Is Step 2 CK required to match in ophtho or intern year spots?

[digitalsideburn]

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I'm satisfied with my Step 1 score and plan on taking Step 2 CK in late January after the Ophtho match. My advisory dean told me this morning that increasing numbers of residency programs (all fields) are requiring that Step 2 CK be taken prior to ranking applicants. Does anyone know if this is the case for Ophtho or intern year spots? I do know that Step CS is not required prior to ranking applicants in any fields (at least for US grads).

This issue has been touched on in the past (see link) but I wanted to see if things have changed.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=367239&highlight=step+2+timing

Anyone have info about this?

 

[jj326]

I took step II well after I had finished my ophthalmology and TY interviews last winter. It didn't come up once. If there are specific programs you are interested in you could check with them specifically but I think I can say with some certainty that Ophthalmology programs will not hold a lack of step II score against you.
But...as I have learned in the past few days as a doctor for the first time, I am pretty good at being wrong.

 

[MAYOphtho]

I agree with the above for SURE about Ophtho...I interviewed at plenty of awesome programs and NOT ONCE did they ask about my Step 2. I also didnt have a problem with TYs, though my CK came in before the match so they had that information for their usage...in short, NO for Ophtho...maybe for TY since it's regular match

good luck

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Step II is not required but may help if you have a low Step I score.

 

[twintiger32]

none of your ophthalmology interviewers will ask about your step 2 status, but some of your prelim interviewers might. i only had 1 of my prelim interviewers ask, and he didn't even wanna know my score, just if i passed or not. =P

i guess it just depends on how you did on your step 1...

i'd definitely recommend getting it done soon enough that if for some strange reason, you don't pass, you still have time to remediate it during medical school and not during internship.

 

[doc-to-be]

Hi Dr. Doan,
What is the approximate "low Step 1 score" cut-off where you would advise applicants to take Step 2 before the match?
Thanks!

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

Hi Dr. Doan,
What is the approximate "low Step 1 score" cut-off where you would advise applicants to take Step 2 before the match?
Thanks!

I'm not Dr. Doan but my answer is anything less than 230 (or maybe upper 220's if you want to stretch it a bit).

Clearly, you want to take Step 2 after a solid effort. An even lower score on Step 2 will be very hard to explain!