Step 2 for DO osteopathic students?

[Ellomate]

Taking Level 2 & Step 2 next week.
My stats for Level 1 (450-500), and Step 1 (215).

I'm a horrible test taker and literally burned out to the max. I feel suffocated and feel like drowning and just need to get this over with.
My desired specialty is Psych (maybe IM).

I am not doing well on NBME or UW assessments.
Is it worth taking step 2? Since 7/1/22, the passing score is 214.
I don't feel confident that I can get >214 on step 2.
Should I still just go for it?

If I don't take step 2, I can still use my step 1 score which is better than my Level 1 score.
However, if I fail step 2, I will most likely NOT report my Step scores (1 & 2).

How important is step 2 for DO students? Would not having step 2 close doors or raise red flags in the eyes of PD?
Anyone here just do step 1 but not step 2? Any regrets?
215 step 1 was a good score for me and def help my chances with psych. I don't want to risk losing this score if I fail step 2.

What do I do...?

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[Dr. Anonymouss]

Taking Level 2 & Step 2 next week.
My stats for Level 1 (450-500), and Step 1 (215).

I'm a horrible test taker and literally burned out to the max. I feel suffocated and feel like drowning and just need to get this over with.
My desired specialty is Psych (maybe IM).

I am not doing well on NBME or UW assessments.
Is it worth taking step 2? Since 7/1/22, the passing score is 214.
I don't feel confident that I can get >214 on step 2.
Should I still just go for it?

If I don't take step 2, I can still use my step 1 score which is better than my Level 1 score.
However, if I fail step 2, I will most likely NOT report my Step scores (1 & 2).

How important is step 2 for DO students? Would not having step 2 close doors or raise red flags in the eyes of PD?
Anyone here just do step 1 but not step 2? Any regrets?
215 step 1 was a good score for me and def help my chances with psych. I don't want to risk losing this score if I fail step 2.

What do I do...?

If you want to be on par with competitiveness with MD applicants you should be taking the step exams. Program directors will have bias and otherwise evaluate confidantes differently if some have step scores and some only have comlex.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

There is no right answer. As you've mentioned, if you do poorly on S2 you won't want to release your USMLE transcript. Some programs heavily weight USMLE. Others are perfectly happy with COMLEX.

Psych has gotten more competitive. You may need to consider a back up plan.

Taking an exam you're not feeling prepared for isn't a great plan. And passing L2 will be required by your school - make sure you don't focus so much on S2 that you don't prep well for L2 (although there's obviously lots of similar content)

 

[Ellomate]

Ok how about this.

Is Step 1 kinda useless without Step 2?
Or if a DO applicant does NOT have a step 2 score, would the PD raise an eyebrow and question me for it? Would it hinder me more than help me?

Thanks!

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

Ok how about this.

Is Step 1 kinda useless without Step 2?
Or if a DO applicant does NOT have a step 2 score, would the PD raise an eyebrow and question me for it? Would it hinder me more than help me?

Thanks!

Not having a step 2 score only hinders you. If you want to be comparable to MD students and evaluated the same then you need to take the same tests, otherwise there will always be bias.

 

[JimBone905]

Passing step 1 and 2 with any score is better than not taking it at all .. if u dnt wnt to report it u can just not report it