Just failed Step 2CK - Chance to match in Pediatrics?

[Trias]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hey all, here is some info about me:

4th year US Medical school in the midwest.
Step 1: 210 on the first and only try
Step 2 CK (September 25): 181.
Step 2 CK score was automatically sent to all programs per my ERAS application
Applied to about 50 programs - good mix of safety schools, middle-of-the-road, and a few stretch schools thrown in there.


I've already gotten 5 pediatric interviews (mostly at safety schools in the midwest), but haven't gotten one since the failed score was released on September 25. The questions I have are:

1) Do I stand a chance of getting any more interviews in pediatric residency programs?

2) For the interviews I have already been offered- should I quickly try to retake the exam sometime in October so that on my interviews (4/5 of which are scheduled for the first 2 weeks of November) I can say I retook the exam (or perhaps even got my 2nd score back - see question 3).

3) What are the release dates for the USMLE Step 2CK? I called up someone in NBME test registration who explained that regardless of when my exam was taken, I should add 4 weeks to the date, then round to the nearest Wednesday as an approximation for my release day. On the other hand, I've heard about a score release date in early October for people who took their exam in mid-late September - so I'm wondering who is right.

4) Would I be better off to take a gap year, study really well for Step 2 CK, perhaps do some more research and reapply for the match next year? Or should I quickly try to study now, hope I get a passing score so I have something positive to respond with when I'm questioned about my failing grade in Step 2CK?

It's been a rough few days for me, though I'm not looking for coddling- just blunt and sound advice. Thank you!

 

[eastcoastdr]

First of all, sorry to hear about your failure.

Second... Can you REALLY bump up your score 22 points to reach the minimum passing in a "couple of weeks"? It's already the end of September, when in October do you plan on re-taking it? If you want your scores back by early November, then you should theoretically be taking Step 2 in early October... Not to sound harsh but you didn't even come close to passing CK, so you clearly have some solid hours of studying to put in. I'm assuming you are in clinical rotations now, yes? Do you even HAVE the time to adequately re-study for CK? I wouldn't chance another failure or subpar score, especially since your step 1 is on the low end. I think you should take a year off and study really hard for CK so you can show some REAL improvement. National average on CK is 238, so you have a lot of room for improvement.

Then again, I am a Carib IMG so I'm not so sure how CK requirements work for US allopathic. For us, we pretty much need passing scores on CK to get interviews (unless we REALLY blew step 1 out of the water). Do residency programs let CK failures slide under the rug for US allopaths as long as you pass it at SOME point before you graduate med school?

 

[Trias]

I was thinking about taking it mid-late October, depending on when the score release date(s) for October is. I don't know if I have it in me to pass it by that time (I will be doing a somewhat busy rotation in October). I just want to have some saving grace for my interviews, though in the ultimate risk-benefit analysis - I'm unsure if it would be better to take a gap year and study really well, or try to 'quickly' pass it sometime in October.

The third option: take my time studying now, and take the exam in November/December after most interviews have already been offered.. though that would speak to a slim chance of me matching this year.

Do residency programs let CK failures slide under the rug for US allopaths as long as you pass it at SOME point before you graduate med school?

That's a good question, and one I'd like to know the answer to as well.

 

[pattr]

What is your goal: to simply match or to match at a certain type of program (university affiliated, well-known, etc.)? If you want to match really well in peds then you might consider taking the year. If you just want to match, and you're not extremely interested in a super-competitive program or fellowship after residency... I think you'll still match.

 

[Esprit00]

I'm really sorry to hear about your score.

Out of curiosity, what were your NBME scores and UWSA scores prior to taking the exam?

 

[jackson1]

Hey all, here is some info about me:

4th year US Medical school in the midwest.
Step 1: 210 on the first and only try
Step 2 CK (September 25): 181.
Step 2 CK score was automatically sent to all programs per my ERAS application
Applied to about 50 programs - good mix of safety schools, middle-of-the-road, and a few stretch schools thrown in there.


I've already gotten 5 pediatric interviews (mostly at safety schools in the midwest), but haven't gotten one since the failed score was released on September 25. The questions I have are:

1) Do I stand a chance of getting any more interviews in pediatric residency programs?

2) For the interviews I have already been offered- should I quickly try to retake the exam sometime in October so that on my interviews (4/5 of which are scheduled for the first 2 weeks of November) I can say I retook the exam (or perhaps even got my 2nd score back - see question 3).

3) What are the release dates for the USMLE Step 2CK? I called up someone in NBME test registration who explained that regardless of when my exam was taken, I should add 4 weeks to the date, then round to the nearest Wednesday as an approximation for my release day. On the other hand, I've heard about a score release date in early October for people who took their exam in mid-late September - so I'm wondering who is right.

4) Would I be better off to take a gap year, study really well for Step 2 CK, perhaps do some more research and reapply for the match next year? Or should I quickly try to study now, hope I get a passing score so I have something positive to respond with when I'm questioned about my failing grade in Step 2CK?

It's been a rough few days for me, though I'm not looking for coddling- just blunt and sound advice. Thank you!

Are you sure your scores automatically released? There's no option to do that this year, so you'd have to go and hit the retransmit button yourself. Schools may still ask about it at interviews, but you shouldn't have to release the transcript until you get your retake score back.

As far as taking it again, would your school be flexible about taking the next month to study again? I would think they'd want to help you and might be able to move your schedule around. Then you could study full time for 4-5 weeks, take it at the end of October, and hopefully have a passing score back mid-late November. Other than specific times of the year where they're looking at their question bank (August-September), your score should come back within 3-4 weeks.

 

[eastcoastdr]

I don't know if I have it in me to pass it by that time (I will be doing a somewhat busy rotation in October). I just want to have some saving grace for my interviews, though in the ultimate risk-benefit analysis - I'm unsure if it would be better to take a gap year and study really well, or try to 'quickly' pass it sometime in October.

From my experience with Step 2 this is not an exam that you "quickly pass". And judging by the 2013 Step 2 CK Results thread, many others would agree with me too on this. You had trouble with it once, and my guess is, you will have trouble with it a second time unless you really sit down, figure out what went wrong last time, and dedicate yourself to studying. You keep saying "quickly pass" this exam in a couple weeks, it just doesn't sound like you are serious about attempting it again :/ And you said it yourself, you don't know if you have it in you.

I think you should take a little time off, re-study and see if you can still get some late interviews. If not, reapply for next year. I honestly think you will be fine as a US allopath. You may not get Hopkins peds, but I'm sure there are smaller/lesser known programs who would be more understanding to your exam failure.

 

[Trias]

Are you sure your scores automatically released? There's no option to do that this year, so you'd have to go and hit the retransmit button yourself. Schools may still ask about it at interviews, but you shouldn't have to release the transcript until you get your retake score back.

As far as taking it again, would your school be flexible about taking the next month to study again? I would think they'd want to help you and might be able to move your schedule around. Then you could study full time for 4-5 weeks, take it at the end of October, and hopefully have a passing score back mid-late November. Other than specific times of the year where they're looking at their question bank (August-September), your score should come back within 3-4 weeks.

I think I hit "Re transmit" on September 25, a few moments after I got my failing grade back, though according to ADTS, my USMLE transcript was last updated on September 15- the day I submitted my application. This is reassuring but is there a chance that hitting the Retransmit button doesn't update under ADTS? I'm not willing to find out in the case that my Step 2CK score hasn't yet been transmitted. Could someone here (who hasn't failed Step 2CK) check this for me? Hit Retransmit and let me know if the USMLE transcript updates under ADTS or if it stays at its previous time.

 

[Trias]

What is your goal: to simply match or to match at a certain type of program (university affiliated, well-known, etc.)? If you want to match really well in peds then you might consider taking the year. If you just want to match, and you're not extremely interested in a super-competitive program or fellowship after residency... I think you'll still match.

I've thought about this question for a few days now, and I think I want to just match.

 

[Textbookversion]

I've thought about this question for a few days now, and I think I want to just match.

The only thing worse than failing step 2 once, is failing it twice. Don't retake it until you are ready to kill it. Trying to rush into retaking it seems pretty unwise.