An Issue of Timing

[valtrex]

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So here's a question.......Did anyone not take the USMLE Step 1 after 2nd year, and waited(or procrastinated) to take it in the summer after 3rd year?

If so, any knowledge or thoughts on if residencies look at when it was taken or does it just matter ultimately what your score is.

Any info would be much appreciated

 

[marchiafava]

Here me clearly, grave mistake to take step 1 after your third year. You will never know more step 1 info than right before third year SRARTS.! PERIOD. By the way, you don't have to take step 2 after step 1, so if I were you I would just take step 2 instead(that is I'm assuming you are an osteopathic student because no allopathic student in their right mind would take step 1 this late in the game. Heed my warning if you are a D.O. student, just take step 2. If you are an allopathic student, you made a bad decision..... PERIOD!

 

[aliraja]

🙂 While it's definitely advisable to take Step I right after your second year, don't worry if you've already commited yourself to taking it after third year. There are a hundred people every year at my (arguably allopathic) med school who take Step I after their first clinical year, a whole year after their last brush with basic sciences, and do just fine on it. We like to argue that the clinical exposure just gets you more ready for the extremely clinically-oriented basic science questions that they pepper Step I with.

Again, take it after your second year... but don't fret if you have already arranged not to - you'll do fine.