Non-Us IMG, carribbean grad. Failure of step 2 ck. Need some advice on how to proceed.

[therock247]

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Good afternoon everyone,

Pleasure to be a part of the forums. I am a non-US IMG carribbean MS4 graduating in May. My stats: Step 1 - 237, Step 2 CK - 231 (Second attempt), Step 2 CS - first attempt pass. My grades have been stellar in medical school, including clinicals, top 25% in my class. Honestly, no excuses just had a bad day on the first take of CK. Sat for a retake 2 months later and passed. Planning on writing my step 3 and rocking it in August, as well as doing some research during the off year.

Had a couple of questions in mind:

1) Would a high step 3 score, offset the attempt or at least lessen the blow done by the step 2 CK attempt? I am nervous about this, simply because of how I will be filtered/screened?
2) How should I go on applying next year when it comes to IM/FM (my two interested fields)? Is there a way to know if programs dont mind looking past a first attempt? I am assuming majority will use it as a screening process. However, I do feel like the rest of my application is stellar. I have 6 LOR's, from USCE. 2 in internal, 2 in FM, 1 Peds, 1 OB/GYN.
3) Would attending conferences in FM/IM and networking help? If so, any big conferences that could help me network in either field. I am interested in primary care, so I would be happy with IM/FM residencies.

Any help and advice is greatly appreciated,
Thank you!

 

[therock247]

Definitely will look into this conference in Kansas City, thank you for your reply!

 

[Riseup2it]

2) For FM at least, program websites typically explicitly state if their requirements are a pass/certain score "on first attempt" or they will just say "passing step 2 score." It's tedious to manually sift through all the websites but that's probably what you will need to do to maximize your chances of matching.
3) There is an AAFP Residents & Students conference in August in Kansas City that literally hundreds of residency programs attend and provide info about their programs. Usually residents, faculty, and sometimes PDs are there to talk to. You can directly ask if they will consider Step 2 attempts and/or make a good impression in person and hopefully get a leg up for an interview invitation. If you're interested in moving to a particular state, there may also be state-level AFP conferences you can attend.

Agreed! To add on the particulars of the first attempt, there is leniency depending on the program. I want to second the above statement and say it's worth sifting through each program website to see the specific requirements for each program.

I had an attempt and I had IVs at programs that clearly stated on their website that they only looked at 1st attempt. The reason I probably got this IV was because I was an attendee at the AAFP Conference, where I got to meet the faculty members and residents. I will advise you to make sure you know the requirements right off the bat before you approach these programs at the booth. It shows your genuine interest and preparedness because you want to ask questions that are relative to the program. You don't necessarily want to be asking questions about requirements because 95% of the time they will be listed on the website. Your questions should revolve around the uniqueness of the program and how the program can be a fit for you. If you have certain ties to the state, for example family members or friends, those are important to mention.

Hope this helps. If you have more questions, just PM me.

 

[therock247]

Agreed! To add on the particulars of the first attempt, there is leniency depending on the program. I want to second the above statement and say it's worth sifting through each program website to see the specific requirements for each program.

I had an attempt and I had IVs at programs that clearly stated on their website that they only looked at 1st attempt. The reason I probably got this IV was because I was an attendee at the AAFP Conference, where I got to meet the faculty members and residents. I will advise you to make sure you know the requirements right off the bat before you approach these programs at the booth. It shows your genuine interest and preparedness because you want to ask questions that are relative to the program. You don't necessarily want to be asking questions about requirements because 95% of the time they will be listed on the website. Your questions should revolve around the uniqueness of the program and how the program can be a fit for you. If you have certain ties to the state, for example family members or friends, those are important to mention.

Hope this helps. If you have more questions, just PM me.

I honestly tried PMing you, and couldnt figure it out? Could you PM me? I think its because your profile is private. I had a couple of more question I would like to ask you, thank you!

This was the message i tried leaving:

Hey thank you for replying,

I just wanted to know, how many interviews did you end up getting? Did they ask you about the attempt, and if so what did you say? Did you apply specifically to FM? Were you a US IMG at the time of applying?

Thank you again, this helps so much!