Which Programs Can I Get into?

your chances are directly linked to your ability to not piss people off

your score is great. probably higher than most residents at most institutions
your class rank is not that important. as long as you come from a reasonable U.S. medical school.


if people like you and you work hard(emphasis on the hard work)and you don't whine then you should have no problem matching.

Obviously it is easier to match where you rotate, if you make a good impression(which is harder than you think) or if you have some connection to the institution like your father's brother's cousin's ex-roomate used to go there.

That is honesty

Thanks for the response. I know this topic is boring to everyone so far because it has been discussed over and over here. But it is becoming crunch time for most of us that really want to go into ortho but have these kinds of statistics. The time is here to start choosing aways and all that scary stuff.

To this end, I am asking that people that had this kind of records and matched or know someone that matched with these records to post their experiences and what they thought helped them here.

I know that this will definitely help a lot of us that are hedging due to our records. Please get upset because you have seen this before but post something.

do some research and keep focusing on your rotation grades - you have a great step I which can help with what you feel are some other shortcomings

Thanks for the import. Please keep commenting on this topic. Please. Experience, personal stories, and stories from friends will be appreciated.

That should tell you what you need to know.

Otherwise, don't have research? Do research. Do well on rotations. Apply for AI's (preferably NOW). Kill them.

Not difficult concepts.

Thanks Pompacil for the response. I have seen those statistics before but then again, they are the general population. While I am very thankful for the links, I will also be glad to hear real people experiences.
As you guys can tell by now, I am very consumed by this issue. As for research, I am taking part in a couple but publishing before the application process seem unlikely. Thus here is how I will likely look on paper during the application process ( just a reminder to people interested in contributing to this topic):

Class rank: about 40th of 102 students
USMLE I score: 242
Research: None

Please post yours or friends and family experience about what they thought helped them in with similar stats.

I think you will be just fine. I have identical board scores, and we dont have class rank, but I would say I am about the same as you. I had done some research, but the papers were not accepted yet. I found that most places that I interviewed really just cared that I was able to talk about what I had done and didnt get hung up on the actual status of published vs submitted vs in progress. I had over 20 interview offers, so hopefully this should ease your mind. At this point, just do the best you can do and try not too worry too much (easier said than done).

Thank you so much ortho103. This is the kind of information I am looking for. Your input is greatly appreciated. Goodluck with the rest of the season. Hopefully you get that envelope on March 20. I know your experience can serve as motivation for people like me out there.
To others with such experience, your input is still appreciated.

To all of those in the match, good luck.

To future applicants:

The formula to match is simple:

1. Good step I score
2. Research
3. Good LORs
4. Perform well on away rotations

If you do well on all of the you WILL match.

Little things like location on your application make a difference. E.G. If you want to match in cali, use a cali address. When I interviewed in cali, I noticed that 5 programs had my address circled. Talk to the people ahead of you at your school for their recs. They are your most valuable resources.

I like the idea of using a local address if you have one but could that mess you up in the process if any programs decide to send their interview invites via snail mail? Or do programs even offer invites via snail mail anymore?