Step 2 and interview invites?

[bd290]

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I'm curious whether or not me not having my step 2 score in is hurting my interview invite chances? I can't seem to follow any rhyme or reason to it - I've gotten invites from places that say it is required on FRIEDA without having it but then there are other schools where I know invites have gone out and I'm wondering if this might be part of the reason?

 

[clausewitz2]

FREIDA's information is not to be trusted. Mind you, there's not necessarily a better unitary source for that sort of info, but I am not at all surprised.

 

[Leo Aquarius]

This reminds me of when I was applying. By January I was still waiting to hear for my reach program. Then my Step 2 score came back and boom, my dream school offered me an interview. Was that coincidence? I feel like probably not.

 

[Gavanshir]

This reminds me of when I was applying. By January I was still waiting to hear for my reach program. Then my Step 2 score came back and boom, my dream school offered me an interview. Was that coincidence? I feel like probably not.

Did you contact them at all?

 

[Leo Aquarius]

Did you contact them at all?

Nope. I didn't contact any of my programs. I just stayed quiet.

But the waiting is hell.

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

OPD has 1300 applications. If he (we) invite e-mail communication stating if you are truly interested, that would mean 1200 e-mails. If you have a connection to a program, or a mentor recommended a program who has a connection, this works much better. Please take a hint. If you do get a negative reply, escalating into anger isn't common, but surprisingly common considering it makes no sense and complete death as far as chances. My coordinator and I have an artificial bet as to how long it will take to get an angry e-mail after sending a wave of "no" responses. Rejection isn't fun, but look at the odds before you take it personally. We both just want the best we can get.

 

[whodunit030]

Is it important to just have Step 2 CK in order to get interviews at schools that want Step 2? Or do you need to have CS too?

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Is it important to just have Step 2 CK in order to get interviews at schools that want Step 2? Or do you need to have CS too?

We're inconsistent. For "known" med schools, where everything else looks good, we'll take a chance and interview without either CK or CS. But if you have a marginal Step 1, or a previous fail on Step 1, or you're an IMG with a failed CS--we're going to want more assurance that you can jump through these hoops. (Also why having Step 3 in hand gives a little edge to IMGs--it removes that element of doubt for us.)

 

[whodunit030]

We're inconsistent. For "known" med schools, where everything else looks good, we'll take a chance and interview without either CK or CS. But if you have a marginal Step 1, or a previous fail on Step 1, or you're an IMG with a failed CS--we're going to want more assurance that you can jump through these hoops. (Also why having Step 3 in hand gives a little edge to IMGs--it removes that element of doubt for us.)

Thanks for the input. That makes sense. I know your response may be different from other programs to the following scenario: DO student in the inaugural class of the school (so the school is not well known outside of the state it's in), just under a 220 step 1 score...would you recommend having Step 2 CK or CS, or both by application time?

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Thanks for the input. That makes sense. I know your response may be different from other programs to the following scenario: DO student in the inaugural class of the school (so the school is not well known outside of the state it's in), just under a 220 step 1 score...would you recommend having Step 2 CK or CS, or both by application time?

Definitely best to have both. You might get interviews in-state without them, but if you're looking further out...

 

[Rogue Penguin]

So, my perspective on this is obviously pretty limited, but it seems to me that having Step 2 CK does make a difference regardless of what sort of school you're coming from. I was told by a program director that I didn't need to have Step 2 CK to get interviews, but I've gotten fewer invites than people with similar or worse stats who do have a CK score. There are obviously some possible confounding factors, but I'm more and more confident that this is the problem. A program that is not competitive from what I can tell wanted a Step 2 to offer me an interview.

 

[bd290]

So, my perspective on this is obviously pretty limited, but it seems to me that having Step 2 CK does make a difference regardless of what sort of school you're coming from. I was told by a program director that I didn't need to have Step 2 CK to get interviews, but I've gotten fewer invites than people with similar or worse stats who do have a CK score. There are obviously some possible confounding factors, but I'm more and more confident that this is the problem. Since my one true love of a program doesn't seem to want to give me an interview, I contacted the other program in the same city. This other program is SUPER not competitive from what I can tell, but they wanted a Step 2 to offer me an interview.

Yeah I feel like scheduling it so late was a mistake, especially since it seems like Psych suddenly got popular this year, I'm not going to have a score to send until the end of November/Early December 🙁 but there's not really anything I can do about it at this point.

 

[Nymphicus]

Any thoughts on at what point a step 2 ck score is hurtful or helpful? Under 210? Over 220? 230!?

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

With the bump up in applications (I didn’t say applicants), it is hard not to readjust the thinking about scores and cut offs. Since LORs, PSs, and such blur together, at least scores are concrete. Alternatively, I’m thinking of favoring everyone with a summer birth month that has more than three, but less than 5 vowels in their last name. Oh, and while I’m at it, an extra 2 points for using an obvious selfie for your photo.

 

[clausewitz2]

With the bump up in applications (I didn’t say applicants), it is hard not to readjust the thinking about scores and cut offs. Since LORs, PSs, and such blur together, at least scores are concrete. Alternatively, I’m thinking of favoring everyone with a summer birth month that has more than three, but less than 5 vowels in their last name. Oh, and while I’m at it, an extra 2 points for using an obvious selfie for your photo.

Favor applicants whose names, schools of origin, hometown or LOR writer names add up to values greater than "GOODPSYCHIATRIST" using gematria.

 

[Gavanshir]

With the bump up in applications (I didn’t say applicants), it is hard not to readjust the thinking about scores and cut offs. Since LORs, PSs, and such blur together, at least scores are concrete. Alternatively, I’m thinking of favoring everyone with a summer birth month that has more than three, but less than 5 vowels in their last name. Oh, and while I’m at it, an extra 2 points for using an obvious selfie for your photo.

That algorithm might actually land me an interview since my 90 applications so far have not.

I attended the IPS meeting today in NY and met with a couple of PDs who talked about their workflow for going through the applications. One of them is simply setting 230 as his Step 2 CK filter and screening everyone else out. My question is, how does one overcome the filter? I have a low step 1 score and sub 220 step 2 and given that I haven't heard from a single program, I think I'm being filtered everywhere. These PDs also actively discouraged applicants from sending LOI emails, what is an applicant to do?

 

[bd290]

That algorithm might actually land me an interview since my 90 applications so far have not.

I attended the IPS meeting today in NY and met with a couple of PDs who talked about their workflow for going through the applications. One of them is simply setting 230 as his Step 2 CK filter and screening everyone else out. My question is, how does one overcome the filter? I have a low step 1 score and sub 220 step 2 and given that I haven't heard from a single program, I think I'm being filtered everywhere. These PDs also actively discouraged applicants from sending LOI emails, what is an applicant to do?

Well that ****ing sucks.

 

[Leo Aquarius]

That algorithm might actually land me an interview since my 90 applications so far have not.

I attended the IPS meeting today in NY and met with a couple of PDs who talked about their workflow for going through the applications. One of them is simply setting 230 as his Step 2 CK filter and screening everyone else out. My question is, how does one overcome the filter? I have a low step 1 score and sub 220 step 2 and given that I haven't heard from a single program, I think I'm being filtered everywhere. These PDs also actively discouraged applicants from sending LOI emails, what is an applicant to do?

It didn't seem this rough 4 years ago.

If that PD was from somewhere other than Columbia or Cornell, then blimey times are a changin'.

 

[simon_sparrow]

I attended the IPS meeting today in NY and met with a couple of PDs who talked about their workflow for going through the applications. One of them is simply setting 230 as his Step 2 CK filter and screening everyone else out. My question is, how does one overcome the filter? I have a low step 1 score and sub 220 step 2 and given that I haven't heard from a single program, I think I'm being filtered everywhere. These PDs also actively discouraged applicants from sending LOI emails, what is an applicant to do?

Just to calm some fears: I know what that PD said (I was at IPS, too), and I also know that that program will end up looking at a lot of people with Step 1 below 230.

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

a 230 cut off will get you more than you can interview this year. When people get real about how many they can do, cut offs will drop to what they were last year. It is just hard to invite 200 people hoping they will thin out knowing you can not possible interview that many. Right now, it is a real stand off.

 

[masterofmonkeys]

We're inconsistent. For "known" med schools, where everything else looks good, we'll take a chance and interview without either CK or CS. But if you have a marginal Step 1, or a previous fail on Step 1, or you're an IMG with a failed CS--we're going to want more assurance that you can jump through these hoops. (Also why having Step 3 in hand gives a little edge to IMGs--it removes that element of doubt for us.)

This is more or less how we rolled as well.

I usually tell my med students to get their CK done as soon as possible, CS as well if they can. Most of them have found it worthwhile.

 

[splik]

That algorithm might actually land me an interview since my 90 applications so far have not.

I attended the IPS meeting today in NY and met with a couple of PDs who talked about their workflow for going through the applications. One of them is simply setting 230 as his Step 2 CK filter and screening everyone else out. My question is, how does one overcome the filter? I have a low step 1 score and sub 220 step 2 and given that I haven't heard from a single program, I think I'm being filtered everywhere. These PDs also actively discouraged applicants from sending LOI emails, what is an applicant to do?

Yes don't believe it. You'd be surprised how many PDs are FOS. i wouldn't put much stock in it some people have a tendency to exaggerate (I bet I can guess who this was - edited)

 

[drashes]

Now that interviews are winding down, anyone with a late step 2 have problems? I'm looking at a mid or late September test and would be a real pain to change. A friend of mine is actually planning on October for now and has the same concerns. We're both at US MD schools if that matters.

Edit: If I were to get score back sometime and update in October, would I have already missed the boat for programs that do screen?

 

[downwithDTB]

Now that interviews are winding down, anyone with a late step 2 have problems? I'm looking at a mid or late September test and would be a real pain to change. A friend of mine is actually planning on October for now and has the same concerns. We're both at US MD schools if that matters.

Are you an otherwise really, really good candidate or not? That is the question. It seems that people from top med schools, with really good step 1, AOA, good PhDs, and/or etc. end up getting invited by top programs with little attention paid to less important things like the step 2s. Otherwise, some middle/low programs say they screen based on the presence/absence of step IIs, and they might. If you can't stand out in another way, a good CK might help, average (for psych) probably would help you and get you beyond some screens, and a bad step 2 score... might get you through some screens and hurt you for other programs.

 

[bonedrone14]

I took ck in early November. I ended up having a couple places tell me they wouldn't interview me until I had ck scores. I also just flat out didn't hear from a lot of places at all that I was sure I'd hear from. Granted, I had something like 12 or 13 invites by the time my ck scores came back, but once I released them, I got 4 more interviews, all at some pretty competitive places. My app was strong enough that I thought it wouldn't matter (step 1 >260, honors in most of 3rd year, top quarter of my class). But if I had to do it again I'd take ck early. By the time I got those 4 late invites my schedule was pretty much filled up as I didn't wanna go on more than 10 interviews. So basically for convenience sake and your own sanity, I'd try and get it out of the way rigjt after third year if possible. There were probably some o th er variables in my situation but that's what I'd do if I could do it over. Good luck!