Please advise--when do I have to take Step II CK and CS?

[Ultra7]

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I am a US allo medical student graduating in May 2007. I was planning to take Step II CS in January 2006 and CK in Feburary 2006.
BUT I just looked at the MGH website, and they say you have to have passed Step II in order to be given an interview! It would be pretty inconvenient for me to take Step II before January (I'm doing 3 months of surgery Sept-Dec, and then there is interview season), not to mention the fact that I don't know if scheduling them earlier would even be possible.
Is this really true about MGH? Are there other programs that are like this too, requiring passing Step II before interviewing, or before ranking? I didn't run into anything like this on other websites I looked at (most just said they wanted your USMLE score reports sent, which I assumed meant Step I and maybe when you planned to take Step II--am I wrong?!) Thanks for your help and advice.

 

[yaah]

That's a new one for me. The most I heard was that programs wanted you to have passed step II before they rank you, and that was rare. I guess I would call or email the program coordinator and ask if it is flexible. Sometimes programs have different rules for American med grads and FMGs - they will require FMGs to have Step II for an interview.

 

[djmd]

I think you might be ok if you showed that you were scheduled to take the test before July 1st. (the sooner the better)

They can techinically do whatever they wish (well not anything, but this)

You can always try and let them know that you want to go there, but are not scheduled to take Step II until later.


A better question is WHY MGH?
I heard that place works people over like it is going out of style...
(like a former resident saying they usually couldn't take mass transit home because they couldn't make the last train (sometime between 11:00 and 1:00 am depending on your connections)

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I interviewed at MGH in early January and took Step 2 in late January. Unless they changed the rules this year...that's news to me.

 

[Ultra7]

A better question is WHY MGH?
I heard that place works people over like it is going out of style...
(like a former resident saying they usually couldn't take mass transit home because they couldn't make the last train (sometime between 11:00 and 1:00 am depending on your connections)

Good question. MGH doesn't sound ideal for me, but it was still on my list of places I wanted to apply to and at least check out. I'm curious. And they have great research opportunities.
My other big concern was that other places I'm applying to which don't specifically state a policy on USMLE scores (for example, B&W, BID, UCSF, Wash U, UTSW) might have rules similar to MGH but just not specifically state them. Do you think I should email the program administrators (the email addresses supplied by ERAS) and ask, or is that being a pest?

 

[djmd]

Good question. MGH doesn't sound ideal for me, but it was still on my list of places I wanted to apply to and at least check out. I'm curious. And they have great research opportunities.
My other big concern was that other places I'm applying to which don't specifically state a policy on USMLE scores (for example, B&W, BID, UCSF, Wash U, UTSW) might have rules similar to MGH but just not specifically state them. Do you think I should email the program administrators (the email addresses supplied by ERAS) and ask, or is that being a pest?

When you fill out our Eras.. I think there is a way to indicate "plan to take" date for Step II stuff..

Or there was way back in my day.
I dont think you need to call any pograms that dont state it..

 

[Ultra7]

yaah and Andy--
That makes me feel much better. Thank you! If they did just change the rules, maybe they'd be more willing to make exceptions...

 

[djmd]

What about me....


I like being thanked.

 

[Ultra7]

Thanks, djmd!
🙂 😍 🙂

(You deserve your OWN thank you post.)


There IS still a place to enter "Plan to Take" for USMLE, so I will make use of that.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

djmd, you're such an attention *****

 

[djmd]

djmd, you're such an attention *****

and yet I never post, mr. 11,405

Im sorry Dr.



Besides better that kind of post than my responses to DPFboi.

 

[deschutes]

better that kind of post than my responses to DPFboi.

DPFboi! I like that! Shades of DF and DFSP.

I think it is extremely difficult to take BOTH Step 2 CK and CS before Match Day (much less before interviewing). Especially when last I heard, CS was still experiencing issues with their score-reporting.