Do I need to take USMLE for psych as a DO student?

[snailmail7]

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I'm about to be a 2nd year DO student, interested in applying psych. I would like to stay in the state of VA (ideally VCU or northern VA for psych programs). is it recommended that i take USMLE? dont wanna take 2 board exams if i dont have to <3

 

[elitetexan]

Rising 3rd year DO student here who took both Step and COMLEX. Our faculty basically told us that if you want to give yourself the best chance of matching at larger academic centers or some of the more well-known residency programs, having a Step score helps keep you from getting screened out before anyone even looks at your application. That definitely isn't true for every residency or every specialty, but if you want to keep as many doors open as possible, it's worth taking Step. At the end of the day, it just gives you more options when application season comes around.

 

[DrFutureDO]

I would say no for step 1 and probably yes for step 2