Hi _mrbulldrops,

Thank you so much for volunteering to help! I would really appreciate your advice on how to gauge if I will be competitive at specific programs so I can generate a list of programs and select three away rotation sites.

My step 1 is between 240 and 245. I have 2 first author publications in non-urology field. Clinical grades have been mostly all HP's; have yet to do my surgery rotation. My stats are obviously not stellar... So I would like to select my away rotations and programs strategically. I am targeting more of non-big name schools, mid-tier/low-tier schools.

I am currently in midwest. I prefer small/safe cities to big cities, but I will be happy with wherever I match. For my 3 away rotations, I would like one midwest program, one in the South and one in northeast.

I really have no idea which programs would want to take someone like me (average stats; no guarantee I will honor the away rotations... I will do my very best but I have not been so lucky with my clinical grades). I have ruled out all the big name, all programs in the west, and "top 40" based on doximity ranking by reputation (ie. cleveland, vanderbilt, johns hopkins, mayo, michigan, UTSW, cornell, washington, IU, UPenn, Duke, NYU, North carolina, kansas, northwestern, saint louis, iowa, columbia, baylor, harvard, wisconsin, pittsburgh, lahey, u of chicago, emory, mount sinai, u of florida, alabama, yale, utah, medical college of wisconsin, wake forest, u of virginia, LIJ, U of minnesota, eastern virginia, u of miami, loyola, OSU)...

Based on your experience, I would like hear from you what programs you thought were solid but not really well-known. I am looking for hidden-gem kind of a program for away rotations. Or, any other suggestions and ideas will be appreciated.

Thank you again! Congrats on finishing the app/interview process! I am sure great things are coming your way!