Residency applicant

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4th year student getting ready for residency applications, interviews and Boards pt.2. My question goes out to residents and attendings at programs. I struggled in passing boards pt.1( passed on the 3rd attempt) I’m top 25% of my class and a very hard worker. Never failed a class previous to my board exam. Every clerkship I’ve been to has said I’m a great candidate, hard worker, great personality, quick learner, etc.

How severely will my board failure deter programs from considering me?

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[CutsWithFury]

4th year student getting ready for residency applications, interviews and Boards pt.2. My question goes out to residents and attendings at programs. I struggled in passing boards pt.1( passed on the 3rd attempt) I’m top 25% of my class and a very hard worker. Never failed a class previous to my board exam. Every clerkship I’ve been to has said I’m a great candidate, hard worker, great personality, quick learner, etc.

How severely will my board failure deter programs from considering me?

Is this something that actually gets reported on your transcript? If not then don't worry. Best candidates who externed through residency were described as you. Grades, board scores are a wash because all podiatry schools have different grading scales inflating their numbers to begin with.

 

[PeaJay]

If you had a rotation, they probably already know. If the programs you rotated at are solid, you were chosen over other applicants already. All that matters now is your personality and your work ethic.

 

[HardRoadPaved]

Definitely a "flag" at more of the competitive programs that have stellar candidates already. Just remember to rank not based on who likes you but where you'd like to go. Make sure you have a solid answer at interviews about why you failed and how you learned and rebounded.

 

[NobodyDPM]

Attendings worth their salt not only know that people can have bad days taking their boards, but also, performance on a board exam, in and of itself, means very little. If you show up, work hard, have a solid academic foundation, and really shine during your externships and during residency interviews, that will speak much more towards who you are as a potential resident, then your Boards issue.

HOWEVER, and I don't want to make you overly nervous about this, but you need to pass your Part 2 first try. Your Boards Part 1 failure could have been a fluke. If you repeat that, though, things can get dicey. Sorry. Just being honest.

 

[air bud]

Attendings worth their salt not only know that people can have bad days taking their boards, but also, performance on a board exam, in and of itself, means very little. If you show up, work hard, have a solid academic foundation, and really shine during your externships and during residency interviews, that will speak much more towards who you are as a potential resident, then your Boards issue.

HOWEVER, and I don't want to make you overly nervous about this, but you need to pass your Part 2 first try. Your Boards Part 1 failure could have been a fluke. If you repeat that, though, things can get dicey. Sorry. Just being honest.

Agree. As I get farther out from residency and have some perspective on things, there a million other things I would value over boards. Obviously residents see things from a different perspective. Some residences the current residents play much more of a role so that may be a problemthough.

 

[NobodyDPM]

Agree. As I get farther out from residency and have some perspective on things, there a million other things I would value over boards. Obviously residents see things from a different perspective. Some residences the current residents play much more of a role so that may be a problemthough.

Bold mine.

Agreed. That always really bothered me a lot. Residents are there to learn the craft. Not run a residency. Some residencies lean on their residents far too much in that regard. And that not only takes away from their learning experience, but also inflates their egos for no good reason at all. Buyer beware.

 

[DYK343]

Bold mine.

Agreed. That always really bothered me a lot. Residents are there to learn the craft. Not run a residency. Some residencies lean on their residents far too much in that regard. And that not only takes away from their learning experience, but also inflates their egos for no good reason at all. Buyer beware.

I agree.

But the residents spend a lot of time with students. Usually more than any 1 attending does.

If a student shines bright the 3-5 days in clinic they have with the director and the director thinks the student is a 10/10 but the residents see a 0/10 based on work ethic, shows up late, minimal effort, etc, etc its problematic.

Residents should have a say on who they want to work with

I wanted someone super reliable/hard worker. That trumped book knowledge in my opinion and my vote was not for the smartest candidate we had. My director however only cared about paper statistics.

 

[NobodyDPM]

I agree.

But the residents spend a lot of time with students. Usually more than any 1 attending does.

If a student shines bright the 3-5 days in clinic they have with the director and the director thinks the student is a 10/10 but the residents see a 0/10 based on work ethic, shows up late, minimal effort, etc, etc its problematic.

Residents should have a say on who they want to work with

I wanted someone super reliable/hard worker. That trumped book knowledge in my opinion and my vote was not for the smartest candidate we had. My director however only cared about paper statistics.

Oh, absolutely. No argument from me on that one.

I meant more when the attendings and director aren't involved at all, and basically the residents are picking the next round altogether.

You're right, though. I should have been more specific.

 

[Weirdy]

OP- everything the attendings above have said are gold.

Does this student show up on time/early?
Are they polite to my staff/floor nurses/OR techs and treat them well?
Are they polite to patients and treat them well?
Are they here to genuinely learn or to show off and kiss a22?
Are they helpful to the residents but not in the way and creating more work?
Do they have common sense?
Do I need to spell out everything for them or can they think independently for tasks at their level?
Do they require constant baby sitting or can I trust them to get things done and done correctly at their level?
Are they willing to learn? Do they take criticism well? Do they remember what they messed up on previously and correct it next time I see them?
Do they get along with all of the residents or just a few? Do they get along with their coexterns? Do they throw anyone under the bus? Do they lie about anything?

Its ok if you don't know the answer to a pimp question or it takes you a while to dig out all the stuff you had to memorize for boards. We expect that. They can teach you that stuff. But we can't teach common sense, manners, or even a work ethic. I do not want to be around you or work with you if you are lazy, out for yourself, a whiner, a liar, or just plain annoying.

Are you teachable? Hard worker? Reliable? Out for the team to win and not just yourself? Socially aware? Can read the room and patients well? Value the staff around you? Have some humility? Able to grow in your own confidence after some teaching?

When you clerk, just work hard, learn as much as you can, and be genuinely yourself. Don't let the boards failure slow you down or think about your classmates and what they're doing. They'll get what they deserve.

Blow your part 2 out of the water. You cannot afford to fail this one. Get angry and then go kill it. Leave nothing unturned so you can prove to the program you like, and more importantly to YOURSELF that you can and will beat standardized exams.

 

[deleted1097413]

personality and work ethic mean more than any board score or gpa. but I agree better pass part 2 first time.

 

[heybrother]

personality and work ethic mean more than any board score or gpa. but I agree better pass part 2 first time.

Unless the time table has changed passing part 2 will have zero affect on residency matching because the programs get zero indication if you took 1 try or 2.

We've argued here that if you can't pass Part1/Part 2 you probably can't pass ABFAS certification - but that's ok because PP is A-buzz!!! right now with getting paid thousands of dollars to stick grafts on wounds. We're all just little bees buzzing from sweet reimbursing flower to flower enjoying that sweet podiatry nectar.

 

[DYK343]

right now with getting paid thousands of dollars to stick grafts on wounds. We're all just little bees buzzing from sweet reimbursing flower to flower enjoying that sweet podiatry nectar.

Podiatry and nectar should never be mixed in the same sentence.

Side note. Is medicare/medicaid still cracking down on graft use? There was a lot of stories about a year ago about internal investigations and fraud with use of advanced biologics but I havent heard much since.

 

[dtrack22]

Podiatry and nectar should never be mixed in the same sentence.

Side note. Is medicare/medicaid still cracking down on graft use? There was a lot of stories about a year ago about internal investigations and fraud with use of advanced biologics but I havent heard much since.

they axed all of the flowable/injectable amnio Q codes but I haven’t heard of much else.

 

[NobodyDPM]

Podiatry and nectar should never be mixed in the same sentence.

Side note. Is medicare/medicaid still cracking down on graft use? There was a lot of stories about a year ago about internal investigations and fraud with use of advanced biologics but I havent heard much since.

If they haven't yet, they will soon. Podiatry has a way of slaughtering the golden goose pretty quickly. And then whining about it after the fact.

 

[footaction]

Thank you all for your advice, I appreciate it!