Score drop... to release the score or not

[Realgasman135]

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hi all,

Looking for some advise. Just got step 2 score which was 4 points lower than step 1. Step 1 was 243 and step is 239. In a DO with no red flag. My wife had hyperemesis gravidum when I was studying for step 2.

Anyway, currently sitting with 6 invites and some of the programs are reach programs that I didn’t expect to get invites from. Should I release score now? Is this a red flag?

 

[Vergie]

hi all,

Looking for some advise. Just got step 2 score which was 4 points lower than step 1. Step 1 was 243 and step is 239. In a DO with no red flag. My wife had hyperemesis gravidum when I was studying for step 2.

Anyway, currently sitting with 6 invites and some of the programs are reach programs that I didn’t expect to get invites from. Should I release score now? Is this a red flag?

239 is still a very respectable step 2. I would release. If anyone asks about going down some just say what you did above, wife is pregnant. It’s still a good score.

 

[NICMAN]

Nobody will rank you without a step 2 score. Release it.

 

[AdmiralChz]

hi all,

Looking for some advise. Just got step 2 score which was 4 points lower than step 1. Step 1 was 243 and step is 239. In a DO with no red flag. My wife had hyperemesis gravidum when I was studying for step 2.

Anyway, currently sitting with 6 invites and some of the programs are reach programs that I didn’t expect to get invites from. Should I release score now? Is this a red flag?

Step 1 is good enough it won’t matter a whole lot.

As the above poster said you will have to release the score at some point - better to know earlier which programs (might) hold it against you before you waste your time traveling there. But I honestly think there is a low chance of this. It would be a very different discussion if your scores were 210 and 206.

 

[Realgasman135]

Thank you all of the replies.thank you all for the replies. Kinda concerned that I have interviews at reach programs and I don’t know if this will affect the ranking if I were to have decent interview.

Also, should I send emails to other reach programs and explain why there is a score drop? Feel like it will only hurt my chance of possibly getting invites... any advise is greatly appreciated.
Thank you

 

[Man o War]

It’s a small drop from an already good score- release it.
If it were a huge drop or step 1 was low, I’d be worried.

 

[pjl]

It’s a small drop from an already good score- release it.
If it were a huge drop or step 1 was low, I’d be worried.

4 points will change nothing.

 

[hununuh]

I would actually disagree with the posts above. Step 1 and step 2 have very different mean. 243 is good for step 1 bc the mean is 230. Step 2 has average of 240.

Although its only a matter of 4 points, essentially, you went from like 70th percentile to below average score. I wouldnt release the score.

Just something to think about.

 

[ToKingdomCome]

As a DO you should absolutely release the score. I know some fellow DOs who did not take ate 2 ck and tumbled on their rank list. You need it to be ranked especially as a DO.

The score is fine anyways

 

[Realgasman135]

So I released the score and emailed programs that I haven’t heard from yet.

I’m debating whether to send emails to programs that I’m waitlisted at. I feel like it will hurt my chance of getting off the waitlist but I don’t want to waste money and time to interview for a place that may not rank me high because of my step 2 score. Any advise is greatly appreciated.

 

[BLADEMDA]

So I released the score and emailed programs that I haven’t heard from yet.

I’m debating whether to send emails to programs that I’m waitlisted at. I feel like it will hurt my chance of getting off the waitlist but I don’t want to waste money and time to interview for a place that may not rank me high because of my step 2 score. Any advise is greatly appreciated.

In this case honesty is the best policy. E mail all those programs and be honest. If they won't consider you then " F...them" and move on. I'm hoping at least 2 of those invites are midtier, realistic programs which accept DOs. It's okay if the other 4 are "reach" for you.

 

[Realgasman135]

2 are top tier programs and 1 is a mid tier but super competitive due to its location. 2 top tier programs has taken DOs every year but I assume they probably had high scores.

Also, 3 programs that I have interview scheduled at are considered to be competitive due to location. I received invites without step 2. Should I email them as well or should I bring it up during the interview?

Sorry for too many questions. Really kinda confused about this whole process.

As usual, any tip is greatly appreciated.

 

[BLADEMDA]

2 are top tier programs and 1 is a mid tier but super competitive due to its location. 2 top tier programs has taken DOs every year but I assume they probably had high scores.

Also, 3 programs that I have interview scheduled at are considered to be competitive due to location. I received invites without step 2. Should I email them as well or should I bring it up during the interview?

Sorry for too many questions. Really kinda confused about this whole process.

As usual, any tip is greatly appreciated.

You don't need to be so defensive about your step 2 score. You didn't commit a felony or run over a kid. It's a step 2 score. If you received invites go to the interview and tell them your step 2 score. You are a real human being and not just a score! They want to meet you and see if you will be a good team player for the program. That matters even more than the step 2 score. Once you get the interview the next step is how well you fit into the program and if they see you as the kind of person they want to work alongside for the next 3-4 years.

Please take a moment and realize mid tier programs want quality human beings who function in the OR and relate to people. There are many "dysfunctional" people in Anesthesiology regardless of their 245 step 1 and 250 step 2. The interview is one method of trying to avoid matching those individuals.

My advice is go to interview and kill it. That means a whole lot more than pontificating about your step 2 score.

Finally, I hope you have a few standard mid tier interviews lined up outside California as back up.

 

[Lecithin5]

A total no brainer: release

 

[AdmiralChz]

You don't need to be so defensive about your step 2 score. You didn't commit a felony or run over a kid. It's a step 2 score. If you received invites go to the interview and tell them your step 2 score. You are a real human being and not just a score! They want to meet you and see if you will be a good team player for the program. That matters even more than the step 2 score. Once you get the interview the next step is how well you fit into the program and if they see you as the kind of person they want to work alongside for the next 3-4 years.

Please take a moment and realize mid tier programs want quality human beings who function in the OR and relate to people. There are many "dysfunctional" people in Anesthesiology regardless of their 245 step 1 and 250 step 2. The interview is one method of trying to avoid matching those individuals.

My advice is go to interview and kill it. That means a whole lot more than pontificating about your step 2 score.

Finally, I hope you have a few standard mid tier interviews lined up outside California as back up.

Great advice!

Many programs actually blind the interviewers to scores (that’s taken into account already when the decision is made to send an invite) - this helps make it a more level playing field with regards to the interview. At my program the scores only came out in the final ranking meeting, but If you impressed on the interview it was super easy to overlook a “bad” score - and yours isn’t even in that category!

You’d be surprised how many awkward weirdos come through with step scores > 260 - programs run from them like the plague, especially if it’s a busy institution which relies heavily on resident workforce.