ERAS and Step 2

[chessknt]

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Since we are scheduling 4th year stuff now I have a question about ERAS submission. Is there a moratorium on the first day you can submit and finalize your ERAS data (and thus, presumably, lock your USMLE transcript to include only Step 1)?

My school forces us to take step 2 CK in August and I want to be able to screen my score so if something crazy happens it doesn't ruin my application cycle. So if I am forced to take the test >3w before the schools can DL ERAS, is there something I can do to prevent the score from automatically being transmitted?

Thanks!

 

[Dirt]

First of all you have to select whether or not you want your USMLE transcript to auto-update. In this case you do not, so select no for that option.

Once you do that, you can request your USMLE transcript before your step 2 score is on there.

Then, whenever you want later in the season, you can update it with the rest of the scores that have since come in.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Actually, this is likely to be incorrect due to changes next year. If you take CK in August, the results will usually be available 3 weeks later. Even if you take it the last week of August, your scores should be available by the end of September.

Application season next year starts on October 1 (a change, you can thank your med school deans for that). When you actually apply to programs, that's when the USMLE transcript request is generated. So, it's very likely that your CK score will be there.

If you are really worried about this, you should take CK as late as possible, but even if you take it in very late August, chances are the score will be reported by Oct 1.

 

[turkeyjerky]

Actually, this is likely to be incorrect due to changes next year. If you take CK in August, the results will usually be available 3 weeks later. Even if you take it the last week of August, your scores should be available by the end of September.

Application season next year starts on October 1 (a change, you can thank your med school deans for that). When you actually apply to programs, that's when the USMLE transcript request is generated. So, it's very likely that your CK score will be there.

If you are really worried about this, you should take CK as late as possible, but even if you take it in very late August, chances are the score will be reported by Oct 1.

So, to clarify, next year step 2 results will automatically be made available to programs?

 

[LMarie_MD2b]

So, to clarify, next year step 2 results will automatically be made available to programs?

Not for everyone, but potentially for the OP.

Because ERAS is opening two weeks later than it has in the past, the OP's CK results *could* be included in the initial USMLE transcript submitted to programs. The USMLE transcript releases all available scores--because the score release for CK is ~3 weeks after test day, test results from August could be included with Step 1 in the initial transmission at the end of September. (It can take a few days to a week to get the transcript sent to programs, especially at the beginning of application season.)

Anyone taking CK and/or CS later in the year will continue to have the Manual vs. Automatic score release option in ERAS.

 

[chessknt]

So there is no way to complete ERAS and/or upload USMLE transcripts before step 2 CK is available, even if this is long before Oct 1?

I also read somewhere Sep 15 is the 1st day schools can DL your application, is it actually Oct 1?

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Totally my bad here, wrong dates above. Let's start over.

ERAS opens for application downloading on Sept 15.

MSPE's are released on Oct 1.

Therefore, my answer to the original question was incorrect. If the OP takes Step 2CK at the end of august, it's likely that their score won't be reported by Sept 15th. Hence, it might be possible to take CK at the end of august and have your transcript uploaded by programs prior to CK score being available.

 

[gutonc]

So there is no way to complete ERAS and/or upload USMLE transcripts before step 2 CK is available, even if this is long before Oct 1?

I also read somewhere Sep 15 is the 1st day schools can DL your application, is it actually Oct 1?

See aPDs update to his statement above...you're correct about the dates.

As to USMLE uploading, there's no real way to control when they get released. You can complete ERAS and release your USMLE scores before 9/15 but they won't actually get transferred to ERAS until ERAS actually requests them which won't be until 9/15 at the earliest. IIRC, it usually takes a day or 3 between the time you release scores until they're actually uploaded.