I would consider myself to be a mediocre applicant (Usmle Step 1=234). I'm currently trying to figure out where to do my away rotations, but I don't want to overreach. Does anybody know how competitive the program is at Newark, New Jersey or Cedars-Sinai. I'm sure they're both very good schools, but I still don't know if they're schools that might screen applicants with Step 1 scores under 240. Thanks for your help guys and gals.
I know for a fact that NJMS (Newark) does not screen that high. I think they screen around 225. Cedars-Sinai I know little about, but it's probably pretty tough. California programs are always harder.
cedar sinai is a brand spanking new program so doubt anyone will be able to give you any real good insight but it is a southern cali program so will likely be competitive soon...
A step 1 of 234 doesn't make you mediocre, it might make you average, which is fine. Not that anyone REALLY knows since the AUA doesn't publish that data. The cutoff people would say is most wide-spread is 230. There might be a few top programs that use a 240 cut-off, but who really knows b/c I know several people who got interviews at those places with step 1s below 230. Step 1 is only one part of your app...do an away where you want to go (dream big). That's part of the reason to do an away - to give yourself a better chance at a program that otherwise might overlook you. Be reasonable of course, if you have no research, an away at UCSF is probably not going to get you a spot there - but, getting that big name LOR there might get you in somewhere else. So even if you "overreach" if you do well, it will help you.
234 isn't mediocre at all. In fact, it's the exact score i had. It was "average" for urology, which isn't bad at all, unless you're wanting a program that uses a cut-off above that. Advice: do aways, get good LOR's, be personable, work hard on your aways, do well on STEP 2 (i think this helps a lot...I improved >20 points). If your grades are good, you do well on aways, have good LOR's and are a nice person, and don't limit yourself to only a few programs, you should be fine :)
i matched at my top program w/ low 230's....got great LOR, had some bs publications, was personable on interviews, and got senior AOA. Focusing on just step 1 is for derm and radiology....GU is a great field w/ funny smart people, i have met/worked w/ a dozen different attendings who trained at a dozen different programs, some are good some are ok....there really isn't a correlation w/ where they trained...they are all good people though who do whats best for their patients and try to avoid admissions :)
Ive heard solid things about the Cedars Sinai program from my program director...first chief residents matched into USC and UCLA. Seems like they have attracted some attendings from other LA programs, that's saying alot...whatever questions about them being a young program are being addressed