Hi all - would love any advice about re-applying to IM after not matching into a surgical specialty this past year. I will be completing a surgery preliminary year at my home institution which also has a top 20 IM program.
Med School: Top 20
Step 1 / Level 1: 24X
Step 2 / Level 2: 26X
Clerkship grades: P/F
Class rank: N/A
Research: 15+ publications (4+ first author, mix of oncology, allergy & immunology, and surgical research)
LORs: Surgery PD, IM chair, medical director of the free clinic (strong letter), primary research mentor (pathologist)
Gold Humanism/AOA: No/NA
ECs: Extensive volunteer work with the student-run free clinic, including multiple leadership and longitudinal positions; positions in medical school and medical center committees
Red flags: Previous MD graduate, completing a surgical prelim year
Career goals: First of all, hoping to match into any categorical position. I am interested in being a physician-scientist and my clinical interest are medical oncology, cardiology, and critical care. Ideally, I would like to match at a more academic-oriented place in the ~top 50. Not sure if research tracks or PSTP are completely out of the equation, but I assume so based on the combination of being a re-applicant and not being an MD/PhD. A plus but not a necessity would be a large Spanish-speaking patient population as I am fluent and Latinx. Ties to the west coast, east coast, and South.
Questions:
- How many programs should I apply to? Currently, have a list of ~60 programs with about equal numbers in the high/mid/low tiers.
- What should my expectations be in terms of interviews and competitiveness?
@Deecee2DO @obiwan would appreciate your input.