Taking USMLE Step 2 without Step 1

[Darkskies]

Hi everyone,

I am a 3rd year DO student possibly interested in anesthesia. I did not take the USMLE step 1 last year due to personal issues that were concurrent with my studying time. I am confident I can do well on the USMLE as I have historically been a good test taker and scored a 32 on the MCAT. I think it may be too late in the game to study and take the Step 1 as it is hard juggling rotations and other obligations at the same time. I am seriously contemplating taking the USMLE step 2 in July. Will a stellar Step 2 score make me more competitive for allopathic anesthesia residencies even though I wouldn't have a Step 1? I am also considering IM and Psychiatry and would be curious to know if anyone has any insight into whether scoring very well on the USMLE Step 2 without a Step 1 would make me a more competitive applicant for those residencies as well. Thanks in advance!!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[el mero mero]

Hi!
I'm a 4th year DO student. Took Step 1 and Step 2, and did fine receiving interviews.
While a good step 2 could help, the thing I would worry about are filters. Programs screen using Step 1, and they frankly may not see your application. However, I understand your reservations about taking it now.
My advice would be to take Step 2. To get past filters, I would recommend emailing programs directly and stating that you did well on COMLEX Level I, and that you have done well on USMLE Step 2.

For others, if you want to train in the allopathic world, please take the USMLE.

 

[Darkskies]

Hi!
I'm a 4th year DO student. Took Step 1 and Step 2, and did fine receiving interviews.
While a good step 2 could help, the thing I would worry about are filters. Programs screen using Step 1, and they frankly may not see your application. However, I understand your reservations about taking it now.
My advice would be to take Step 2. To get past filters, I would recommend emailing programs directly and stating that you did well on COMLEX Level I, and that you have done well on USMLE Step 2.

For others, if you want to train in the allopathic world, please take the USMLE.

Thanks for the advice! Does anyone know of any anecdotal stories of candidates who had only taken the Step 2, done well, and got more interviews because of it as compared to someone who did not take any USMLE exams and only finished the COMLEX series? I lose confidence sometimes when people tell me taking the Step 2 and scoring well without the Step 1 will not help my application. I would hope that it would still improve my chances at a good number of programs even if the Step 1 is the most important factor. It's just hard for me to juggle rotations, fixing up my CV, getting LORs, and setting up rotations for 4th year all along with studying for the Step 1. Wouldn't a high Step 2 score still show that I am capable of doing well on USMLE type exams which just 2 COMLEX scores would not?

 

[Darkskies]

Can someone please reply? Thanks!

 

[Drachfar]

You should take step 1. You have your cores under your belt, meaning that you'll be less busy, and your clinical experience will give you an edge while studying the basic sciences. Most of the material is clinically relevant anyways.

 

[AE3505]

Fellow DO student here. I can't speak to taking step 2 without step 1 but I did not take step 1 at the same time as level 1. Went back last summer to take step 1 one month before taking both step 2 and level 2. It is tough but you can do it and I feel my score was just as good if not better than if I had taken it earlier. Also helped with step 2 studying.

 

[koan]

If you can manage to take both this summer it will improve your response rate from programs when you apply. Just make the time and make it your top priority. Those other stressors you mention (gathering LORs, setting up 4th year rotations) are important too but much less so and shouldn't really be that time consuming. The main concern should be whether studying for and taking four board exams (usmle step 1 and 2 and comlex level 2 ce and pe) in a few months period will mean a lower score on any of them. I'd say even if you can scrape by with average scores on everything you'll still be putting yourself in a better position than having only a higher step 2.

 

[Darkskies]

Has anyone ever taken all 4 exams at the end of third year(Step 1, Step 2, COMLEX Level 2 and PE)? How does one go about doing this? Is it realistic?

 

[Darkskies]

Sorry for bumping this up again, but does anyone have any other thoughts or insight? Thanks!

 

[Wolverines83]

Don't take all four. Your brain will explode. Literally...BOOM...brains everywhere. Step 1 is long gone and there's no way you're gonna get that info back (makes you wonder why we have to learn it...). Plus, I think you'd actually end up doing fairly poorly since you've been out of the game for a year by the time you take it.

Taking step 2 w/out step 1 shouldn't be a problem (though I took 1 and 2). The tests are so different there's just not much that you'll bring from step 1 that would make step 2 easier (except maybe peace of mind knowing you did well on step 1 and therefore should do well on step 2).

If you've been studying for NBME shelfs all year, you'll have no problem at all studying for step 2. If you're concerned about your performance, do an NBME to check on your progress, there are some pretty accurate NBMEs out there.

Emailing programs to tell them you took step 2 seems like a good idea to get by some of those filters.

Good luck.

 

[castafari]

Hi everyone,

I am a 3rd year DO student possibly interested in anesthesia. I did not take the USMLE step 1 last year due to personal issues that were concurrent with my studying time. I am confident I can do well on the USMLE as I have historically been a good test taker and scored a 32 on the MCAT. I think it may be too late in the game to study and take the Step 1 as it is hard juggling rotations and other obligations at the same time. I am seriously contemplating taking the USMLE step 2 in July. Will a stellar Step 2 score make me more competitive for allopathic anesthesia residencies even though I wouldn't have a Step 1? I am also considering IM and Psychiatry and would be curious to know if anyone has any insight into whether scoring very well on the USMLE Step 2 without a Step 1 would make me a more competitive applicant for those residencies as well. Thanks in advance!!

Hi everyone,

I am a 3rd year DO student possibly interested in anesthesia. I did not take the USMLE step 1 last year due to personal issues that were concurrent with my studying time. I am confident I can do well on the USMLE as I have historically been a good test taker and scored a 32 on the MCAT. I think it may be too late in the game to study and take the Step 1 as it is hard juggling rotations and other obligations at the same time. I am seriously contemplating taking the USMLE step 2 in July. Will a stellar Step 2 score make me more competitive for allopathic anesthesia residencies even though I wouldn't have a Step 1? I am also considering IM and Psychiatry and would be curious to know if anyone has any insight into whether scoring very well on the USMLE Step 2 without a Step 1 would make me a more competitive applicant for those residencies as well. Thanks in advance!!

 

[castafari]

I only took step 2 without step one and I can say that I believe it helped me. On a few interviews the interviewers said "good usmle score" and I had the impression they thought it was a step one score. I didn't clarify that I only took step 2 of course

 

[NYUyankeezfan]

DO student here. I scored a 223 on my step 1, 556 on my COMLEX Level 1. I then scored a 240 on USMLE step 2, 655 on COMLEX Level 2. How much will my step/level 2 exams help with interviews?