Does anyone have input on the importance placed on Step II scores for DOs interested in allopathic radiology match who already have 245-250/99 on Step I??
Any benefit to taking Step II early for DOs with 245+ on Step I?
- Thread starter dbcuse23
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I have some info based on 2 of the graduating 4th years from my DO school who matched MD rads. Most of this is speculation, so take it for what it's worth.
One guy (profile on matchapplicants) took only step 1, applied to 63 programs and got 12 interviews. As you can see from his profile, he rocked step 1. While he thinks he would've gotten more interviews if he had step 2, he did say he applied to more "selective programs" (his words).
A female only applied to 15 programs and got 5 interviews. I don't know her scores, but she did take step 2. I didn't think to ask whether or not she thought taking step 2 got her a better apply:interview ratio though. She was also doing a couples match, so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it either.
Like I said, both matched, but one had a better apply:interview ratio with step 2 than the other. There are tons of other confounding variables and unknowns, so take what you will from this.
One guy (profile on matchapplicants) took only step 1, applied to 63 programs and got 12 interviews. As you can see from his profile, he rocked step 1. While he thinks he would've gotten more interviews if he had step 2, he did say he applied to more "selective programs" (his words).
A female only applied to 15 programs and got 5 interviews. I don't know her scores, but she did take step 2. I didn't think to ask whether or not she thought taking step 2 got her a better apply:interview ratio though. She was also doing a couples match, so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it either.
Like I said, both matched, but one had a better apply:interview ratio with step 2 than the other. There are tons of other confounding variables and unknowns, so take what you will from this.
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With a score like that I wouldn't bother with USMLE Step II and I would take COMLEX Step II late enough that it didn't make a dfference for the match. I matched a few years ago and didn't have a Step II score. It almost never came up. More recent talk of increased Step II importance seems to be overblown to me.
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I took USMLE step II early and had it on my application. I got numerous comments/congratulations on taking the "both MD Boards" and doing quite well. In fact that's the only thing most interviewers commented on... not my LORs, not my grades, not my class rank. Just taking step I only gives them one data point to compare you to the hundreds of applicants from MD schools.
I don't know if it helped me match or not so take it for what it's worth.
Oh, and COMLEX II definitely doesn't matter. I didn't take that until late Feb.
I don't know if it helped me match or not so take it for what it's worth.
Oh, and COMLEX II definitely doesn't matter. I didn't take that until late Feb.
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Do any of you guys feel that you encountered significant bias when applying to ACGME programs as DO's? Did certain regions particularly favor you, or were the interviews scattered all over?
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I would surely recommend step II for allo radiology. I can tell you a good deal of people I know both allo med and osteo med did fairly better than people who had similar step I scores without step IIs. It seems to me, one persons opinions, that Step II is becoming a more looked at score due to the volume of applications these programs are screening.
Just my two cents.
Just my two cents.
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This is a common question--one of the most commonly asked via our consult service for radiology residency applications.
Our advice has been always that if step I is better than Step II, do NOT take step II unless you feel you will do better or at least the same. We are not worried since you are already likely a superstar med student if you did well for Step I. Reason is that most PDs can only speculate you will do likely as well for step II. Also if you were to compare a med student who got let's say 250 on Step I with another med student who did well for Step I and II at 250--there is no significant difference.
However if you beat your step I.. i.e. someone who got 250 on I and then got a 260 on II -- wow, that stands out.
So in summary, a high step I is great already. Congrats and kudos! You can check this off the box in my eyes.
Our advice has been always that if step I is better than Step II, do NOT take step II unless you feel you will do better or at least the same. We are not worried since you are already likely a superstar med student if you did well for Step I. Reason is that most PDs can only speculate you will do likely as well for step II. Also if you were to compare a med student who got let's say 250 on Step I with another med student who did well for Step I and II at 250--there is no significant difference.
However if you beat your step I.. i.e. someone who got 250 on I and then got a 260 on II -- wow, that stands out.
So in summary, a high step I is great already. Congrats and kudos! You can check this off the box in my eyes.
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Schan... you have more experience than I in this area and what you said makes a lot of sense. However I'm not sure the OP's questions was answered as it pertains specifically to osteopathic applicants taking the USMLE. Is a DO's application strengthened with both steps or does it not matter?
I mentioned before about number of data points. Most PDs know nothing of our curriculum, our grading systems, our clinical rotation sites and those parts of our application are extremely hard to compare to an MD applicant. Having taken both tests can give them one more data point in which they can directly compare us to the other applicants and that can only help.
Thanks for any additional input you have.
I mentioned before about number of data points. Most PDs know nothing of our curriculum, our grading systems, our clinical rotation sites and those parts of our application are extremely hard to compare to an MD applicant. Having taken both tests can give them one more data point in which they can directly compare us to the other applicants and that can only help.
Thanks for any additional input you have.
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Had similar score on Step I, and did not take Step II. Got 17 interviews and went on 10 and matched highly. You will be fine. Although, I suppose the game changes if you want to apply and attend on the coasts. My experience is only in the midwest.
