week then take it... you will pass.

I would try to do another ophtho rotation at your home institution (if available), do another away, chill and enjoy a well-deserved month off while you finish your application, or do a chill elective. Don't bother with these projects causing headaches, its not worth your time. The most important determinants of matching are Step1 score, sprinkle in some research/grades/letters, and not being weird during the interview.

Thanks very much for the suggestions. I will think about it.

I may have not explained the "home elective well"

I am from a program in midwest, low tier, no home program, 1 small home hospital with only IM and psych programs. So the ophth rotation I am doing, even though approved as elective, is not by definition home program because it is still an away at another hospital. I will have 2 "away" listed on my transcript. I thought about doing a third away but was also scared by the fact that this will essentially destroy my package,

I also hoping that other countries (China, japan) open their border next year and I can do like a global health away...... but this is a long shot.

But anyway july is a open month i need to decide soon. Our home elective is fully booked due to class size expansion