CK delayed probably til November... whether to still go for it

[Dark Roast]

Morning everyone, cross-posting this from the Pathology board just to try to get some more thoughts on the following:

First off, US citizen IMG via a European school, all US clinical rotations (all but two in NYC), Step 1 at 205, CS passed as of last March, graduating in April, applying for Path.

Basically, I'm being held up by the Step 2 comp because of timing because of when it's offered by my school, and because of a previous failed attempt pushing everything back. Tentatively it looks like the earliest I could retake (and then schedule CK immediately after) would be end of Octoberish which would get me my grades probably late November.

I know I'm a mediocre test taker, but I've been trying to compensate as much as I can via the extracurriculars. I have 4 (possibly 5 by application time) accepted research posters, 1 journal article submitted, a boatload of other volunteer work, AMSA work, and misc. other organizational work. I've got strong letters, 3/4 from chairs, 2 from path chairs, one of whom has talked about setting me up with his former program director at the CAP meeting. Have a strong background in path exposure growing up because of family and been using that as the main basis of my personal statement so far. Currently doing a sub-I at one of my top choice programs this month and loving it, getting good responses from the residents and faculty so far.

So essentially my question is this: knowing I won't be able to get CK scores until well into the interview season, do I still go ahead and apply on opening day seeing as my ERAS is pretty much already done? I've got 90 path programs (filtered via Match-A-Resident) and I don't particularly want to apply outside of path. Between the sub-I and my various networking connections I'd like to think I have enough leads on that front. At this point, I feel like sitting out a year would be more harmful than just shooting the works and seeing what happens, but that's been the point I've been trying to figure out. I feel like other than the obvious cost of applying there's really no reason to not apply, as I can't imagine applying again after not matching would be any worse than explaining why you sat out a year, but again, I'm not sure.

Thanks for any help you can give.

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[mvenus929]

I'm confused. You talk about passing CS, but then say you had a previous failure and have to take it again (followed by CK) in October? And the computer exams are available most all of the year, except first two weeks in January.

 

[Dark Roast]

I'm confused. You talk about passing CS, but then say you had a previous failure and have to take it again (followed by CS) in October? And the computer exams are available most all of the year, except first two weeks in January.

My school does not require CS before CK, so I took and passed CS back in March to get it out of the way. It requires the NBME Comp exams to let us sit for CK, but only offers it a few times a year. The NBME Comp is what was flunked, and what is making me have to wait to sit for CK as my school will not let me take the Comp any earlier.

 

[ddjamb]

Nothing prevents you from applying starting tomorrow and then release your CK result when you receive it. You will have to check which "Path" programs require both STEP 1 and STEP 2 CK for interview. Like you said, the only thing you will loose is (eventually) money.

Good luck