Step 2 and the match

[Czeckers]

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Did you apply with or without your step 2 scores? Any strategic advice is appreciate by future applicants.

 

[PRPetrator]

I was asked about Step 2 by roughly half the programs I interviewed with, and they were glad to get a score from me. So I am glad I took it. Even with good Step 1 scores it's not terribly hard to improve on Step 2, virtually everyone I have talked to improved their score, so I suggest taking it.

 

[junkemail86]

i got a 248 on step 1 and got interviews from about half of the top 10 programs. got step 2 score back after rank lists were due, nobody asked about step 2.

 

[EyeGuy15]

If you get less than a 230, it is probably in your best interest to take step 2 early enough so it is on your application with the goal to improve 10+ points. I am sure once the match stats come out and people post their info, you will see that most people with lower step one scores who matched will have done this.

 

[Czeckers]

If you get less than a 230, it is probably in your best interest to take step 2 early enough so it is on your application with the goal to improve 10+ points. I am sure once the match stats come out and people post their info, you will see that most people with lower step one scores who matched will have done this.

question is: where is the cut off? is it at 230, like you said above? is that a general consensus?

 

[taco bell]

is it true that if you take it in september, you can choose to release your scores or not? I would think that would be the ideal choice for those of us in limbo. I got a 238/99 and am not planning on taking my step 2 early

 

[Czeckers]

is it true that if you take it in september, you can choose to release your scores or not? I would think that would be the ideal choice for those of us in limbo. I got a 238/99 and am not planning on taking my step 2 early

does anyone think that doing this may raise a red flag? its never good to look like you are hiding something

 

[Czeckers]

If you have your applications distributed to programs in August or september and then you take step 2 in october, you may not get your scores back until november (i think). So when you get your score back, would you have to update your application or anything like that?

 

[200UL]

In general, I believe taking step 2 early is a bad idea unless the step 1 score is poor. I don't know what the cut-off should be? (<225<220???).

Why do I say this: If someone scores 215 on step one, do they really have it in them to score 260 on step 2. My guess is no in most cases. If they can pull off a step 2 score of 260, it will take LOTS of studying. To look at this another way - if you do take it early, scoring high is a must in all situations. I also feel it is your duty to report the score if it is available.

At most medical schools working hard for a 30 point jump would possibly detract from performance on ward rotations. Additionally, there are other things one must be doing to strengthen their ophthalmology application in the 3rd and 4th year of medical school (meeting ophthalmologists in their department, doing research, doing electives). For me, I would find it hard to balance all of this if I needed to take a step 1 220 to a step 2 260. With that said, scoring well on step 2 is easier than scoring well on step 1, because most people do not study for step 2 (step 2 was my highest USMLE score. I studied less than 1 week for it).

To summarize my thoughts, scoring your best on step 1 is very, very important. With this score in place, one can focus on other things. Again, I don't know what the step 1 number must be? I still believe the magic step 1 number is different for every applicant - the remainder of the application also matters.