Need some advice for when to take Step 2

[chanjurban]

Hi all,

So I'm not going to be able to complete all of my core rotations (specifically OB) until most likely the end of September of my 4th year (Sept 2009). I will have finished everything else by the beginning of May 2009. In the interim period, I will likely be doing some stay at home electives and/or studying. When's the latest I should consider taking both Step 2 tests? I am planning on entering peds and I had a decent Step 1 score FYI.

Thanks,
chanjurban

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[PeepshowJohnny]

Take Step 2 CK after you finish OB/GYN. By taking it so late in fourth year, I'm assuming you're not interested in this field, and so you're not super into the material. Well, there's a TON of OB/GYN on CK (like, painful amounts) so I'd suggest you wait until you've rotated through and are familiar with the material. I find that I hold on to general med/peds stuff longer while I had to go back and relearn a lot of OB/GYN because I data dumped it after the Shelf. So, I'd say finish OB/GYN take a week or two to read First Aid for Step 2 or Crush Step 2 then take it.

The additional benefit to this is, with a high step I, if you take Step II after you release your ERAS in September, you'll be able to choose whether or whether not to release your score to residency programs until you see your score.

Step 2 CS? Unless you've had incredible difficulty with clinical rotations, take it whenever. You won't fail if you take a few hours to read about how you're scored and what to expect.

 

[WnderWmn10]

The additional benefit to this is, with a high step I, if you take Step II after you release your ERAS in September, you'll be able to choose whether or whether not to release your score to residency programs until you see your score.

So if you take it before September than you DON'T get to choose whether or whether not to release your scores??

Sorry I'm clueless about this kind of stuff..

 

[taurus70]

You make a decision in July when you begin filling in your CAF for ERAS whether you want to automatically release your upcoming Step 2 scores (both CK and CS) when they are released or for you to release them yourself. On Sept. 2 , when you submit your ERAS application whatever decision you made can't be changed. Unfortunately, you can't automatically release just your upcoming CK score while waiting for CS results or vice versa. So to put it in a nutshell, its up to you. In the long run, it doesn't really matter. There are some programs though that won't interview you until they see both scores, but most will at least meet you based on your Step 1 score.