Prior Q about matching

first off, zero percent is a chance. so yeah, you have a chance. everyone does.

second off, why did you do so crappy on the shelves? you know how to take standardized tests.

third, i really think one reason for orthogate to be less popular than it has been in former years is because of posts like this. seriously, your post should read, 'im a perfectionist non-risk taker who has never really done poorly at anything at life and now i am faced with possible failure (ie not matching in ortho) because my application is only 98% perfect. how do i deal with it?' as if anything on an internet forum will make you feel better or worse. this topic, "how good is my app/ will i match?", has really been beaten into the ground. its been shown what is important and not important. look at the NRMP data. i think you're a safe bet doing pediatrics in an underserved area; you might not match in ortho, but odds are, you will. most do. are you really considering not applying to something you like because you didn't do well on some shelf exams but have aced everything else up to this point? and are you really basing the answer to that question based on the responses in an internet forum? hope this solidifies my message... man up, sally. [/u]

you shouldn't have too much of a problem, in my opinion. the USMLE scores prove that you're easily smart enough to handle the "knowlege portion" of the field--those scores alone will get you plenty of interviews. the history as a professional athlete will give you an edge during interviews, and get you plenty of interviews as well.

95% of applicants are exactly the same--good scores, good grades, volunteer/research experience, and some stupid story in their personal statement about when they sprained their knee in high school football, they knew they were destined to be a doctor/orthopedist.

not many applicants can say they were a professional athlete--it (usually, depending on the sport) shows extreme levels of dedication that program directors will absolutely love.

just be prepared during your interview to answer why your grades aren't high, and your shelf scores suck--answer those questions reasonably, and you're in.

Professional athlete. Respectable step I scores. Knocked Step II out of the box. Publications. You're a shoe in. . . . . . .unless you have some serious personality flaw. Have fun and work hard on your away rotations. There's a lot of people out there who should worry about matching. You're not one of them. One caveat. If you were a professional curler or cricket player. That might not help you in the states.