Is Step 3 important?

[go1981]

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Besides it being the final part of the USMLE series, what is the purpose of Step 3? Do you need to do well on it to get a good fellowship or do they even look at your Step 3 scores? And if not, what is the motivation to do well on this exam? I'm assuming you get a score for this exam just like the other Steps.

 

[Matt Laneland]

Step III if not important if you are just going to do residency and start to work...BUT if you seeking even a slightly competitive fellowship....you had better rock step 3!

 

[boston]

Step III if not important if you are just going to do residency and start to work...BUT if you seeking even a slightly competitive fellowship....you had better rock step 3!

Just curious, what is your basis for saying step III is important for even slightly competitive fellowships? How much does it weigh compared to clinical evals, letters, or research?

 

[YEAH]

Please help out with some advice:
How long and what to study for Step 3? Your results would be appreciated as well. Thank you!

 

[kittykat]

Ask
1. The residents who lose their spots how important step 3 is...there have been a few on this site, most recent one I've seen is the thread in the Anesthesia forum titled "Switching over from the dark side".
2. The FMG who has practiced/published in their country for several years, but can't get an interview because of the settings on a program's computer filter.

As far as fellowships, step 3 is one more thing to categorize applicants for highly competitive spots like GU, Derm. Competitive meaning-few spots with many applicants. Unless you have a foot/friend in the program it can be hard for you to be seen and considered amongst the mulititude of other equally or even more qualified applicants.

 

[Blade28]

As far as fellowships, step 3 is one more thing to categorize applicants for highly competitive spots like GU, Derm.

But GU and Derm are residencies, not fellowships. 😕

Most people don't take Step 3 before residency starts.

 

[njbmd]

Hi there,
Step III is important in the sense that if you do not PASS Step III, you won't get a license to practice independently in this country. Some residency programs in some states require Step III (just pass) to go into the ranks of senior-level resident or fellow. All you need is a PASS; the score is meaningless.

Some states require that you take and pass Step III within seven years of taking Step I or you have to start over again.

For fellowships, you need to ace your in-training exams not Step III.

njbmd 🙂

 

[kittykat]

But GU and Derm are residencies, not fellowships. 😕

Most people don't take Step 3 before residency starts.

1. GU and Derm are fellowships in Pathology ...I should have elaborated for you.

2. FMG's can take step 3 as long as they have an "ECFMG Certificate", which requires a med school diploma, steps 1, 2 CS and CK. They do not need to have started residency first. In the past programs have offered FMGs prematch offers especially if they have their step 3 out of the way.

 

[Bevo]

we get prematch offers even without a step 3 taken.

rarely without step 2 taken but thats usually in situations where we've rotated at the site and they know us well.

 

[boston]

Hi there,
Step III is important in the sense that if you do not PASS Step III, you won't get a license to practice independently in this country. Some residency programs in some states require Step III (just pass) to go into the ranks of senior-level resident or fellow. All you need is a PASS; the score is meaningless.

Some states require that you take and pass Step III within seven years of taking Step I or you have to start over again.

For fellowships, you need to ace your in-training exams not Step III.

njbmd 🙂

That's what I thought. Passing is important, but not the actual score for many fellowships -- at least that's what I understand for surgical fellowships. Just goes to show that, like evaluating evidence-based medicine, you have to be careful applying generalizations -- the plural of anecdote is not data.

 

[kittykat]

I don't know much about the surgery fellowships, but according to NMRP you are correct in that there are numerous vacancies across the field, which may indicate enough availability to go around; very few went 100% filled.

On the flip side, I had a friend apply to Pediatric Sx and one to Plastics, both went unmatched. After calling one of the pediatric sx programs my friend was told that they did have score cutoffs and did not entertain every application (Ped sx filled 100% with 48% of applicants unmatched). Talking to my friends I just assumed Surgery was just like Path (cutoff scores for residency at competitive programs and then for some fellowships numerous applicants applying two years in advance for very few spots), but just as BOSTON stated you can't generalize every area of medicine and you would probably be better served asking people who are currently applying (either at your hospital or in that fields' respective forum).

And as far as step 3 and your license, just as I stated in the Anesthesia thread please read your resident's manual. If you affix your signature to a contract stating you must take your step 3 by a certain timeframe and you don't or worse like the previous poster you "fail it", don't be incensed when you are not picked up for the remainder of your residency.

 

[georgia9999]

bump

 

[driedcaribou]

Some states require that you take and pass Step III within seven years of taking Step I or you have to start over again.

So once you write Step III and pass, do you ever have to write the USMLEs ever again? i.e. are your scores valid for life? Or must you do a year of training in the US?