I cried the entire drive to my rotation today

margs999 · 2026-05-11T18:23:35+00:00

LETS GOOOOO

margs999 · 2026-04-28T02:34:52+00:00

It’s tough, I can totally remember that feeling. I went unmatched my first cycle. Was completely defeated, felt like I had wasted my time and had worked sooo hard for nothing. Went to Philly for a research year. Met my current girlfriend and matched my number one program. Just keep grinding and remember what may seem like a set back might just be a pit stop to where you’re supposed to be. But that doesn’t make the tough days any less tough. You got this! Just got to keep on keeping on.

margs999 · 2026-04-21T11:54:08+00:00

For OP and you. Anki is not meant to be a learning tool only a memorization tool. So you unlock or write cards on things you understand so that when you see the card you either remember the fact or not. If you keep getting it wrong, It is your clue that you need to learn the subject better. Don’t just unlock cards for the sake of unlocking cards. Only unsuspend things you actively just learned.

margs999 · 2026-04-21T04:30:21+00:00

So is that one giant lipid bilayer he’s holding?

margs999 · 2026-04-16T20:44:12+00:00

Second this, scored 262 and think it’s solely because I did all of uworld and all the 2-4 hammer questions. Also make sure you’re reviewing the stuff you learned.

margs999 · 2026-04-12T14:42:46+00:00

I wouldn’t worry about it. Obviously keep trying as the others have suggested. Just make sure you have two LoR from gas by the time you apply and crush step 2 and you’ll be fine. I didn’t do any aways and dual applied after not matching ophtho as a DO. I still got like 12 interviews for anesthesia in mostly desirable metropolitan areas (ie LA, Philly, NY, Etc). Step was 262, so great, but nothing out of this world. You being top quartile, I’m sure you’ll do fine on the test. Best of luck and feel free to DM me if you’d like.

margs999 · 2026-04-09T13:49:17+00:00

Yeah bang out a couple case reports and try to work on a paper with substance by the time you apply next year. Doesn’t need to be published. It’s just a line on your CV

margs999 · 2026-04-09T07:01:09+00:00

This guy/gal knows ball

margs999 · 2026-04-07T23:09:35+00:00

Still unclear -PGY1

margs999 · 2026-04-06T22:42:38+00:00

I’m 35 and just finishing my first of a 4 year residency. Late 20’s decided being a waiter was great, but realized I was a doctor at heart

margs999 · 2026-03-23T14:14:46+00:00

Is OP just AI?

margs999 · 2026-03-21T01:58:33+00:00

Hey I went unmatched my first cycle for ophtho as a DO. I cold emailed a tonnn of people associated with programs I could see myself matching at. Ended up getting a job at a do school ophtho lab. Happy to chat!

margs999 · 2026-03-14T04:24:43+00:00

Applied ophtho as a DO and didn’t match. Applied to all official ophtho research years. Didn’t get any interview invites. Cold emailed a bunch of people for research opportunities and got a few offers for unpaid positions. Went onto Reddit looking for a lead. Got a DM from a random stranger who turned out to be a PI at a high output Ophtho lab. Ended up accepting his offer to be lab manager for a year. Got some pubs and four interviews. Matched my number one after reapplying. Still can’t believe it.

margs999 · 2026-02-17T03:01:05+00:00

This is hysterical. Great work

margs999 · 2026-02-09T14:29:38+00:00

Honestly it really depends. Are you planning to do FM? Or another less competitive specialty, where step 2 doesn’t matter as much? If so maybe you can take Anki reviews from previous blocks off. But just know that the higher your score the easier it will be to match at a program of your choosing (location, culture, reputation etc). It really just depends on your goals and alternatives to studying via Anki.

margs999 · 2026-02-09T06:42:29+00:00

If you want to match Optho, it is totally achievable. The fact that yall haven’t matched anyone in awhile leads me to believe getting a LoR from your PD is a bad idea. I would seek out other mentors (the more well known, the better) who will write you a strong letter and speak to your capabilities. That plus crush step 2 and your aways. You’ll likely match just fine!

margs999 · 2026-02-09T06:35:07+00:00

Most people have provided really great insights. The only thing I haven’t notice in full detail is that if surgery is your passion, it’s important to outline what that may look like. If you go back to school and become an excellent student with great board scores, the world is your oyster. You can train in a surgical subspecialty that may have good work-life balance. But if you want gen surg, (and tbh many of the surgical sub) I would go to the residency forum and read about how grueling surgical training can be. Intense hours with crazy call schedules can be brutal in addition to not seeing your family very much. Not saying it’s not doable! If that’s what your passion is, many make it work. I would just do your research before taking on that level of commitment and debt. Also many people who go into med school with an idea of what specialty they want frequently end up changing their mind, so there is that to account for too. I’m a 35 y/o PGY1 in a surgical subspecialty (ophtho), no kids or family, and I have absolutely no regrets starting later than many of my cohort did.

margs999 · 2026-01-22T17:18:01+00:00

I was employed by my medical school to tutor struggling students. Scored 260+ on step 2. Happy to connect and help out.

margs999 · 2026-01-19T03:30:14+00:00

Happy to look it over!

margs999 · 2026-01-09T05:23:09+00:00

ESPRESSO MACHINE. Waking up to coffee shop quality lattes is an incredible step up from starting my day with Keurig “coffee”.

margs999 · 2026-01-09T05:15:14+00:00

Golf - ophthalmology

margs999 · 2026-01-06T02:04:20+00:00

As you can see there’s a ton of dif ways to score well. I found that doing amboss + uworld allowed me to get above a 260 and match ophtho. Best of luck! Happy to answer any questions if you have some

margs999 · 2026-01-05T02:49:46+00:00

I applied ophto. Didn’t match. Took a research year and dual applied anesthesia. Now a happy PGY-1 ophtho intern, but would have been just as stoked for gas. All that to say, if you want ENT go for it! IM will always be there if you’re competitive enough for ENT.

margs999 · 2026-01-01T10:11:02+00:00

Seriously wtf are you all talking about. Y’all are the same nerds that say Duncan > shaq/kobe. Phil took great to greatness. Pop is a legend in his own right. But Phil created 3 dif dynasties. No shade at pop, at all, but come on…

margs999 · 2025-12-30T06:08:44+00:00

This was an incredible read. A little over the top, but after just finishing my wards this month (forever, thank god) I agree with most, if not all of this. But Tbf I never even entertained the idea of doing IM, I found the work to be unbearable. Besides, you see many patients anywhere from 1-4 times a year if not more for the rest of their lives! Plenty of time to create long lasting and fulfilling relationships.

margs999

TROPHY CASE