Well, it just different from school to school and it is impossible to predict the event at one school based on experience at another. So many people were jumping in joy around us that we did not see anything else. That is all I will remember for the rest of my life, joyful adults jumping like kids. There was no stage, just couple of tables with letters in alpha order and the whole crowd went at once to these 2 tables at the moment when they were allowed to do so.
Thereâs a reason why you rank a program 1. Obviously youâre hoping for your top program. Some at Sâs Match day were disappointed. Like IWWB, I suspect the level of disappointment was related to how far down oneâs list you matched. Or maybe disappointment was related to couples matching where one felt they might have dragged down their SO. The result is what it is and people get over it in their own way and time. The good news is you have a job, and if couples matched, you and SO will be together. Everyone will call you Doctor and your parents will get to brag about their MD child and most people wonât have a clue about this parental bragging as they donât understand what residency is or any specific residency program itself. Youâll have more to be upset with very shortly as the reality of those intern hours hits you in the face.
When do residents (PGY-1) typically take STEP-3? Is STEP-3 like STEP-2 CS in that you only need to pass (i.e., just a screening test)? Or, is it more like STEP-1 in that the score may open or close doors?
Some of DSâs friends in PGY-1 seem to want to take STEP-3 as soon as possible, not many months into the intern year. If the score matters a lot (like STEP-1), will it be wise to wait till the end of the first year? (assuming here that the score on STEP-3 matters, i.e., STEP-3 is not just a screening test like STEP-2 CS.)
I am just curious about this.
Thanks.
The timing is a personal thing, but interns are expected to take STEP 3 pass it before the end of PGY1. At most (all?) programs, an intern canât move on to PGY2 unless they pass.
Interns work under a limited medical license and can only work under the supervision of an attending or chief resident. Once they pass STEP 3, young doctors are eligible for a full, unrestricted license and can work unsupervised (at least in theory).
From what Iâve gathered, the score isnât as important as the simple fact youâve passed it. The 2 day long exam includes both factual knowledge like STEP 2 CK and simulated patient encounters like STEP 2 CS.
In CA, one must complete 12 continuous months of training in a single program to be eligible for licensure. Also you must pass Step 3 within 4 attempts. When to take Step 3 is up to applicant. Some, like S, took it early in intern year. Others later in year. Although S has full license Iâm not sure many, if any, hospitals or private practices would hire anyone who is not Board Eligible (meaning theyâve completed their residency and can take Board exam in their specialty), or are Board Certified (taken and passed Board exam in their specialty).
^^Thatâs because insurance companies generally will not pay for services unless unless the treating physician is Board Eligible or Board Certified.
âWhen do residents (PGY-1) typically take STEP-3?â
- I believe that D. scheduled to take it in November. She said that they just have to pass it.
The rules for licensure obviously vary from state to state. In the days when states actually administered their own licensing exams bylaws were put in place that said the exams couldnât happen until a certain amount of training, which in some cases still exist on the books, such that you must take Step 3 with the correct timing. Medical Boards are some of the most particular entities on the planet and deny licenses for the most mundane of details not being âcorrectââŠthings that donât actually impact your ability to practice medicine (I currently have licenses in 4 states because I started doing locum tenens and let me tell you, the processes are a pain in the butt).
Because Step 3 covers material from multiple specialties no one puts any emphasis on the score. The biggest lesson I learned from taking Step 3 was that you donât want a pediatrician treating a woman with post-menopausal vaginal bleeding.
The other important caveat is that you must complete all Steps 1-3 within 7 years from the first attempt on Step 1 (pretty sure itâs the attemptâŠmight be the passing of Step 1). I know an ortho resident who got right up to that deadline and was a 4th year Ortho resident trying to relearn OB/Gyn and pedsâŠmuch easier to do when youâre closer to having been in those clerkships than not.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experiences.
Just an FYI to everyone. The USMLE recommends (the decision ultimately still lies with the state licensing board) exceptions to this for MD/PhD students who meet the following criteria:
1 and 2 of course apply to probably 99% of MD/PhD students (certainly all MSTP students). If a student takes a 5th year for the PhD (not uncommon), then the 7 year limit would expire during their MS4 year.
Iâm curiousâHow many interviews is typical for most MS4âs?
It depends on what specialty the MS4 is applying to, whether the applicant is dual applying to more than one specialty or is applying in a specialty that requires transitional year.
It also depends somewhat on how competitive the applicant is for the specialty. (The less competitive the applicant the higher the number of interviews suggested.)
Most students are told that if they rank at least 12-15 programs (so 15-20 interviews), they have a >98% of matching, but that doesnât necessarily apply in any of the above situations.
When D1 was on the interview trail, she ran into many applicants who interviewed at 30-40 programs, even though her specialty isnât one of the super-duper competitive ones.
In selective specialty, 10 invites seems to be a goal. The person who did not match in Dâs class in such a specialty, had only 6. And, some specialties require Transitional/Prelim year. These are separate interviews, aside from few Categorical programs that include first year. If you are applying to selective specialty, you do not have a luxury of picking and choosing, you just hope that there is no overlap in the scheduled interview dates as these programs may have only 1 or 2 interview dates. By overlap I mean that you are also required to attend pre-interview dinner. It may get logistically challenging, you better have couple suits as you may not have time to dry clean in between interviews.
Many apply to ALL programs in selective specialty, hoping to get 10 invites. I would say that all applicants apply to at least 80% of the programs, so applying to 80-90 programs is normal. They apply to about 25 Transitional / Prelim year.
it is all different story for non-selective specialties, much more relaxed with more options and earlier invites.
BFFâs son recently applied to 70 orthopedic surgery programs and she tells me he will be lucky to get 15 interviews. Iâve gained a whole new respect for these kids! It cost this poor kid (Heâs borrowed every cent heâs had for the last 4 years!) almost $2000 to apply! I wish all of the recent applicants well. Seems to be such a long, arduous road!
And of course, thatâs just the applications, heâll later be spending money on interviews if he gets them.
It can easily cost $5-$10k for 10-20 interviews, depending on your scheduling luck, flights, rental cars, multiple flights to the same area at different times. Staying with local friends is a great option if you have a couch surfing personality.
Often notice for interview planning is short, I recall DD flying between 3-4 different cities in one week for a series of interviews & I know she flew to one major metro area four separate times, even though she was able to complete more than one interview per trek, the offer timing plus the interview vacancies did not line up.
Really frustrating is that she knew early on which program was her #1 and she matched there, but she had to attend all the interviews and rank all the places, as you cannot just stop the process and pick your favorite.
IWBB, youâre referring to travel, lodging, etc., arenât you? Or, is there an additional fee for the actual interview?
I realize travel expenses can be off the charts. Not to mention the stress of traveling during the winter monthsl! Canât imagine the hassles of getting into/out of major East Coast cities during that time!
Suppose one should never count the chickens before theyâre hatched, Somemom!
^^Absolutely true.
Plus many interviews are during winter so the weather can play havoc with flights. And unfortunately, programs are usually unable to schedule another interview slot for you if youâre stuck in OâHare due to bad weather or your flight gets cancelled because thereâs a massive storm in some other part of the country.
D1 had 2 interviews on consecutive days in cities 2000 miles apart (and she did get stuck in OâHare for several hours very late night trying to make a connection and ended up buying a last minute, very, very expensive ticket on different airline because her flight had gotten rescheduled for the next morning and she would missed her interview). Another week she flew cross country 4 times in 8 days.
@rutgersmamma, yes, I was referring to travel/lodging, etc.
WOWM or IWBB, are you willing to share which specialty your student matched? Iâm not that familiar with âselectiveâ vs âvery selectiveâ vs ânon-selectiveâ specialties but I find it all very interesting. Suppose one has no occasion to know such info if a loved-one isnât involved in this particular ârat-raceâ!