Pre-clinical Grades....

[link2swim06]

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I am an M1 ands interested in radiology. As this semester wraps up it look like I will be slightly above average in my class (but def not top 1/4 or 1/3).

So my question is does anyone care about these grades?

As long as I crush Step 1 and third year will I be good for radiology?

 

[LuckyST]

A general rule is that nobody cares about pre-clinical grades, ever.

However, if these grades affect AOA at your school, you should pay attention to them, as AOA status is important in radiology.

 

[quietude]

I am an M1 ands interested in radiology. As this semester wraps up it look like I will be slightly above average in my class (but def not top 1/4 or 1/3).

So my question is does anyone care about these grades?

As long as I crush Step 1 and third year will I be good for radiology?

Disclaimer: I have not matched yet. But I now have enough rads interviews that barring catastrophe, I will.

Here's what I've learned over the last 3.5 years of medical school that rads PDs care about when selecting interviews, in order of importance.

1) AOA
2) Step 1 preferably over 240. If you are going for a sweet hospital, shoot for 250.
3) If not AOA, as many honors as possible in third year.
4) Your MSPE adjective (ie, what quartile/quintile/whatever your school has).
5) If not all honors in third year, not being that guy who has great board scores and pre-clinicals but then only passed his entire 3rd year. It makes you look...odd.
6) Your ability to interview as if you'd be a fun person to hang out with in a dark room for four years.
7) NOT being the guy that answers "Why radiology?" with some variation of "women, money, power"*
8) ECs, research, Step 2, rads club leadership, whatever.

So the only thing grades from the first two years really count for are your AOA status, your MSPE adjective, and possibly your Step 1 score. I had a similarly not-great pre-clinical time of it. But I knew I was a good test-taker, and I knew I could do well third year. So I did. My adjective ended up where I needed it, and no one has yet cared on an interview about my straight Ps from first year.

That won't stop you from wishing you were AOA at least a few times, though.

*true story related by my school's PD as what did not impress him on last year's trail

 

[link2swim06]

Disclaimer: I have not matched yet. But I now have enough rads interviews that barring catastrophe, I will.

Here's what I've learned over the last 3.5 years of medical school that rads PDs care about when selecting interviews, in order of importance.

1) AOA
2) Step 1 preferably over 240. If you are going for a sweet hospital, shoot for 250.
3) If not AOA, as many honors as possible in third year.
4) Your MSPE adjective (ie, what quartile/quintile/whatever your school has).
5) If not all honors in third year, not being that guy who has great board scores and pre-clinicals but then only passed his entire 3rd year. It makes you look...odd.
6) Your ability to interview as if you'd be a fun person to hang out with in a dark room for four years.
7) NOT being the guy that answers "Why radiology?" with some variation of "women, money, power"*
8) ECs, research, Step 2, rads club leadership, whatever.

So the only thing grades from the first two years really count for are your AOA status, your MSPE adjective, and possibly your Step 1 score. I had a similarly not-great pre-clinical time of it. But I knew I was a good test-taker, and I knew I could do well third year. So I did. My adjective ended up where I needed it, and no one has yet cared on an interview about my straight Ps from first year.

That won't stop you from wishing you were AOA at least a few times, though.

*true story related by my school's PD as what did not impress him on last year's trail

Is it very difficult to match w/o AOA?

Assuming I meet all those other objectives?

 

[quietude]

Is it very difficult to match w/o AOA?

Assuming I meet all those other objectives?

No, it's not difficult at all. If you look at the statistics from the 2009 match, only 30% of matched AMGs were AOA. So 70% matched without it. I certainly am not AOA, nor do I have any ridiculous credentials, and I have over 10 interviews so far.

Where AOA will make a difference is at certain top programs, where the vast majority of interviewed candidates will have that credential. So if you have your heart set on a big-name academic center in a fun city, AOA is going to help you a lot. If all you care about is matching, or you have a strong preference for smaller programs in the midwest or south, you definitely don't need it.

Just so you know, at many medical schools honoring all your third year rotations makes you a good candidate for senior AOA. But any HPs or Hs you could scrape up in second year really can't hurt. As plenty of people will point out, doing well in the first two years will make studying for Step 1 easier.

As when you were applying to medical school, everyone you see on these boards is going to be AOA and 250+ when you are applying to residency. SDN and other boards always pull in the nervous superstars. Just remember that the majority of candidates do not meet these criteria and match anyway. We're only telling you what would make it easier.