Huge dilemma...COMLEX 2

[hammertoe]

Alright guys...I need some advice. Somehow I managed to fail Step 2. I took the test when I had the flu and the whole day was a nightmare. I have an average step I score and about 10 anesthesia interviews set up. It is an especially competitive year in anesthesia and I simply can't tell them on the interview that I failed. I already set a date for early Jan. to retake them and I know I will do fine this time. What should I do? I plan to tell my interviewers that I am scheduled to take the exam early January, but I absolutely don't want them to find out I failed before match. What should I do? Will I be able to conceal this long enough to still match without them knowing? This is humiliating for me.

I realize that the program I match into will eventually find out but I want to already be matched when they do. Is this a reality?

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[Peeshee]

Alright guys...I need some advice. Somehow I managed to fail Step 2. I took the test when I had the flu and the whole day was a nightmare. I have an average step I score and about 10 anesthesia interviews set up. It is an especially competitive year in anesthesia and I simply can't tell them on the interview that I failed. I already set a date for early Jan. to retake them and I know I will do fine this time. What should I do? I plan to tell my interviewers that I am scheduled to take the exam early January, but I absolutely don't want them to find out I failed before match. What should I do? Will I be able to conceal this long enough to still match without them knowing? This is humiliating for me.

I realize that the program I match into will eventually find out but I want to already be matched when they do. Is this a reality?

I think if you didnt release your scores automatically on ERAS, then they will not find out until you release them. You could just say that your test date is in January and when you get the scores you will let them know. But, if they specifically ask if you have taken step 2 before, you have to tell the truth.

 

[hammertoe]

I did release my scores, however, they only release them until the point that yuo sublit so you have to go back on ERAS and resubmit if you want a program to get your Step II scores. I know that every program is going to ask me about step II. If I just tell them I'm taking it in Jan and divert the question, I might be okay. The whole situation is bad. If I just come out and tell them, forget it. I don't have a shot in hell to match.

 

[basiligaw]

i failed comlex 2 as well; i have no idea how. anyway i have just planned on saying i did not receive my score yet. but i have heard that interviewers rarely ask about it cz they are not interested in your step 2 score as much as other things about you during the interview.

I did release my scores, however, they only release them until the point that yuo sublit so you have to go back on ERAS and resubmit if you want a program to get your Step II scores. I know that every program is going to ask me about step II. If I just tell them I'm taking it in Jan and divert the question, I might be okay. The whole situation is bad. If I just come out and tell them, forget it. I don't have a shot in hell to match.

 

[livewires]

Glad to here there is someone else in my shoes. I think the importance of step II depends on your specialy. I want to do anesthesia and I know they will ask me about it. I decided to just tell them I'm taking it in January and go from there. Big thing for me is to kick the **** out of the test when I do take in January. Good luck man.

 

[p54]

my situation is worse than yours, i failed step2 ck for the 2nd time. And I was sure I was going to pass, so I set up my eras so that the scores will auto release. I've got a couple interviews, but I think now that the scores are getting released I won't be getting anymore. I'm in deep $hit now

 

[livewires]

p54, don't get freaked out. Your scores only release prior to the time you click the "send" button for the first time on ERAS. After that, you have to go back on and resubmit. If you haven't done this, the programs will not have your 2nd score. I called NBOME about this. They do not autorelease after you have already submitted.

 

[Plinko]

Not that this relates directly to the OP, but how did you guys feel about the test after you walked out? I took the Step 2 two weeks ago and I truly felt that I failed. I did around the average on Step 1 which would make my failing Step 2 a surprise, I would think, but there was just so much peds and OB, my weakest subjects, that I'm quite nervous about my score. Of coures, I won't get my scores for another four weeks, but because I only felt confident with answer choice fifty percent of the time I can't see how I did all that well. I was just trying to get a handle on how others out there felt about the test the day of, and whether or not in comparison I should start studying now for the January test.

 

[Informer]

dood, i too failed step 2 ck and HAVE NO IDEA how I managed to do that (im still pissed)

I am applying for FP thru the military, they will select next freaking week, and I am retaking end of december

i feel for you, we are in the same shoes . . .

 

[hammertoe]

When I came out of the Oct. 3rd exam, I thought it was one of the easiest exams I could have gotten. Lots of ethics, lots of PID, lots of really odd OMT questions. It wasn't until I started to review some of the questions and the answers I had put that I started getting worried. For example there was a case with an infant and the mom wants to know the most common cause of death in children. Since she brought an infant in I went straight for the congenital answer but when I got home I realized that even though she had an infant, she wanted to know about children, in which case injury would be correct. See...really stupid **** like that. I could go on and on about these.

 

[Ahh...The Life]

When I came out of the Oct. 3rd exam, I thought it was one of the easiest exams I could have gotten. Lots of ethics, lots of PID, lots of really odd OMT questions. It wasn't until I started to review some of the questions and the answers I had put that I started getting worried. For example there was a case with an infant and the mom wants to know the most common cause of death in children. Since she brought an infant in I went straight for the congenital answer but when I got home I realized that even though she had an infant, she wanted to know about children, in which case injury would be correct. See...really stupid **** like that. I could go on and on about these.

Dude,

I would say I feel for you if you hadn't been such a jerk to me. Suck it up and practice Family Medicine. Stop you're whining!

 

[Idiopathic]

you're

your

 

[p54]

p54, don't get freaked out. Your scores only release prior to the time you click the "send" button for the first time on ERAS. After that, you have to go back on and resubmit. If you haven't done this, the programs will not have your 2nd score. I called NBOME about this. They do not autorelease after you have already submitted.

i just called the nbme today and they did autorelease my score again, now all the programs i applied to know i failed yet again, no more interview invites for me besides the ones i already have, yes I am pretty much screwed right now.
Just hoping to get a scramble spot now My life is over

 

[Plinko]

i just called the nbme today and they did autorelease my score again, now all the programs i applied to know i failed yet again, no more interview invites for me besides the ones i already have, yes I am pretty much screwed right now.
Just hoping to get a scramble spot now My life is over

Keep your chin up, there is most likely a way through it. I'm surprised your school is not helping you with any of this. They should have set up a month for you to only study, perhaps take a prep course, and then take the thing again. Did you take COMLEX or USMLE? There are definitely different methods to preparing for each, which in my opinion are quite different. If you are taking COMLEX, keep that in mind when you are utilizing all the USMLE prep material.

I feel your pain. I had some crazy stuff happen with my application/USMLE scores. I applied to a handful of ACGME programs, but mostly AOA programs thinking my COMLEX score was good enough to get me where I wanted to go with my career. I didn't take the USMLE too seriously, mostly because I knew after twelve AOA interviews and only five ACGME that I wouldn't be going through the MD match, and would almost certainly match AOA. It sounds stupid, but I pretty much only took the USMLE for practice towards the COMLEX that I was to take a month later (I had never taken a computer based exam) and I thought if I did well that I would then release my scores. I did however think about only listing a few AOA programs should any of the ACGME progams give me very solid feedback that I would definitely match. Low and behold, even after selecting "NO" for the re-transmission of my USMLE scores, which came in a month and a half after I submitted my ERAS app, they transmitted them anyway. I actually got an email from one of the MD programs stating that even though my COMELX score is quite good my USMLE Step 2 score did not meet their minimun 200 cutoff point and they therefore had to cancel my interview. I already had plane tickets bought. I'm waiting to hear back from ERAS but the damage is already done. All five of the ACGME progams have those scores now. Now I have to cancel all my MD interviews. Because of one day of testing that I thought was meaningless I have to eat all the money I spent on travel plans. You just have to roll with it, do your best, and hope for the best. Good luck to ya.