any DO students take USMLE during 3rd year?

[Sthpawslugger]

I'm at an osteopathic school and planning to take my COMLEX by the end of June before having to relocate for rotations. Several of my classmates are determined to take USMLE within a week or so after COMLEX. I personally don't see the rush to do so since we can take USMLE Step 1 anytime during 3rd year(I'm contemplating waiting until the fall). With that said, have any of you fellow osteopathic students waited until 3rd year to take USMLE Step 1? Did doing so make a difference? I suppose this question can also go out to any allopathic students who may be allowed to take Step 1 during 3rd year. Per Dr. Webb's vids, he mentioned Baylor as allowing students to take Step 1 after 3rd year, but that's the only school I'm aware of that does so.

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[IsWhat]

I’ll be taking step 1 in June of my third year. There are a handful of MD schools who started doing step 1 after third year and scores went up pretty dramatically. I think FAU saw a 15 point average increase in score the first year they implemented it. If your school gives enough flex time to study for step 1 and 2 during third year I’m not sure there is really a downside to it. Honestly, after taking a bunch of shelf exams I’m starting to realize why those schools have seen such an increase in scores. You become much more familiar with how pathology presents and it subsequently makes answering basic science questions about said pathology quite a bit easier, IMO.

 

[Black Coffee 24/7]

I'm at an osteopathic school and planning to take my COMLEX by the end of June before having to relocate for rotations. Several of my classmates are determined to take USMLE within a week or so after COMLEX. I personally don't see the rush to do so since we can take USMLE Step 1 anytime during 3rd year(I'm contemplating waiting until the fall). With that said, have any of you fellow osteopathic students waited until 3rd year to take USMLE Step 1? Did doing so make a difference? I suppose this question can also go out to any allopathic students who may be allowed to take Step 1 during 3rd year. Per Dr. Webb's vids, he mentioned Baylor as allowing students to take Step 1 after 3rd year, but that's the only school I'm aware of that does so.

If you consistently score above average on your COMATs, your Step 1 score taken in June of 3rd year will be at least 15-20 pts higher than your previous Step 1 baseline after Year 2. Thinking back, some of the questions on Step 1 look like jokes now with my current clinical knowledge.

The change in Step 1 is now more geared toward diagnosis identification and clinical management with some basis science concepts behind each step. From my personal experience after taking Step 1, you can easily guess 90% right on Step 1 questions if you know the diagnosis given in the vignette. You should easily get about 90-95% of the diagnosis tested in Step 1 if you worked hard throughout your 3rd year.

 

[deleted645092]

I haven't read anything about the data about taking it at the end of 2nd vs. 3rd year. Just make sure that you can find a way to fit it into your schedule. You'll already have to schedule Step 2 as well as both parts of Level 2 sometime between 3rd and 4th years. My school also makes us come back for a multi-day board prep session so if yours does anything like that you may have to take it into account.

 

[LAurawalters1227]

I’ll be taking step 1 in June of my third year. There are a handful of MD schools who started doing step 1 after third year and scores went up pretty dramatically. I think FAU saw a 15 point average increase in score the first year they implemented it. If your school gives enough flex time to study for step 1 and 2 during third year I’m not sure there is really a downside to it. Honestly, after taking a bunch of shelf exams I’m starting to realize why those schools have seen such an increase in scores. You become much more familiar with how pathology presents and it subsequently makes answering basic science questions about said pathology quite a bit easier, IMO.

I was planning on doing the same thing. If you are going to take Step 1 in June after your third year... when will you take step 2? Thanks!

 

[eagle311]

I am a DO student also taking step 1 third year, in September!

 

[phagocytosis41]

Me, probably in my vacation rotation next May.. so plenty of time to study . Or maybe this December since its an elective week and I can make it a 'study month.'