releasing step 2 score

[172821]

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Are you oblagated to release your step 2 score?

My Situation: Sitting on a great Step 1 (250's), my school forces all students to take Step 2 by early September. When I get the score back in late September am I oblagated to release it for the 2009 match?

 

[MJJ]

yes you are required to. according to associate dean of my med school, you have to release an NBME transcript to the residency programs and this transcript will have all your scores (including Step 2, if taken). The only way to separate this is taking your step 2 after you have submitted your application and NBME transcript.

 

[KurosawaRhap]

i thought there was a way to block your step 2 score from reaching the transcript?

 

[gourman]

There is a "do not automatically update USMLE transcript" box on ERAS. That's what you'd click. However, your Step 2 might still show up on your Dean's letter, depending on when that is released.

 

[Amxcvbcv]

Even if you don't release it on ERAS, you're going to get asked about it at interviews, right?

Be confident! From what I hear, most folks do better numbers wise on Step 2 anyway.

Unless you think your 250 was a definite fluke. 😱

 

[172821]

I was thinking that I could send in my app to eras on 9/1/08, take step 2 on like 9/6/08, and not get the score back till like 9/25 and then not submit it.

But if i cant do that, i will just take the school's step 2 review course in july and take step 2 at the end of july.

and after doing some of the USMLE world questions, i am starting to think that the 250 was a fluke.

 

[plusminus]

I was thinking that I could send in my app to eras on 9/1/08, take step 2 on like 9/6/08, and not get the score back till like 9/25 and then not submit it.

But if i cant do that, i will just take the school's step 2 review course in july and take step 2 at the end of july.

and after doing some of the USMLE world questions, i am starting to think that the 250 was a fluke.

There is absolutely no reason to mess with your 250+ score. At best you will "confirm" it, at worst you will prove it was a fluke. Do not listen to any bozo who says to "get it over with." Be smart, take it after you submit in early September, and then do not release the score. If you have a 250+, you will likely be interviewing at first and second-tier programs, none of which will care if you have taken step 2 yet. Also recommend you get off this board and move to auntminnie.com ASAP.

 

[novado]

There is not a "do not resubmit button". There is a re-submit button which is if free and easy to click if you do better on step 2. If you do well on Step 1, do not take Step 2 until late August or later. Some programs do require if before ranking candidates, but they usually will tell you that during the interview process. Most interviewers will not even ask you about your Step 2 score, especially if your Step 1 score is phenomenal. I agree with the above poster. Do not take it early enough for it to show up on your original USMLE transcript, that way you are under control of whether or not it shows up. Most PD's I have talked with do not care what your Step 2 score is, as long as it is not a failure or more than 20 points lower than your Step 1 score.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

Similar sitaution: 250+ Step 1, but school requires take Step II prior to October. What if I submit in September, and take it a week or so later in September. Does that work?

 

[MacGyver]

Similar sitaution: 250+ Step 1, but school requires take Step II prior to October. What if I submit in September, and take it a week or so later in September. Does that work?

It might. Once you register on ERAS, it will show the documents that each program has downloaded. Its IMPERATIVE that they download the first USMLE transcript BEFORE you take the Step 2 if you want to hide the scores from them.

As long as they download the USMLE transcript before Step 2, and as long as you check the "do not automatically retransmit scores" option on ERAS, you are in the clear.

P.S. I submitted my ERAS the first day possible, but most of my programs didnt download my USMLE transcript until mid September. You might want to wait until October or later to schedule Step 2, just to give you more cushion for the first transcript to actually get downloaded by the programs.

 

[MacGyver]

Here's another little hint for hiding Step 2:

When you put in your ERAS application, it will ask you when you are planning to take Step 2.

If you want to hide your Step 2, then make sure you put in a date which is after Match Day. That way, programs cant look at that and say "hey your app said you were going to take Step 2 in September but we dont have the scores yet. Where are they?"

 

[MacGyver]

There is not a "do not resubmit button". There is a re-submit button which is if free and easy to click if you do better on step 2.

Not true. On ERAS, the button says "do NOT automatically retransmit scores" and thats teh button you have to check.

 

[MacGyver]

Just for summary purposes here's what you should do:

1) Register for Step 2 in October or LATER. Do NOT register for the test before then.

2) Start filling out ERAS on July 1st. On the part of teh application where it asks you when you are taking Step 2, mark down a date AFTER match day (March 20th)

3) Check the "do not automatically retransmit scores" button on ERAS.

3) Submit your ERAS the very first day it goes online (Sept 1st)

4) All your programs should have downloaded your USMLE transcript by mid September. Double check this on ERAS, it will tell you which programs have downloaded your USMLEs

5) Take Step 2 in October or later.

As long as you follow this checklist the programs are guaranteed not to get your scores until AFTER match day, and by that point they dont give a damn anyways (unless you failed, in which case you've got much bigger problems than matching)

 

[lemedecin05]

i had a similar question. my step 1 was a 239 and step 2 is a 238. so im one point lower/relatively the same. would releasing that hurt me for transitional year? or not submitting the score hurt me ( i did put i was taking it in nov 2007 on my app)? i heard that programs dont rank you high without a step 2...but then would no improvement hurt you more??

 

[Sancho]

ok, I don't know what I was thinking but I released my step II yesterday, I just got it back and was pretty happy with it considering I gave it no prep and took it on a day in between interviews. Its a 240's 99 but its 20 points lower than step I. I guess I was thinking that something would be better than nothing like most people have. Do you think that programs would see that obviously I took it without much motivation this time of year- and I thought they'd see the breakdown (bombed OB-and aced most of the important stuff). They have to know that all of these people who don't release their scores don't end up with stellar scores like their step I's? or do they?

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

i had a similar question. my step 1 was a 239 and step 2 is a 238. so im one point lower/relatively the same. would releasing that hurt me for transitional year? or not submitting the score hurt me ( i did put i was taking it in nov 2007 on my app)? i heard that programs dont rank you high without a step 2...but then would no improvement hurt you more??

That won't hurt because even if you were "supposed" to improve by the standard 5 points, a one point drop still puts you in the six point "fuzziness" that can occur between taking different version of a test.

 

[txguy]

Just for summary purposes here's what you should do:

1) Register for Step 2 in October or LATER. Do NOT register for the test before then.

Do you mean register to take it in October or later, or don't even register until October? Basically does the act of registering somehow alert schools that you will be taking step 2, regardless of when you are registering to take it? Hope that made sense!

-tx

 

[calicali]

Do you mean register to take it in October or later, or don't even register until October? Basically does the act of registering somehow alert schools that you will be taking step 2, regardless of when you are registering to take it? Hope that made sense!

-tx

Good question, anybody have an answer? When you register after submitting your ERAS, do programs see they you've registered?

 

[shaggy411]

bump

 

[Fireboy]

Do you mean register to take it in October or later, or don't even register until October? Basically does the act of registering somehow alert schools that you will be taking step 2, regardless of when you are registering to take it? Hope that made sense!

-tx

Good question...

Any answers out there??