Psych Applicants for '08

Started by ioh
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If you take Step 2 CK after the start of September, you have the choice to withhold releasing your score, good or ill, pass or fail, from ERAS and the programs. If you took CK before September, you don't have a choice- the scores are automatically released. So, no, it really doesn't matter which month from September on that you take it.

My point, however, is that assuming you withhold your score, programs have to decide by mid-February when they submit their own match lists. Of course, they will be discussing rank lists before this time, and they are going to want to know about your Step scores. The longer you wait to take it, the longer it is before you get your scores back, and so on.
 
Yes, true, you can withhold your step 2 from residency programs at this point if you do below your expectations. Thanks for posting the clarification.

I meant with my post that you don't have to feel obligated to take step 2 in time for rank list considerations if you are confident that your step 1 is high enough. My school's philosophy is 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.' Most residency programs won't need your step 2 to rank you highly if you have a solid step 1. But of course, you can always just take step 2 early enough and see how you do.
 
I took Step II in April before starting residency and there was no problem. In fact, I took it so late because I thought I would do poorly and didn't want residencies to see my score before the rank (I did fine; a better way would have been to specifiy in ERAS that I didn't want my scores released until I said so). There could have been a really big problem, however, if I had failed it. So, my advice would be: Give it enough time so that if you fail you have time to take it again before the start of residency. The problem isn't that you can't be an intern without passing Step II, but rather than your medical school will probably not graduate you, which is a requirement for being an intern.
 
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thanks for the advice. my med school does not have any requirements to pass step 2 (or even step 1) before we graduate, so that's not my issue. it's more like what BlueSkies01 was saying-- I don't want a weak step 2 to ruin a good step 1. I'm on ob/gyn right now and there's no way i'm going to do well on step 2 if i try to study for it now! Anyway, I emailed our academic dean, I'll let you all know what she says.
 
chocomorsel said:
Hey, I'm applying to the SW and SE programs as well. Texas, Georgia, NC, maybe SC and TN. Maybe we'll run into each other on the interview trail. Good luck to all.
I do have one question though, interview suits. What do the residents think about not so traditional colors in psych. Would it be ok if i veered a little from the black, brown, navy and grey? I have an olive green suit that I kinda want to wear. I don't want to look like I'm going to a funeral, but I know I need to be somewhat conservative. Thanks
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Do you have any advice on good programs in the South?? My fiance is trying to match in neurosurg and just told me that he thinks he'll probably end up in the South, meanwhile all my advisors tell me about are NYC and Boston programs. So far the only southern programs I've applied to are Emory, Baylor, and UT-Southwestern.
 
Pepper Greene said:
Do you have any advice on good programs in the South?? My fiance is trying to match in neurosurg and just told me that he thinks he'll probably end up in the South, meanwhile all my advisors tell me about are NYC and Boston programs. So far the only southern programs I've applied to are Emory, Baylor, and UT-Southwestern.
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Why don't you dictate to your husband where you would like to do your residency, rather than the other way around? There are certainly many good neurosurgery programs in Boston and New York, while the pickings in psychiatry in the south are not as rich as in the Northeast. Also, are you planning on doing the couples match? Are you interested in a place where you not only want to train, but also live and practice for 3-4 years while your fiancee finishes his residency? If you are really interested in living in the South, then you might also consider Duke, MUSC, in addition to the programs you've already mentioned.
 
strangeglove said:
Why don't you dictate to your husband where you would like to do your residency, rather than the other way around? There are certainly many good neurosurgery programs in Boston and New York, while the pickings in psychiatry in the south are not as rich as in the Northeast. Also, are you planning on doing the couples match? Are you interested in a place where you not only want to train, but also live and practice for 3-4 years while your fiancee finishes his residency? If you are really interested in living in the South, then you might also consider Duke, MUSC, in addition to the programs you've already mentioned.
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Oh, trust me, he knows my preferences are NYC or Boston, and we both applied heavily in those areas. It's just that NS is so freakin' competitive that he doesn't think he'll match in Boston or NYC, so I'm trying to make sure I have some other options. As for couples matching, we really can't b/c neurosurg is early (SF) match ...
 
It sounds like there's nothing particular about the South that's attracting you besides it being a potentially easier place for your fiance to match. If that's the case, I would also look into the Midwest. Consider Iowa, WashU, Northwestern and University of Wisconsin. These places have pretty good neurosurgery programs, too.
 
As has been said...

The suit is similar to the personal statement--be wary of sticking out. It's rare that either will make a positive difference, but there are many ways either could go wrong (you may like the idea of rhyming your statement or not wearing a tie, but it only takes one person to be offended, and you're toast).

My impression is that schools want any data they can get, which is why they even look at step scores. Step 2's aren't necessary, though a good one can smooth over a bad step 1.
 
cleareyedguy said:
As has been said...

The suit is similar to the personal statement--be wary of sticking out. It's rare that either will make a positive difference, but there are many ways either could go wrong (you may like the idea of rhyming your statement or not wearing a tie, but it only takes one person to be offended, and you're toast).

My impression is that schools want any data they can get, which is why they even look at step scores. Step 2's aren't necessary, though a good one can smooth over a bad step 1.
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This is what i've heard again and again, from my school administration and on these forums. I did really well on step 1, so my plan has been to take step 2 as late as possible so it's score won't hurt me if it's a tad lower than step 1. However, I just heard from a program (Univ Arizona) that they want step 2 scores in Feb at the latest so they can use it in the rankings. I haven't heard this from any other program, have you guys? Do other programs require step 2 scores of everyone?
so much for my master plan. now i need to stress about doing well on another friggin exam. 🙁
 
Chrismander said:
This is what i've heard again and again, from my school administration and on these forums. I did really well on step 1, so my plan has been to take step 2 as late as possible so it's score won't hurt me if it's a tad lower than step 1. However, I just heard from a program (Univ Arizona) that they want step 2 scores in Feb at the latest so they can use it in the rankings. I haven't heard this from any other program, have you guys? Do other programs require step 2 scores of everyone?
so much for my master plan. now i need to stress about doing well on another friggin exam. 🙁
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Wow. From Univ of Arizona? Chrismander, how did they contact you regarding that?.... I scheduled an interview with them but no word from them that they needed step 2 before Feb. Wonder what's up with that.

Cambridge sent out an email saying that the Board of Registration in Mass was changing the requirments for a limited medical license and this would require all incoming residents to have completed Step II; therefore they stated that they would need verified exam scores from Step II prior to ranking any of their applicants. But a few days later they wrote again and said that actually the draft regulations requiring passing step II to qualify for a limited medical license in Massachusetts would be delayed for this year, therefore they would not limit interviews or need stepp II for rankings before the rank list was due.
 
When we rank applicants we REALLY want to know that they can pass their boards and get licensed. If an applicant, however well they interviewed, has a marginal Step I score, and hasn't taken Step II yet--that will be a HUGE red flag. They will probably fall "below the line" for ranking. (This is at a "mid-range" community program, too--not a high powered competitive academic place.)
BTW--Nothing worse for you as an intern either to come into a class and find out that one or more of your colleagues has some kind of "snag" in their licensing, and won't be able to start until whenever, thus reducing your call pool by that many warm bodies!😱
 
OldPsychDoc said:
BTW--Nothing worse for you as an intern either to come into a class and find out that one or more of your colleagues has some kind of "snag" in their licensing, and won't be able to start until whenever, thus reducing your call pool by that many warm bodies!😱
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This is a very real concern as this happened to my class this year....🙁
 
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OldPsychDoc said:
When we rank applicants we REALLY want to know that they can pass their boards and get licensed. If an applicant, however well they interviewed, has a marginal Step I score, and hasn't taken Step II yet--that will be a HUGE red flag. They will probably fall "below the line" for ranking. (This is at a "mid-range" community program, too--not a high powered competitive academic place.)
BTW--Nothing worse for you as an intern either to come into a class and find out that one or more of your colleagues has some kind of "snag" in their licensing, and won't be able to start until whenever, thus reducing your call pool by that many warm bodies!😱
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Yeah, that's the thing though--my Step 1 wasn't marginal, it was really high. I haven't seen any other program explicitly ask for Step 2's to be submitted before ranking, just the informal "it's better to have them if your step 1 sucked" kind of thing. Weird.
 
Chrismander said:
Yeah, that's the thing though--my Step 1 wasn't marginal, it was really high. I haven't seen any other program explicitly ask for Step 2's to be submitted before ranking, just the informal "it's better to have them if your step 1 sucked" kind of thing. Weird.
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for the longest time, i was told that if you did well on step 1, then it may be better to wait on step 2 because of the possibility of doing poorly. but then i found out that some competitive programs are not going to want to interview you if you don't have a step 2 score. probably, if you're a star (AOA, research, papers, step 1 in the 260s), the missing step 2 score really wouldn't matter in terms of getting an interview. but it is up to the program to decide whether to use that score in the rank list. in fact, i was told by my school that i need to pass CS before Match Day, because technically, just passing CK does not mean that you passed step 2.
 
fielight said:
for the longest time, i was told that if you did well on step 1, then it may be better to wait on step 2 because of the possibility of doing poorly. but then i found out that some competitive programs are not going to want to interview you if you don't have a step 2 score. probably, if you're a star (AOA, research, papers, step 1 in the 260s), the missing step 2 score really wouldn't matter in terms of getting an interview. but it is up to the program to decide whether to use that score in the rank list. in fact, i was told by my school that i need to pass CS before Match Day, because technically, just passing CK does not mean that you passed step 2.
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Incidentally, how much does AOA help for psych?
 
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