Scheduled/Will take on ERAS

[Futuredoctr]

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Any thoughts on listing this information about scheduled step II board exams? I haven't really found an overall sentiment about this. If I list it, take it, and don't update it, I know it will be an interview conversation piece, but if I don't list it then it may not be brought up. I'm hoping to do well like I did on step I, but I would hate to bury myself should I not before I even get the chance.

 

[mcl]

Any thoughts on listing this information about scheduled step II board exams? I haven't really found an overall sentiment about this. If I list it, take it, and don't update it, I know it will be an interview conversation piece, but if I don't list it then it may not be brought up. I'm hoping to do well like I did on step I, but I would hate to bury myself should I not before I even get the chance.

As an application reviewer, I see it as a red flag. I assume that applicants who don't provide their scheduled exam dates don't have confidence in their application, and those who don't update their application with results once sufficient time has past are hiding something negative. Unless the other elements of the application are stellar, I put such applications in the "wait for the Dean's letter" pile.

It's hard for me to make a case to the Selection Committee for offering an interview when they consider the application to be incomplete.

 

[gutonc]

Any thoughts on listing this information about scheduled step II board exams? I haven't really found an overall sentiment about this. If I list it, take it, and don't update it, I know it will be an interview conversation piece, but if I don't list it then it may not be brought up. I'm hoping to do well like I did on step I, but I would hate to bury myself should I not before I even get the chance.

If you did well (like 240+) on Step I, you are much better off scheduling your Step 2 for as late as possible (within reason of course). Unless you're applying to one of the handful of programs (or specialties) that require or "strongly encourage" Step 2 prior to ranking, you don't have much to gain and a lot to lose from an early Step 2 (your score can't really go up that much and any decrease in your score is bad news).

 

[kdburton]

So to piggy-back off this question... I'm taking Step 2 in mid-Sept feeling confident that I will improve on my Step 1 score. I put on my ERAS that I'll be taking 09/2010, but should I say to "automatically send" my scores or should I just manually do it when my score comes back? Obviously if I do well I'll release it right away, but if in the event that I don't do as well as I'd like to, right now I kinda like the idea of just manually doing it when my score comes back in Oct. Whats everyone's take on that? You cannot change the answer to that question once you save it.

 

[IHeartNerds]

From what I understand talking to a few program directors, they don't see if you pick "automatically send my scores" or not. thus, there is no real advantage to saying yes to that question, unless you plan on doing an away rotation in, say, north korea during the month you expect the scores to return. that is, you might as well check the box yourself to send the scores, if you're physically able to do so...

 

[kapMD/PhD]

I never really even considered checking no-
I'm curious what your reasoning is - so you get your score and it's not what you wanted, but you passed, will you choose different schools for which to apply? or withdraw from the match? I'm not sure that you can retake the test (and more power to you if you can, and you are willing to). Most of the schools that i'm looking at require your scores before they will rank you, so they'll have to see at some point anyway. Just wondering.

 

[kdburton]

I never really even considered checking no-
I'm curious what your reasoning is - so you get your score and it's not what you wanted, but you passed, will you choose different schools for which to apply? or withdraw from the match? I'm not sure that you can retake the test (and more power to you if you can, and you are willing to). Most of the schools that i'm looking at require your scores before they will rank you, so they'll have to see at some point anyway. Just wondering.

It wouldn't change the programs that I apply to. The only reason I ask is because if I got a lower score than I did on Step 1 then I would rather just have my Step 1 score out there when programs are deciding whether or not to interview me. Yes they would eventually see my Step 2 score prior to ranking me but my main motivation for taking it early is just to boost the number of interviews I get since a good interview can go a long way