Matched Credentials 2003

Sawbones --- so where did you match?

A word of advice to orthopaedic surgery hopefuls:

This website is good for few things, and only very few things. It is good for checking to see if programs have sent out interview offers, and even that is of questionable value; after all, you can always just call a program on the telephone to find out.

There is no away around the fact that a lot of what is posted here is done for the sake of mindgames and chest-thumping in order to psyche out perceived competition. It's the ol' pre-med spirit raising it's head again.

I matched at an outstanding research-oriented program at a highly academic center. I was NOT on the editorial board of JBJS. I have NOT started my own lab yet and line up millions in NIH funding. I was NOT asked to be godfather of my chairman's first-borne. I did 2 away rotations, did NOT kiss fanny, and did NOT have people weeping on my departure. I did NOT break 260+ on the boards. I do NOT bench press by Step I and II scores multiplied by 7. And I did fine.

Ortho has a 40% unmatch rate. If you're in the comparison game, look at the people at your school, see how've they done historically, and figure out where you fit. Ask your chairman/program director/advisor about your chances for matching. The info posted here is tainted by self-congratulation if not outright lies.

So, my words of advice: Step I is important; too as well as you can. Do away rotations: be on time, do what you're told, and don't lie. Ask for letters (none of the writers know you anyway). Relax during interviews or you'll just look stupid. Need not be stressed by what "Tibial Tubercle Roid Rage" published or "Hydroxyapatite Cement Jockboy" got on his boards; they're probably half-lies anyway.

Annoyed seems to have a good perspective on the world. The only thing I would add to his (or her) thoughts is that you should all stay in close contact with alumni from your school who actually are in orthopaedic residencies around the country.

Do not rely solely on the 4th year students who just matched since they really do not know what their lives will be like (yet!). This will provide you all with "real" data as opposed to some of the "mis-information" that this site unfortunately often provides.

If your school has an active advisor who understands the competitive nature of Orthopaedic Surgery you are a step ahead. They can usually evaluate your "candidacy" and give you an honest appraisal of your chances and to which programs you should apply.

If you don't have these resources, I would recommend seeking out your former classmates who have matched in orthopaedic surgery to help. It can also be of great help to call attending orthopaedic surgeons who are alumni from your school. I wish all of you interested in orthopaedic surgery good luck in your future endeavors!

Sincerely,

William N. Levine, MD, Residency Director
Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center
Columbia Orthopaedic Surgery

Just wanted to toss out my two cents.

If you are a first, second or third year reading this post and worried about getting into ortho because you don't have record setting USMLEs or huge research - take "Agee's" advice. There is alot of truth in 'dem words.

I?m a just-matched fourth year with 230 on step 1 and am going to Mayo. My experience is that if you want to do ortho - go for it. Put it all out there. Don't be intimidated by posts on this forum, or information you get anywhere else. Do some away rotations, meet some people, have some fun.

Yes it is tough.
But YES it can be done.

Have some sensible back up plan, just in case. But for what it's worth: shoot for the stars. Chase your dreams. You never know what might happen.

Really - if it was easy it might not be worth doing.
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Congrats to the match class of ?03 and good luck to everyone who is up-and-coming.

Annoyed is right in what he/she says, but it doesn't necessarily contradict other posts I have read here. I interviewed for ortho a year ago and didn't match. I was able to see what board scores applicants had during one of my few interviews and saw that the vast majority of people did better than me. Perhaps some of the better applicants are the ones who make their voices heard the most, but I haven't seen too many people (none, actually) making claims that they are on the editorial board of JBJS. I am not saying any of this to scare anybody. My numbers are not the greatest (not even close) and I know many on this web site are probably on the same boat. But looking at what it is said here and what I experienced during the interview process a year ago, there is not much difference. There are people out there with boards scores on the 250s and 260s. They exists, just not many of them. I have scores below 220 and still hope to enter into the world of ortho through the side door (research/publications- none of it published or accepted by JBJS).

As someone who got below 200 on Step I who just matched at a top notch program, I have to echo Annoyed's and podwannabe's take.

If I had to read one more post from someone with 245 on Step I worrying if that was good enough for ortho, I would have stabbed myself in the eye with a Bovie. And if I would have listened to the forum's consensus on "requirements" to get into ortho, I would have long ago switched to Family Practice (not that there's anything wrong with that).

It wasn't the easiest road to take, but I did it. Pick a good advisor, do well during your 3rd year (and for me Step II), use your connections, do some away rotations, and when you do get interviews just be a normal person.

Was I crapping rocks last Monday waiting to see if I had matched SOMEWHERE? - of course I was. You just need to remember USMLE scores are part of it, but not the only thing.

Annoyed,

This quote's for you, "If you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem." It's easy to sound off and knock this board for the info that it gives. But you don't offer any remedy (or useful info. . . .for that matter) to the situation. For every person out there that says that this board is littered with lies and poor info, there's another 10 people out there who will quickly disagree. This is an "opinion" board. And being intelligent adults, I believe that the majority of people out there have the common sense to wade through the BS and take something positive away from the board. And as for half-truths and chest thumping. . . .why the h$%& would people feel the need to lie on an anonymous board? May be I'm just naive. But I've always been super straight forward about my credentials, including my disgustingly AVERAGE board scores. So much so that any one who has met me on the trail knows exactly who Bone Jock is and where I'm in residency. I just assume that every one else is being open and honest. Call me naive.

In addition, no one is saying that Step I is the end all be all. But I'm not in the business of giving people false hopes. If an applicant came to you and said they scored 185 on Step I and was only going to apply to Harvard, HSS, Iowa, Mayo and Carolinas medical center you would laugh in his/her face. I realize that I scored 228 on step one and applied to 60 programs, only to get 16 offers. I came from an outstanding med skool, had great lor's, good clinical grades, etc, etc. Why didn't I get more interviews? 99% of the people on this site would probably agree that it was because of my board scores. Can you score below 220 and still match. h$%& yeah. Can you score 270 and not match. Of course. The posts on this site are not blueprints for how to match ortho. They're only products for an educated consumer. No this site is not perfect. But there is some good advice that shows up from time to time. Not every med skool has an affilitated ortho program. Not every student has access to an ortho preceptor. I was lucky enough to have both.

Preach it, brother!!!! I'm gettin all teary eyed......
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In all honesty, I don't think anyone could have said it better than Bonejock. I will just second that the board scores and other credentials I saw on the trail two years ago are very much in line with the above posts in this thread. I have no proof, but would venture to guess that very few of the above statistics are fabricated. Any person who has followed this board knows that THE most common post from a newbie is the classic "post my credentials and ask if I have a shot and where" routine. The above post (while it may make some insecure or uncomfortable) is a great place to point med students who have just realized they want to go into ortho, have heard the rumors about the competitiveness, and (justifiably so) want to know where they stand. This board was an invaluable asset to me and I'm sure hundreds of others during the match process. Not to mention the entertainment it has continued to provide me from time to time since.


LONG LIVE BONEJOCK!!!!
LONG LIVE ORTHOGATE!!!
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Bonejock is telling the truth!!

And I do know who he is...he's the one who kept dropping the damn football!!!

What up, Brick hands!
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This site is awesome!

I'm a first time writer who matched at my first choice program with credentials that will definitely give hope to any MS3s who feels discouraged by the standard "cutoff" bullshit.

Med School: large, Northeastern, top 50
Class Rank: Middle Third
USMLE I: 218
USMLE II: 222 (taken in late Jan)
Pre-Clinical Grades: 80's
Honors: OB/Gyn
Excellent: Everything else but Peds
Good: Peds (Love the kids - boring material)
Ortho Rotation grades: Excellent (not honors)
Doctors in family/family connections: None
AOA: No way
Letters of Rec: strong but standard
Advanced Degree: Yes (MS)
Research: (1) first author on a grad school paper on Brook Trout Ovulation
(2) Very last author on a less-than-groundbreaking paper by well-known Joint Docs. (J of Arthroplasty)
Programs applied to: 71
Interview invites: 10
Interviews attended: 7

Rank List:
1. Loyola Chicago
2. Jefferson
3. Case Western
4. Drexel
5. Henry Ford
6. Maricopa
7. Geisinger

I know that it can be frustrating to hear about how impossible it is to match if you don't have superstar numbers. My advice is to improve your credentials where you can. Rotate at as many programs as possible (even if for only 2 weeks each), though I only was able to rotate at 3. Just work hard and make the most of these opportunities to "sell yourself" to these programs. Be willing to help with any scut, but don't be a gunner or weasel. Most of the residents/programs were looking for someone who would fit in - someone with whom you would want to go "grab a beer" after work. So work hard when required, relax in all social situations, learn what you can, and just be easy to get along with and you'll be fine.

Just remember, we're all counting on you. )

Sorry so late, but you get lazy after match day.

Step 1-229
Step 2-236(took it early so it would be on my app)
Grades-sucked. 2-3 honors preclinical, rest hi pass or pass. Honored only pysc in cores, hi pass everything else in 3rd year. In 3rd quarter of class
School-lower tier
Research-4 papers & 3 abs.-all nonortho, one case in the works during app time
Letters-3 excellent ortho letters-two from well know orthopods, 1 okay ortho letter, 1 nonortho for the places that requested it. I asked some of my letter writers where they knew attendings and sent their letters to those places.
Aways-2- one very competitive, one avg.
Apps-77-mostly SE, West coast, a few midwest & NE
Interviews- 15 offered- went to 13 -there was very little difference in the majority of places, maybe 1 standout place and one undesiralbe.
Matched-2nd choice-one of my away rotations

Anyone know the overall unmatched rate in 2003? thx

Jason

Step uno 225
Step dos 234
Non-AOA

Mostly honors in clinical work, average first 2 years
Published 1 article in Orthopedics
Did 2 aways. one at the matched institution

Ranks

1)UTSW
2)Atlanta Medical Center
3)John Peter Smith
4)Ochsner
5)San Antonio

Matched at numero uno