Leave of Absence for Step 1 prep?

[yohimbine1]

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I'm not sure if I will be ready to take Step 1 at the end of May. Do people ever take LOAs to prep? Seeing as it's so important I don't know if I want to take a chance. I can probably pass but not with a score I will be comfortable with. I don't think I see myself being able to adequately prep and feel good about taking it given the time that is remaining. I don't necessarily need a 260 but I feel like I might be lucky to pull off a 220 at this rate. It's imperative that I at least be able to match into Path. I would like the option of being able to match in Rads. Candidly I would rather not do residency than do primary care--it's just not for me.

Just wondering if anyone does Step 1 LOAs.

 

[mtDNA]

I know a guy who took a year off after 2nd year to do some work overseas. He spent the a couple of months studying for step 1 before he left for that. Don't know what score he got, but he told me that he is planning on going into internal medicine, so he is in a different situation than you. I think that the average step 1 score is pretty low for path...as for rads, I don't know what to tell you. I think if you take a leave of absence for step 1, you better find something else to do for the rest of the year after taking the step. Something else that will be productive for your resume. I am thinking if you take a leave of absence and all you do is study for step 1, that is going to look pretty bad when you apply to residency...that is just my guess though.

 

[dadr]

I really would not worry about it too much if you have been doing fairly well in your preclinical courses. Did your school give the standardized basic science assessment exam (it's been too long to remember exactly what is was called)? That can give you a fair idea of how well prepared you are for Step 1.

I didn't feel comfortable taking Step 1 in May, either, but I had a lot of flexibility in my rotation scheduling and I was able to have the first clinical rotation period free to study. You may be able to do this instead of taking a formal leave of absence, which could potentially be a red flag.

 

[soeagerun2or]

My suspicion is most schools would not allow this. Step I is scheduled when it is without retakes to make it rather uniform and to prevent exactly what you're asking for, an advantage to ensure a higher score in hopes it will improve match likelihood.

Man up and study hard. Not achieving on Step I is not the end of the world, but it is bad news.

 

[yohimbine1]

You may be able to do this instead of taking a formal leave of absence, which could potentially be a red flag.

That may be true, but a lackluster Step 1 score would be more of a red flag I suspect..

Schools not allowing it? I don't see why not--it's better than someone bringing down their averages. It's to their advantage any way I look at it.

I know there is the man up and study hard option...and in all likelihood I will end up doing this. But I won't get the score I want. And I'd rather pursue the LOA option if it can be worked out. Not achieving on it would be very bad news--people who do poorly on it try and try to get good residencies and often take LOAs for research or such things, but at that point it doesn't work out. The low score screws them.

 

[smq123]

That may be true, but a lackluster Step 1 score would be more of a red flag I suspect..

No. You kind of suspect wrong.

You really should be able to account for EVERY period of time on your residency application - including all LOAs. If you can't, I have heard (from my dean) that some residency programs that will actually call your school and hound them for information. The take home message was basically account for every month of your med school career.

Schools not allowing it? I don't see why not--it's better than someone bringing down their averages. It's to their advantage any way I look at it.

Some schools require that you take Step 1 before starting rotations. Mine did - I was, in fact, required to hand in a copy of the officially stamped "testing center admission ticket" before 3rd year orientation.

So check with your school.

I know there is the man up and study hard option...and in all likelihood I will end up doing this. But I won't get the score I want. And I'd rather pursue the LOA option if it can be worked out. Not achieving on it would be very bad news--people who do poorly on it try and try to get good residencies and often take LOAs for research or such things, but at that point it doesn't work out. The low score screws them.

Geez, Eeyore is more optimistic than you are.

yohimbine - you will find that your score will eventually plateau. An extra couple of months may boost your score 5-10 points, but it will not be a drastic enough increase to explain away your LOA.

(And what if you take the LOA...and STILL get a lackluster score! That'd REALLY suck!)

I delayed my test by a week, because I didn't "feel ready." During that week, I still reviewed a lot - but my Qbank scores didn't budge. I could have taken the test a week earlier and gotten the same score, probably. Maybe even a better score, because then I would have been better rested and less burned out. By the time I took the test, I was sick and tired of First Aid, and just wanted to be done and on vacation.

NOBODY feels "ready" to take Step 1. But most people do fine on it.

(P.S. The mods tend to frown on people double posting the same question in two different forums....)

 

[SoCuteMD]

I think that the average step 1 score is pretty low for path...as for rads, I don't know what to tell you.

The average step 1 score for path was 223 last year...not exactly low. It was 235 for rads. These are the average scores for US grads.

Link: http://www.aamc.org/programs/cim/chartingoutcomes.pdf

 

[yohimbine1]

Some schools require that you take Step 1 before starting rotations. Mine did - I was, in fact, required to hand in a copy of the officially stamped "testing center admission ticket" before 3rd year orientation.

I understand--I wasn't planning on jumping into rotations sans Step 1, thus the LOA

yohimbine - you will find that your score will eventually plateau. An extra couple of months may boost your score 5-10 points, but it will not be a drastic enough increase to explain away your LOA.

(And what if you take the LOA...and STILL get a lackluster score! That'd REALLY suck!)

I delayed my test by a week, because I didn't "feel ready." During that week, I still reviewed a lot - but my Qbank scores didn't budge. I could have taken the test a week earlier and gotten the same score, probably. Maybe even a better score, because then I would have been better rested and less burned out. By the time I took the test, I was sick and tired of First Aid, and just wanted to be done and on vacation.

NOBODY feels "ready" to take Step 1. But most people do fine on it.

I think that I will feel ready at some point. Just not at the end of May as it currently stands. I felt relatively prepared for the MCAT. I don't expect to know 100% of the material but 80 or 90% isn't a stretch. But I'm a far cry from that right now. I will plateau but it will take longer than the amount of time I currently have. I'm a good test taker, excellent actually--I just need more time. I'm almost positive that taking more time will help me. And even if I do have to account for time here and there--none of this is as devastating as a poor Step 1 score. Without that I won't even be sitting in front of interviewers to explain anything.

(P.S. The mods tend to frown on people double posting the same question in two different forums....)

I was kind of looking for different perspectives. I do it often. It's not meant to be spam.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Blesbok]

Not necessarily a leave of absence, but at our school you are allowed to use one of your off blocks if you really want to have an extra month to study. IMO if you don't already know it, you probably aren't going to improve THAT much in a month.

 

[smq123]

I was kind of looking for different perspectives. I do it often. It's not meant to be spam.

Yeah, it wasn't meant to be mean or pushy - just a little "heads-up." Someone might jump on you for multiple postings.

I understand--I wasn't planning on jumping into rotations sans Step 1, thus the LOA

So...if you take the LOA, you'll be a few months behind your classmates, at least. When will you make that time up? Will you just push back your graduation a year? Or just not take a single month of vacation during 4th year? Is that even feasible? - some schools have so many 4th year requirements that I don't know if that would even work out....

I think that I will feel ready at some point. Just not at the end of May as it currently stands. I felt relatively prepared for the MCAT. I don't expect to know 100% of the material but 80 or 90% isn't a stretch. But I'm a far cry from that right now. I will plateau but it will take longer than the amount of time I currently have. I'm a good test taker, excellent actually--I just need more time. I'm almost positive that taking more time will help me. And even if I do have to account for time here and there--none of this is as devastating as a poor Step 1 score.

Well, how do you know that you'll get a "poor Step 1 score"?

Did you already take an NBME sample exam after studying for a month or two? Or did you do pretty poorly in MS1 and MS2?

I don't know - at this point last year, there was no way that I could have accurately gauged my readiness for Step 1. I hadn't studied for Step 1 specifically, hadn't really taken any "real" practice tests yet, etc.

 

[yohimbine1]

Sorry, I shouldn't have been defensive--thanks for the heads up in that case.

I would be fine with accepting a year of delay. I don't expect to have my cake and eat it too.

I don't know with certainty that I'll get a subpar score, but I have a strong suspicion. I've just gotten by in year 1 and 2 due to lack of effort, to be honest. But I found it difficult to study for Step 1 during that time as we had not covered all the material. Dedicated study time is important to me I guess. And I don't feel I'll have enough. Step 1 is not even 2 months away so I feel I should be able to gauge my readiness at least partly.

 

[smq123]

I don't know with certainty that I'll get a subpar score, but I have a strong suspicion. I've just gotten by in year 1 and 2 due to lack of effort, to be honest. But I found it difficult to study for Step 1 during that time as we had not covered all the material. Dedicated study time is important to me I guess. And I don't feel I'll have enough. Step 1 is not even 2 months away so I feel I should be able to gauge my readiness at least partly.

It seems like you're pretty determined on taking the LOA - are you just looking for confirmation of that decision? 😕

I can't say that taking an LOA in order to study for Step 1 is all that common. In my personal belief, I don't think it's necessary either - unless you failed everything in MS1 and MS2 and don't even remember what the IVC is.

And it's going to be kind of hard to justify taking an LOA just on the chance that it might boost your score. Your deans may try to talk you out of it unless they agree that you're in serious danger of failing - which it doesn't sound like you are.

And you're going to have classmates who have the same amount of time that you do...and will still manage to pull off >250 scores. It's giong to be extremely hard to explain why you "need" more time than they do, unless you really struggled in MS1/MS2 or have some kind of learning disability or something.

One month of dedicated Step 1 study time should be plenty. Even if, as you said in the other thread, you cannot study intensely for Step 1 during April because of "obligations," even just studying for 2-3 hours, and then doing an hour of practice questions, each day would be helpful. Then, you could kick your studying into high gear during the month of May. (What obligations do you have in April that would prevent you from studying, anyhow?)

 

[dr1day]

This poster reminds me of that lady in MA that wanted all those accomodations for Step 3. (What ever happened with that? I wonder if she passed). Anyway, my school gives us 6 weeks off to study. I thought all schools did that.

 

[Blesbok]

This poster reminds me of that lady in MA that wanted all those accomodations for Step 3. (What ever happened with that? I wonder if she passed). Anyway, my school gives us 6 weeks off to study. I thought all schools did that.

Most schools give 4-6 if you take it at the last minute before rotations.

 

[Blade28]

I've never heard of anyone taking a LOA to study for Step 1, but I'm sure it happens.

 

[njbmd]

I'm not sure if I will be ready to take Step 1 at the end of May. Do people ever take LOAs to prep? Seeing as it's so important I don't know if I want to take a chance. I can probably pass but not with a score I will be comfortable with. I don't think I see myself being able to adequately prep and feel good about taking it given the time that is remaining. I don't necessarily need a 260 but I feel like I might be lucky to pull off a 220 at this rate. It's imperative that I at least be able to match into Path. I would like the option of being able to match in Rads. Candidly I would rather not do residency than do primary care--it's just not for me.

Just wondering if anyone does Step 1 LOAs.

Most students in the US review for Step I and take it. Taking a LOA is not going to improve your score. In the case of my school, the folks who took the test earlier did better than those who kept putting off the test.

You can't sit a memorize everything that you will need for Step I even if you took a year. If you put that kind of pressure on yourself for a year, you are likely to find that you have failed.

While Step I is important, it's not the only thing that residency program directors look at in terms of application to residency. Students who take longer to finish medical school without earning another degree such as MPH/Ph.D/JD send up "red flags" to residency directors. There is a specific question on ERAS where you have to explain why you took longer than 4 years to complete medical school. Stating that you took a LOA for Step I is not going to be a good reason to delay graduation. 😱

Finish your coursework, set aside some time for a thorough review and take the exam. Stewing over this exam with the attitude that you "have to get a 220" is a good way to wind up with a DID NOT PASS on your score report.

I will tell you that you are NEVER going to feel confident about Step I or Step II or even Step III. This is the nature of these exams. You are most likely to pass these tests and score well if you concentrate on your coursework, review smartly and timely and take the exams.

As far as what you WANT to do, you have no real idea until you have completed third year clerkships. If you are in the US, you are likely not going to be able to start third year without a pass on Step I. You may find that primary care has more appeal than you think, once you do a rotation in it.

Step I is just not that bad and you can't predict your score no matter how much you study. In every case that folks predicted that they would get above 220, they barely passed or failed in my school. Those of us who just reviewed and took the exam tended to do very well.

 

[Blade28]

I will tell you that you are NEVER going to feel confident about Step I or Step II or even Step III. This is the nature of these exams. You are most likely to pass these tests and score well if you concentrate on your coursework, review smartly and timely and take the exams.

Truer words were never spoken.

 

[medhacker]

I really would not worry about it too much if you have been doing fairly well in your preclinical courses. Did your school give the standardized basic science assessment exam (it's been too long to remember exactly what is was called)? That can give you a fair idea of how well prepared you are for Step 1.

I didn't feel comfortable taking Step 1 in May, either, but I had a lot of flexibility in my rotation scheduling and I was able to have the first clinical rotation period free to study. You may be able to do this instead of taking a formal leave of absence, which could potentially be a red flag.

Blesblok also mentioned it, and I think it's a great option for you. Best wishes!

 

[Herman Bloom]

I've just gotten by in year 1 and 2 due to lack of effort, to be honest.

It's simply not fair for you to take a LOA to study. Gives you a clear advantage over your classmates who actually acted like adults and studied for the first two years of medical school in anticipation of taking this test (which, of course, you knew you had to take in the end). It will be very easy for program directors to figure out what you did, and they will not think very much of you for it.

Consider that you are entering a field where personal responsibility is extremely important. Chalk this one up to a lapse of judgement, learn from it, and do the right thing.

 

[yohimbine1]

I think it's very fair and I only care about doing what is in my best interests, not what my classmates think or how they've acted during med school compared to myself. I don't see where right or wrong come into play, in spite of some people's propensity to impose moralistic judgments wherever they can. After all I would be potentially falling behind by a year relative to my peers, and that is a choice and sacrifice I would make compared to those who decide to take it early, ready or not. Or, in deciding to delay third year by a rotation, I would be giving up vacation time in 4th year. These are choices available to everyone.

The point everyone is overlooking here is that, in theory, if I were to take a LOA under whatever pretense--or even flat out to study for Step 1--that might in fact reflect negatively, but would it reflect as poorly as a Step 1 score that is upwards of 20 points lower? Yes, that does entail the premise that a significant amount of time off would result in a 20+ score increase--and within 1 or 2 SD of the mean this is reasonable. If you calculate the future value of 20 Step 1 points in that range, it is astronomical.

One thing to consider is that at least it would show a dedication to mastering the basic sciences in medicine (albeit yes, having failed to do so in years 1 and 2 but acknowledging that in hindsight). Vs going headlong into 3rd year without a solid foundation of knowledge. And it would in fact mean mastering the basic sciences, as there is a substantial knowledge discrepancy between the high Step 1 achiever and the low one.

In the end I don't think I'll pursue the LOA after all. I just pushed it back by several weeks and sacrificed my summer, which is unimportant to me anyway. I feel less panicked and pressured now. Is that too unfair? Should everyone just be coerced to take it at the same time? Or given random testing dates? Herman, these implications lie in your words. I'm disappointed in your lack of insight actually--supply more or consider refraining from posting here. Clearly it gives you joy to ride the high horse rather than give substantial advice. And you sound like a whiny poo saying this and that is simply not fair even though the opportunities also stare/d you in the face. I am the type of person who capitalizes on advantages whether others do or not. To others, thank you for your contributions.

*I did actually feel relatively confident and prepared for the SAT and MCAT, to name two standardized tests. And I felt my scores were in line with my capabilities--which is to say in other words that I was fairly content with the outcome. I felt good walking into the testing centers, good during the exams and good walking out. Maybe these feelings are foreign to many people--and I do not mean to point to anyone in particular by that.

 

[Herman Bloom]

I am the type of person who capitalizes on advantages whether others do or not.

And yet you failed to "capitalize" on your first two years of medical school. Call it what you want; you dropped the ball. I'm not riding a high horse just because I did what was necessary to get the job done in the time frame that was provided me by my school. If I'm so off base, then why would you be worried what residency directors are going to think of your extra study time? It matters to them, and it should matter to you.

 

[medhacker]

And yet you failed to "capitalize" on your first two years of medical school. Call it what you want; you dropped the ball. I'm not riding a high horse just because I did what was necessary to get the job done in the time frame that was provided me by my school. If I'm so off base, then why would you be worried what residency directors are going to think of your extra study time? It matters to them, and it should matter to you.

Dude, You are a jerk


Yohimbine, do what you must do, it's your life and career.

 

[smq123]

I think it's very fair and I only care about doing what is in my best interests, not what my classmates think or how they've acted during med school compared to myself.

It isn't necessarily unfair or wrong to take an LOA.

But residency directors will ALWAYS compare what you did to what your classmates did - furthermore, will actually compare what you did to what other med students did. I would venture to say that 99% of medical students take Step 1 without taking an LOA to study for it. It'd be really, really, really hard to explain to them why you needed time off for it.

Residency directors, especially in competitive fields, look for evidence that you worked steadily throughout medical school - and didn't just put in the work when you thought it counted. If you wanted to do rads or ortho, for instance, ANY aberration will put your application in jeopardy. So getting a 250 will not help you match well, if you needed an LOA to achieve that score.

The point everyone is overlooking here is that, in theory, if I were to take a LOA under whatever pretense--or even flat out to study for Step 1--that might in fact reflect negatively, but would it reflect as poorly as a Step 1 score that is upwards of 20 points lower? Yes, that does entail the premise that a significant amount of time off would result in a 20+ score increase--and within 1 or 2 SD of the mean this is reasonable. If you calculate the future value of 20 Step 1 points in that range, it is astronomical.

Like I said, you're losing the forest for the trees.

Sure, a 250 looks "better" than a 210.

But a 250 + LOA looks WORSE than a 210 on a standard schedule.

If you need extra time to achieve a high score, you will not impress anyone with that score. They will ask you why you needed that time - and they will either develop the impression that you're lazy and a slacker, or not very bright.

JUST USE YOUR HEAD FOR A SECOND - Think about it. Let's say that you took an LOA and got a 260. Great...except you will be competing for residency with people who got a 260 WITHOUT needing an LOA!

If you were a PD, who would you rather rank - someone who slacked off during MS1 and MS2, got scared when it mattered, and ducked out to take the easy way to a good Step 1 score? Or someone who steadily worked throughout MS1 and MS2 to master the material, got a stellar score (WITHOUT NEEDING AN LOA), and then went on to start rotations with the rest of his classmates?

In the end I don't think I'll pursue the LOA after all. I just pushed it back by several weeks and sacrificed my summer, which is unimportant to me anyway. I feel less panicked and pressured now.

Good.

And all that yammering that I just did was totally useless. 😳 Sorry!

If you truly feel like you need extra time for Step 1 (which you probably don't, to be honest), you could take a year off to do research - and then take Step 1 somewhere during that year. This is always an option if you really start to get too panicked, although again - I don't think that you have anything to panic about.

 

[yohimbine1]

And yet you failed to "capitalize" on your first two years of medical school. Call it what you want; you dropped the ball. I'm not riding a high horse just because I did what was necessary to get the job done in the time frame that was provided me by my school. If I'm so off base, then why would you be worried what residency directors are going to think of your extra study time? It matters to them, and it should matter to you.

It's a legitimate point but made too late--in that case don't whine and be scared of people like myself who might prep more for Step 1, master the basic sciences better than you, and beat you due to an unfair advantageIt's obvious you would be worried about such people. Apparently anyone who takes Step 1 after you unscrupulously gained some study time.

You're not going to hurt my feelings or make me have some revelation--take your high horse elsewhere.

Sure, a 250 looks "better" than a 210.

But a 250 + LOA looks WORSE than a 210 on a standard schedule.

The thing is--with a 210, many decent residencies will not even look at you. LOA or no LOA. That is the reality. Whether the LOA looks bad or not, at least getting a chance to put a foot in the door is better than getting shut out. That is the crux of what I am getting at. Yes, in an ideal situation I would take Step 1 next week and have months of time off, score off the charts and have my choice of residencies and locations. But it's better to have a dose of realism.

This is digressing slightly, but at some point in time I could see years 1 and 2 of med school being obviated entirely. With the superb offline and online resources available these days, showing up every day to lecture to hear docs present low yield facts and JAMA articles is showing its antiquity IMO. I have only paid them to translate dense textbooks into palatable slides--a process which can easily be centralized and streamlined.

 

[Blesbok]

It's a legitimate point but made too late--in that case don't whine and be scared of people like myself who might prep more for Step 1, master the basic sciences better than you, and beat you due to an unfair advantageIt's obvious you would be worried about such people. Apparently anyone who takes Step 1 after you unscrupulously gained some study time.

You're not going to hurt my feelings or make me have some revelation--take your high horse elsewhere.
The thing is--with a 210, many decent residencies will not even look at you. LOA or no LOA. That is the reality. Whether the LOA looks bad or not, at least getting a chance to put a foot in the door is better than getting shut out. That is the crux of what I am getting at. Yes, in an ideal situation I would take Step 1 next week and have months of time off, score off the charts and have my choice of residencies and locations. But it's better to have a dose of realism.

This is digressing slightly, but at some point in time I could see years 1 and 2 of med school being obviated entirely. With the superb offline and online resources available these days, showing up every day to lecture to hear docs present low yield facts and JAMA articles is showing its antiquity IMO. I have only paid them to translate dense textbooks into palatable slides--a process which can easily be centralized and streamlined.

And you think they will look at you if you spend 6 months studying for the step 1? These people aren't dumb, they will know. If you barely pass your classes and are in the bottom 1/4 of your class, you are going to get a bottom 1/4 score whether you take it now or you take it 6 months from now.

There is only one thing that correlates with step 1 score and that is the amount of work and dedication that you put into the first TWO YEARS of school. If it was possible for you to learn everything in six months, med school wouldn't be a 4 year ride.

 

[smq123]

The thing is--with a 210, many decent residencies will not even look at you. LOA or no LOA.

With the LOA, many decent residencies may not even look at you either.

Sooo...what have you really gained with that LOA? 😕

 

[Herman Bloom]

don't whine and be scared of people like myself who might prep more for Step 1, master the basic sciences better than you, and beat you due to an unfair advantage. It's obvious you would be worried about such people

Why would any of us be afraid of competing against someone who slacked through 1st and 2nd year and then had to take an leave of absence to get ready for step 1 (without legitimate extenuating circumstances, besides laziness)? If you didn't "master" the basic sciences in two years, why would you expect to do so in a couple of extra months?

If you end up with a "weak" Step one score (which, for the record, you probably won't), then simply distinguish yourself in other ways. Do lots of extracurriculars, pursue interests outside of medicine, and do the job on Step 2. A lot will be forgiven come interview time. And the reality is that many (if not most) programs don't use the storied "cut off" criteria for step one. They are going to look at your application as a whole.

 

[It'sElectric]

It's simply not fair for you to take a LOA to study. Gives you a clear advantage over your classmates who actually acted like adults and studied for the first two years of medical school in anticipation of taking this test (which, of course, you knew you had to take in the end). It will be very easy for program directors to figure out what you did, and they will not think very much of you for it.

Consider that you are entering a field where personal responsibility is extremely important. Chalk this one up to a lapse of judgement, learn from it, and do the right thing.

Haha...what does fair have to do with anything in life? It's not like the OP would be cheating or acting unethically.

 

[yohimbine1]

Some people think everything is cheating/unethical.

Studying explicitly for Step 1 is a lot higher yield than going through classes and taking tests written by teachers of varying ability, learning material of dubious value. Goljan should chair a committee that prepares Path resources and exams for all of the med students in the country.

And a 210 looks worse than a LOA and 250. Most moderately competitive programs do use cutoffs although it tends to be denied. A 210 will close a ton of doors. An LOA can be fudged or explained. A 210 is a 210.

If you barely pass your classes and are in the bottom 1/4 of your class, you are going to get a bottom 1/4 score whether you take it now or you take it 6 months from now.

Wrong--I did terribly in undergrad orgo but aced it on the MCAT by studying the exam relevant material, at exactly the level of depth and difficulty that was tested. You're operating under the premise that everybody busts their *** during year 1 and 2 and scores as high as they can. This in spite of the fact that most discredit the importance of year 1 and 2 grades.

 

[ReidSternberg]

Dude, You are a jerk


Yohimbine, do what you must do, it's your life and career.

Yohimbine, you here on SDN to seek advice. Pick whatever advice fits with your best. Use your logic and gut instinct to tell you what you must do. But remember, it's your life and your career just as Medhacker said.

I don't know exactly your circumstances and its true you will never feel ready for the step I but you also know how strong or weak you are. Figure out what you want to do in medicine in see how this step align into it. If you want to go competitive, are you ready for it when the time comes. You can gauge base on your study... How much you get done each day and how much you got left to go... If you are not going competitive, then figure out what score you are shooting for and see how strong you are and see if you do really need time or not.. You got to be realistic with yourself. YOu know what you are weak and strong at.. If you got a lot of weak areas, can you build on those weakness in time. If you can't, perhaps its your schedule or they way you study.. If so, ask some of your friends how they are studying and see which works for you. Ask an upper classmen at your school.

Bottom line: Figure what you goal is and realistically access where you are at and see if you can get there. Remember, like MedHacker said, it's your life. Don't let anyone emotions impact you. Do or not do what you think you need? Best wishes..

 

[Blesbok]

Some people think everything is cheating/unethical.

Studying explicitly for Step 1 is a lot higher yield than going through classes and taking tests written by teachers of varying ability, learning material of dubious value. Goljan should chair a committee that prepares Path resources and exams for all of the med students in the country.

And a 210 looks worse than a LOA and 250. Most moderately competitive programs do use cutoffs although it tends to be denied. A 210 will close a ton of doors. An LOA can be fudged or explained. A 210 is a 210.
Wrong--I did terribly in undergrad orgo but aced it on the MCAT by studying the exam relevant material, at exactly the level of depth and difficulty that was tested. You're operating under the premise that everybody busts their *** during year 1 and 2 and scores as high as they can. This in spite of the fact that most discredit the importance of year 1 and 2 grades.

What does the MCAT have to do with the USMLE? Are they written by the same people? Same material? Same question format? No. For example, the MCAT physics questions require knowledge of an entire 3 equations. I would hardly say that is tough. The USMLE is a little different. You can know everything in goljan and you will do decent, but you won't do great unless you know how to apply that knowledge. You can deny it all you want, but the only thing that has ever consistently correlated to step 1 scores is class performance in the first two years.

 

[Herman Bloom]

what does fair have to do with anything in life? It's not like the OP would be cheating or acting unethically.

Couldn't agree more (ie, I suppose "unfair" was not the best way to put it). It's about how the LOA will look to program directors, and that's all. They will care that the applicant failed to get the job done the first time around.

 

[smq123]

And a 210 looks worse than a LOA and 250. Most moderately competitive programs do use cutoffs although it tends to be denied. A 210 will close a ton of doors. An LOA can be fudged or explained. A 210 is a 210.

Well, to be honest, it kind of depends on what you're looking for.

If you're looking for something very competitive (like derm, ophtho, or ortho), then a 250 with an LOA isn't going to do much for you, unless you knock out some pretty good research in that year off.

Those fields are so competitive that almost ANY anomaly (including needing a LOA to take Step 1) will hurt your application. I mean, these are specialties that are weeding out people who didn't get Honors in their first 2 years of med school and we're talking about specialties that will not look at your application if you're not AOA! What makes you think that they'll just gloss over your poorly explained LOA?

If you're looking at something moderately competitive, like general surgery, path, and some anesthesia or radiology programs, then a LOA probably won't hurt much. A 210, though, isn't going to knock you out of the running at those programs either.

Even if a moderately competitive program uses cut-offs, most of their cut-offs are 200-205, and a 210 is still enough to get your through the initial screen.

Wrong--I did terribly in undergrad orgo but aced it on the MCAT by studying the exam relevant material, at exactly the level of depth and difficulty that was tested. You're operating under the premise that everybody busts their *** during year 1 and 2 and scores as high as they can. This in spite of the fact that most discredit the importance of year 1 and 2 grades.

Yes, but Step 1 isn't the MCAT.

If I had done what you described for Step 1, I would have been in deep, deep s***. You can't just get by "studying the exam relevant material," because even that is too much to cram. Even if you take 3-4 months, you may still have difficulty mastering all that material.

I don't know - I really don't think that people will look favorably on a LOA solely to study for Step 1, regardless of the score that results. I mean, if you're in serious danger of failing Step 1, then sure - take the LOA. But if you're not, I really don't think it will help you all that much.

 

[lord_jeebus]

I think it is not worth taking a leave of absence. I very much doubt it will help. Unless you were really weak during the first 2 years, you should be able to reach peak Step I condition in 3-6 weeks. If you were really weak, you would need a year or more to get in good shape.

But

If someone were to do take a LOA, and come up with a good excuse for their school administration (ie. not "I need to study for Step I"), I don't think it would hurt down the road. I would much rather have the 250 and a good excuse for a leave of absence than a regular 210.

 

[mtDNA]

Yohimbine, if you must take the leave of absence, then you shuld do it the way that lord jeebus has just outlined. You absolutely must have a reason for the LOA besides studying for step 1. Go to another country and study there while you do volunteer work or something like that, but do not let it go on record that you took an LOA just for step 1.

Here is another idea: why don't you take step 1 on time, and then focus on step 2, and take it early enough for it to appear on you residency application? I have heard of people doing this. Honestly, step 2 tells a lot more about your ability than step 1 because it is clinical. The only reason nobody makes a big deal about it is that most students don't take it in time for it to be part of the appllication. I know a guy who did not do too hot on step 1, and he later decided he was interested in radiation onc. he took step 2 early, dominated it, and matched rad onc successfully. I think there are quite a few people who go this route actually.