DO applicant in rads: take step 2?

[Yeetyeet]

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As 3rd year winds down I'm trying to plan out my 4th year and when to take boards. I've taken step 1 and scored in the mid 250s. Comlex level 1 went just as well percentile-wise. Do I need to take step 2 in order to get interviews at mid-upper tier rads programs? I've heard mixed reviews talking to classmates. It would be nice to save a little cash, but also not stress out taking two big exams within days of each other. Also, would hate to do poorly and have it affect me negatively. Do programs want a single comparison to MD applicants (i.e taking one of the steps), or is it expected you take both exams as comparators per se? Thanks!

 

[TCOM12]

Take both, Do well on Step II. COMLEX is still hard to interpret from the allopathic point of view (even the DO friendly ones), but if you do well on both USMLE steps then it'll show consistency.

There are a few programs that prefer both USMLE steps to be taken by allopathic applicants.

Basically, if you're a DO, don't do anything that would exclude you from an interview. You may save yourself a ton of money not taking the exam by just not getting the interview offers.

Good luck