Program's request to release Step 2 CK score....horrible score

[IceHouse]

Long story short... I'm applying to a very competative speacialtry with a very good Step 1. Now after interviewing at numerous places one program is asking for a step 2 CK score to be release through ERAS.

The problem is that I barely passed Step 2 CK and once I release the score all of the programs I interviewed at will know the score (noone would ask me WHY i had a bad score) and I am sure the ranking of my file will change for the worse.

Should I just ignore their request (as it was a general email sent to all applicants) and hope for the best?

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[Psychotic]

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[drcrispmd]

At my program we only rank those that have a passing ck. no score, not ranked. And this is family medicine. I would find out which ones require it. Don't want to get stuck only have a few that don't and then not getting matched.

 

[Raryn]

I'd probably ignore it, knowing that that program may very well not rank me.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

How high on your rank list is this program?

 

[p30doc]

I'd not release it. If you do, it won't help your chances at that program and it certainly won't help your chances at other programs. If you don't, that program may not rank you, but it won't affect your chance at programs that don't require it.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

Do not report your score.

 

[Ronin786]

Ask if you can send it in manually. If you can't just don't report it and risk losing that program rather than all of them.

 

[IM2GI]

Do not release your score.

While this may hurt you at some programs, your poor score will hurt you at all programs.

 

[MadHopsMD]

Ask if you can send it in manually. If you can't just don't report it and risk losing that program rather than all of them.

I like this idea. You can mail it directly to them or email it to them. It costs 50 bucks, but if they are in your top 10 might be worth it. Because if you do not give them your step 2 score, they will not rank you most likely...at least this way they have you somewhere on the list.


But like IM2G1 mentioned, do not release your score to all schools.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

What to do about released step 2 CK but programs aren't downloading the transcript? I've been sitting on this for a week and many programs (especially at the programs I really care about) aren't downloading the updated scores. I emailed the PC to notify her right after I re-transmitted the transcript, so I am loath to send a second reminder email.

 

[mcl]

What to do about released step 2 CK but programs aren't downloading the transcript? I've been sitting on this for a week and many programs (especially at the programs I really care about) aren't downloading the updated scores. I emailed the PC to notify her right after I re-transmitted the transcript, so I am loath to send a second reminder email.

If they haven't downloaded your updated USMLE transcript and it's available, it means they haven't downloaded anything for anyone (since programs can't pick and choose what they download). Most likely scenario: it's not important information to the program at this point. I did a last download before our rank meeting to make sure I had up to date Step 2 and CS info for our applicants, but I haven't gone to the ERAS Post Office since then. If they needed your results to rank you, I'm sure they would have called or emailed you to find out if you'd received the score.

 

[drmka26]

I'm in a similar spot. Applying to gen surg and IM as a backup. Having said that, got a low 230s on step 1 and 215 on step 2. I didnt release step 2 scores to my ERAS. One gen surg program requested the score and I sent a pdf of the score report to program admin. She was satisfied with it, but said "Thank you so much. I have updated your score in our record, but please don’t forget to upload it." I dont know what to make of that...little passive aggressive. So just email the admin and ask them.

 

[DermApp13]

don't release the score

 

[ACSurgeon]

Long story short... I'm applying to a very competative speacialtry with a very good Step 1. Now after interviewing at numerous places one program is asking for a step 2 CK score to be release through ERAS.

The problem is that I barely passed Step 2 CK and once I release the score all of the programs I interviewed at will know the score (noone would ask me WHY i had a bad score) and I am sure the ranking of my file will change for the worse.

Should I just ignore their request (as it was a general email sent to all applicants) and hope for the best?

When I was going through the process (gen surg), no one asked about step 2. I released it after getting a score I was happy with. My friends applying to primary care specialties often were required to submit step 2, and only needed a passing score. Specialties who typically have higher scoring applicants are not as worried about you failing step 2 and not being able to start residency on time.

I still agree with looking through the various program websites or maybe even calling your top few programs anonymously and making sure that step 2 is not required or "strongly recommended" for consideration.

 

[IceHouse]

thanks all for the replies. I decided against releasing the score. The program is my #5 choice and I'd be risking my chances at my top choices.
Their website doesn't say that the score is required.

 

[Plecopotamus]

thanks all for the replies. I decided against releasing the score. The program is my #5 choice and I'd be risking my chances at my top choices.
Their website doesn't say that the score is required.

Did you contact the other programs (particularly #1 - 4) to find out whether or not they would rank you without a step 2 CK score? I was in a situation where I had an emergency on my original date and was worried I wouldn't be able to reschedule in time to get scored by rank submission, so I contacted my programs. About half of them said they needed a passing CK score to rank an applicant, and there did not seem to be rhyme or reason to which programs said this and which didn't. Some programs I spoke to didn't care about my score as long as it was passing, because the institution they are affiliated with requires residents to have passed on first attempt.

 

[Smurfette]

Moving to Match/ERAS forum.