Sense of urgency about class rank

[psyspy]

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[wolfvgang22]

I think you should give 100% you can every day. You don't need to ask us how hard you should work. Give 100% regardless and success will follow. Or it won't, and you have no regrets.

 

[robellis]

Not sure if I should post here or in the MD sub forum. M3 here. Currently in bottom quartile of class.

I have no regrets about choosing medicine, but I do feel like for a variety of personal reasons I struggled the first two years often, and now this is translating into struggling on wards, particularly with shelf exams. So I have very deep regrets with how I started out, because I feel like I'll always be lacking knowledge that my classmates seem to have easily. My goal is to end up in 3rd quartile so as to not be at the bottom. I passed my surgery rotation, and I'm trying my best to "high pass" my IM rotation.

I truly wish I knew that it all started on day 1, and that "coming back" would be way harder than I thought it would be. I had some other unnecessary priorities at the time that got thwarted by covid anyhow.

I'm interested in psych, and would like to match at my home (mid tier) program. I take both steps in 2022. I've done quite a bit of research (1 psych poster, 4 non psych pubs, stuff from UG) and done some psych-related and general volunteering. I've been networking with faculty at my home program as well. How much sense of urgency should I have about my class rank? Should I try to get in the 2nd quartile rather than 3rd?

Please do not quote post. Thank you.

Not much urgency as long as you pass and you’re a USMD you’ll be able to match psych somewhere assuming you’re not very weird

 

[hamstergang]

Should I try to get in the 2nd quartile rather than 3rd?

I don't know how much difference it would make, but what does this even mean? If you're in the bottom now, you should definitely be trying your best. I don't think you can have enough control to place yourself precisely.

 

[J ROD]

balls to the wall........to be middle

 

[Monocles]

Maybe I am too many years out of med school but I feel like class rank mattered very little in psych. I was straight up bottom quintile consistently in every year of med school (did not care for pre-clinicals, also was not a great test taker) but did well *subjectively* on my peds and psych rotations that I interviewed "above my weight" in terms of programs for residency. Honestly if you're going for your home institution the best thing you can do is show that you are easy to get along with and make a good impression w/ your department and show interest. That's probably all you need since most programs would much rather take a solid candidate that they know vs an unknown who seems stellar on paper.

 

[psyspy]

balls to the wall........to be middle

Are you implying this is a bad thing?

Ive got some specific priorities to fulfill in these next 2 years and at this point I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help my chances just a little bit. Not everyone can be at the top

 

[ridethecliche]

Have you reached out to academic support at your school? You should start there if you haven't already.

 

[Bartelby]

Psych is meaningfully more competitive than when many of us applied, but generally I agree with Monocles that if your department knows and likes you that will significantly increase your odds of matching there. Cultivate that relationship (for example by a psych interest group, early elective rotations, events like psych in cinema etc). And of course do your best from here on out. Clinical years performance typically matters a lot more to programs than M1-2.

 

[Merovinge]

I would have a greater sense of urgency around the steps then anything to be honest. If you are behind in the basic science from the first two years, do anything you can to try and synthesize step 1 review with whatever clinical rotation you are on. I would expect to need to push aside some hobbies (other than sleep, exercise, and enough socialization to stay sane) while you grind very hard over the next year. This is your time to push harder than you ever have before, it will suck, but also be worth it. Best of luck and ask for help as often as you can along the way.

 

[Monocles]

I would have a greater sense of urgency around the steps then anything to be honest. If you are behind in the basic science from the first two years, do anything you can to try and synthesize step 1 review with whatever clinical rotation you are on. I would expect to need to push aside some hobbies (other than sleep, exercise, and enough socialization to stay sane) while you grind very hard over the next year. This is your time to push harder than you ever have before, it will suck, but also be worth it. Best of luck and ask for help as often as you can along the way.

Do you mean step 2? Step 1 is going official P/F and I think the last cohort to have scores took it last year. Honestly this helps majority of psych applicants as there will be less emphasis placed on things like anatomy and embryology, etc

 

[psyspy]

I would have a greater sense of urgency around the steps then anything to be honest. If you are behind in the basic science from the first two years, do anything you can to try and synthesize step 1 review with whatever clinical rotation you are on. I would expect to need to push aside some hobbies (other than sleep, exercise, and enough socialization to stay sane) while you grind very hard over the next year. This is your time to push harder than you ever have before, it will suck, but also be worth it. Best of luck and ask for help as often as you can along the way.

Completely agreed, and I'm on board with doing so. Hoping I can stick with it and hoping I show some improvement for the end of this current rotation.

 

[psyspy]

Have you reached out to academic support at your school? You should start there if you haven't already.

I have. It's honestly just a matter of me in particular needing more "reps" with everything. Not much more to it sadly. Someone has to be in the bottom half, and even in the bottom quartile. No one except the genuine geniuses in my class seem to be slacking.

 

[ridethecliche]

I have. It's honestly just a matter of me in particular needing more "reps" with everything. Not much more to it sadly. Someone has to be in the bottom half, and even in the bottom quartile. No one except the genuine geniuses in my class seem to be slacking.

Not sure how you study and what materials you use, but one of my biggest issues in med school was constantly trying out new materials and methods, so to speak. At a certain point, if you're overextended trying to do too much from different sources, you end up nowhere. If anki works, stick to it. If boards and beyond works, stick to it. If OME works, stick to it. Try not to make a master combination of all of them because then you'll spend more time wondering what to do next instead of actually doing it.

Good luck!

 

[J ROD]

Are you implying this is a bad thing?

Ive got some specific priorities to fulfill in these next 2 years and at this point I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help my chances just a little bit. Not everyone can be at the top

Point is you just need to be decent. not top. I was average and matched without incident. Now it was 5 years ago.

 

[DOBound2019]

If you want to stay at your home institution then your goal should be to interface and network with them as much as possible. As long you don’t have any red flags the other stuff won’t matter as long as their personal opinion of you is high. Especially right now in the time of Covid and virtual applications programs are more likely to keep their own anyway. Like others have said just give 100% and then live with the results. Also let your home program know you want to stay that matters in psych.

 

[Merovinge]

Do you mean step 2? Step 1 is going official P/F and I think the last cohort to have scores took it last year. Honestly this helps majority of psych applicants as there will be less emphasis placed on things like anatomy and embryology, etc

I actually mean both, as a failure at Step 1 would be a huge issue and someone in the bottom quartile is at higher risk of this than most.

Pass Step 1>> Do well on Step 2 >> Ace psych clerkship >> Rest of clerkships would be my rough order with the understanding that all are important and trying to synergize learning for the steps with current clerkship leading highest results. Highly recommend lots and lots of question banks as well.

 

[psyspy]

I actually mean both, as a failure at Step 1 would be a huge issue and someone in the bottom quartile is at higher risk of this than most.

Pass Step 1>> Do well on Step 2 >> Ace psych clerkship >> Rest of clerkships would be my rough order with the understanding that all are important and trying to synergize learning for the steps with current clerkship leading highest results. Highly recommend lots and lots of question banks as well.

Yep agreed. Thanks again. I really will just need more reps

 

[kelminak]

Just be sure to apply broadly. I thought good board scores would compensate...they don't.

 

[EmilKraepelin55]

Just be sure to apply broadly. I thought good board scores would compensate...they don't.

Kinda brutal this year. I applied to nearly 80 programs with respectable scores this year. I got 6 interviews in the first month after submitting and have received no more since then.

 

[DOBound2019]

Kinda brutal this year. I applied to nearly 80 programs with respectable scores this year. I got 6 interviews in the first month after submitting and have received no more since then.

I wonder if this will calm down if we ever go back to in person interviews or if programs finally put a cap on number of applications people can send.

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

If programs could put a cap on the number of applications people can send this would have happened in a flash a long time ago and it desperately needs to happen. The problem is the NRMP or ERAS or AAMC people or who ever you think is in charge probably don't want to face legal entanglements claiming they are monopolizing this process. It has gotten out of hand and isn't good for both sides.

 

[ObsequiousAplomb]

If programs could put a cap on the number of applications people can send this would have happened in a flash a long time ago and it desperately needs to happen. The problem is the NRMP or ERAS or AAMC people or who ever you think is in charge probably don't want to face legal entanglements claiming they are monopolizing this process. It has gotten out of hand and isn't good for both sides.

More importantly, don't they charge per application after a reasonable number?