PLEASE HELP: How do Residency programs get notified of Step 2 Scores?

[centroles]

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PLEASE HELP.

I am an Carribean medical student and have a rather low Step 1 score. But I have two months off now and know that I can do STELLAR on the Step 2 if I take it end of Sept.

I plan to take Step 2 at end of Sept, fill out my ERAS application, and submit my ERAS Application in late October once my Step 2 score is available. I don't want residency programs to discard my application before getting a chance to see my high step 2 score.

So I'm wondering, will any of the lesser competitive residency programs simply stop looking at ERAS applications recieved in November and after.

I'm applying to Psych, IM and FM btw.

Please help. I would greatly appreciate your input. Thank you very much.

 

[centroles]

Please help.

If you wanted to know more detail about my situation...

I won't be able to take my Step 2 until mid september at the earliest. But I will be doing extremely extremely well on my Step 2.

If I submit my ERAS on Sept 1st and transmit my step 2 score to all the programs I'm interested in in mid october, how will residency directors get notified of my score?

Will they have to reopen my file/application to see my score, or will they get my score directly, and be convinced based on my score to take a second look at the rest of my application.

I just don't want any residency programs to discard my file based on my below average application without ever seeing my step 2 score.

 

[FutureInternist]

Please help.

If you wanted to know more detail about my situation...

I won't be able to take my Step 2 until mid september at the earliest. But I will be "trying to do" extremely extremely well on my Step 2.

If I submit my ERAS on Sept 1st and transmit my step 2 score to all the programs I'm interested in in mid october, how will residency directors get notified of my score?

Will they have to reopen my file/application to see my score, or will they get my score directly, and be convinced based on my score to take a second look at the rest of my application.

I just don't want any residency programs to discard my file based on my below average application without ever seeing my step 2 score.

There...I fixed your post 🙂. Little humbleness never hurt anyone.
When you submit ERAS you can ask them to automatically release your step 2 score when they get it....this way it will go to all the programs you have designated.
My understanding is that PDs regularly check for updates specially if you already specified that you will be taking the Step 2. You can go to ERAS a couple of days after your step 2 is released & see which programs have downloaded it.....then call/email the ones that haven't to let them know (although I would get in touch with the Residency Co-ordinator & not the PD)

Good Luck.

 

[centroles]

Thank you very much for your suggestion.

I just have one last question. If you don't mind answering, do you know what the typical application deadline for residency programs is. I am just wondering if residency programs might have an application deadline of Nov 1st or earlier.

This answer from a PD seems to contradict your response that it's easy to get PDs to look back at applications that they already rejected.

The answer is: "It depends".

When you apply via ERAS to my program, all of your available information (that you have released / assigned to my program) is sent to me for review. On my end, I can ask ERAS to "filter" applications in any way I want. One such filter let's me know if your application is "complete" -- i.e. ready for me to review. Vitally important --> Each PD can write these filters anyway they might want. So, I might consider complete = ERAS application + USMLE report + 2 LOR's + PS. Or, I might say it's ERAS + Both USMLE steps + 3 LOR's + PS. Or, any combination of anything I want.

If your application meets these criteria, then your application is presented to me to review. if not, then it's held awaiting further application materials.

If a PD uses "USMLE transcript received" as part of it's filter, then they might review your application with only Step 1 (assuming the other criteria are met) and make a decision based upon that. I doubt they would notice that your Step 2 was pending, and even so they might simply assume that your Step 2 performance was going to match your Step 1.

Once your application is reviewed, and rejected, it is "inactivated" so that it no longer appears for review. New information is still downloaded into your application, but it will not be re-reviewed unless the PD specifically pulls it. As mentioned in your other thread, this may or may not happen if you contact the PA/PD and ask nicely if your Step 2 >> Step 1.

Whether they will or not is anyone's guess, you'll be lucky if >50% of them even bother looking at your application again.

It sounds like from that answer, once my app is rejected based on my poor step 1 score, the odds of it being pulled back out seems unlikely.

And based on that, as I don't anticipate getting accepted in a prematch anyways, I think it would be best for me to take my Step 2 at the end of Sept, do really well on it, and submit my ERAS application along with my Step 2 score to all the programs at the end of October.

 

[FutureInternist]

I guess if your app had already been rejected then it would be next to impossible to get them to look at your step 2 score. My explanation assumed that your app was still in consideration.
I would try & schedule the exam earlier so that you can still submit everything as early as possible & have your step 2 score available.

 

[markglt]

im in the exact same shoes as you. i have a lousy step 1 score, carib student, applying to psych.

my exam is scheduled for aug 18th, but with the score report delay until oct. 7th programs wont get my app with my step 2 score till then.

i really don't know what to do, i got a 410 =196 nbme form 4, but i still dont feel ready to take it b4 aug 10th, when the delay kicks in.

everybody i know says get your apps out early, and that the pd's will contact u if they like ur app pending on ur step 2 score. i'm thinking of applying to my lower tier programs early and maybe waiting till my score comes back to send it to my favorite programs.
who knows, a real mess.