Is not taking STEP 1 right after 2nd year seen as a Red Flag?

[Monkeymaniac]

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I've just finished my first year and I am planning to take a year off between my second and third year to do reasearch.

If I don't take the STEP 1 right after my second year and instead take it after my research year before I start my third year, would it be seen by program direcrtors as a red flag?
Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[K31]

No

 

[NeuroLAX]

Good to know. Thanks.

 

[Viola05]

Some schools already have their students take Step 1 3rd year after clinicals, so I don't think it matters when you take it before 4th year.

 

[Monkeymaniac]

Some schools already have their students take Step 1 3rd year after clinicals, so I don't think it matters when you take it before 4th year.

I didn't know about this. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[Cali2]

No red flag...but you should still take it before you take a year away from medicine. You're just going to forget things you've already learned over the course of the year.

 

[FutureInternist]

No red flag...but you should still take it before you take a year away from medicine. You're just going to forget things you've already learned over the course of the year.

👍

 

[MSTPlease]

No red flag...but you should still take it before you take a year away from medicine. You're just going to forget things you've already learned over the course of the year.

👍

Yes, I know I am just repeating the above but it's that important a point to make.

 

[tiedyeddog]

No red flag...but you should still take it before you take a year away from medicine. You're just going to forget things you've already learned over the course of the year.

totally agreed. You're disadvantaging yourself if you do it after such a long break. Since you're taking the full year off, why does it matter if you do it at the start or the end?

I am planning on taking a year off between m3 and m4. I will take step 2 before I go into my research year, just so everything stays fresh. Build on what you have already built up. You'll lose a TON in a year.

 

[evilbooyaa]

totally agreed. You're disadvantaging yourself if you do it after such a long break. Since you're taking the full year off, why does it matter if you do it at the start or the end?

I am planning on taking a year off between m3 and m4. I will take step 2 before I go into my research year, just so everything stays fresh. Build on what you have already built up. You'll lose a TON in a year.

Doing the same thing as tiedye. Take Step 1 before your research year off, otherwise you will have to study twice as hard to remember the same things you have fresh in your mind after finishing MS2.

 

[mvenus929]

No red flag...but you should still take it before you take a year away from medicine. You're just going to forget things you've already learned over the course of the year.

I want to reiterate this point. Even our MD/PhD students take Step 1 before they go into their research years. They have a little more flexibility with the scheduling, because they don't have to have taken it by a certain date in order to start clerkships like the rest of us, but I've only heard of someone delaying taking it by another month because they weren't prepared enough.