You have asked this in several locations about different specialties. The answer is going to be the same, step 2 is going to be hugely important. I will point out that based on your posting history and timeline that it seems inconsistent that you would have already taken and passed step 1, but maybe you’re hoping for the best.
You probably need to stop worrying about research and just focus on passing your classes. Most of the time students aren’t allowed to participate in research while on academic LOA