Step 2 for rads

[aspiringrads]

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Hey guys,

I just got my step 2 scores back today! I am currently a 4th year student in one of Chicago medical schools and have received interview invites for radiology from most of top Chicago programs I want to potentially end up at.

My step 1 - 257, AOA!
Step 2 - 251

Do you think this will hurt me? I'm not going to release my step 2 scores! I guess I did not study as hard as I thought I did.

Do you know about Radiology programs wanting step 2 score to rank in Chicago and Midwest in general? Thanks guys! Any help is appreciated

 

[DrAwsome]

Hey guys,

I just got my step 2 scores back today! I am currently a 4th year student in one of Chicago medical schools and have received interview invites for radiology from most of top Chicago programs I want to potentially end up at.

My step 1 - 257, AOA!
Step 2 - 251

Do you think this will hurt me? I'm not going to release my step 2 scores! I guess I did not study as hard as I thought I did.

Do you know about Radiology programs wanting step 2 score to rank in Chicago and Midwest in general? Thanks guys! Any help is appreciated

No, it's unlikely that it will hurt you. I would go ahead and release. You've taken it, and did well on step 2-go ahead and release, don't give programs any reason not to rank you, especially in a competitive area like Chicago.

 

[aspiringrads]

No, it's unlikely that it will hurt you. I would go ahead and release. You've taken it, and did well on step 2-go ahead and release, don't give programs any reason not to rank you, especially in a competitive area like Chicago.

Really? I heard that programs want to see an increase of 10-20 points in step II compared to step I, and if you don't have that, then you should not release it. Weird

 

[DrAwsome]

Really? I heard that programs want to see an increase of 10-20 points in step II compared to step I, and if you don't have that, then you should not release it. Weird

You had a pretty high step 1 score, so scoring 260-270 is not likely. You maintained your 250 which is great. You've taken it, scored well, so release it. That's what I would do if I were you.

 

[gutonc]

Really? I heard that programs want to see an increase of 10-20 points in step II compared to step I, and if you don't have that, then you should not release it. Weird

You heard wrong.

If you scored 220 on Step 1, a 10-20 point increase would be nice. But you scored very well on Step 1 and got roughly one more question wrong on Step 2 than Step 1.

Nobody (except maybe your grandma) cares about this.

I understand your concern about this issue but I also support the right of anyone who doesn't to punch you in the nuts.

 

[sunset823]

I also support the right of anyone who doesn't to punch you in the nuts.

that's what I felt like doing when I read the OP's post. Srsly?

Release the scores. More places are requiring step 2 scores to rank, and unless you went down 50 pts people are still going to be impressed.

 

[aspiringrads]

Ok thanks! And thanks for that graphic picture! I guess I'll just release my scores. damn you step 2!

 

[radftw184]

You had a pretty high step 1 score, so scoring 260-270 is not likely. You maintained your 250 which is great. You've taken it, scored well, so release it. That's what I would do if I were you.

You heard wrong.

If you scored 220 on Step 1, a 10-20 point increase would be nice. But you scored very well on Step 1 and got roughly one more question wrong on Step 2 than Step 1.

Nobody (except maybe your grandma) cares about this.

I understand your concern about this issue but I also support the right of anyone who doesn't to punch you in the nuts.

I am in a similar position. I just got my step 2 scores back yesterday as well.

Step 1: 249
Step 2: 247

AOA. Already received invites from most programs I want to go. I have not automatically release my step 2. From the midwest and hoping to stay here. Step 2 was just a disappointment.

Would you suggest that I release my scores as well? Thanks for your help!

 

[gutonc]

I am in a similar position. I just got my step 2 scores back yesterday as well.

Step 1: 249
Step 2: 247

AOA. Already received invites from most programs I want to go. I have not automatically release my step 2. From the midwest and hoping to stay here. Step 2 was just a disappointment.

Would you suggest that I release my scores as well? Thanks for your help!

Oh come on man...srsly? Please don't make us go through this again. The answer is the same. Those are statistically identical, very good scores.

 

[radftw184]

Oh come on man...srsly? Please don't make us go through this again. The answer is the same. Those are statistically identical, very good scores.

I am not trying to be difficult here. It has been hammered into my head over the years that Rads is a very competitive field, especially in Chicago/Midwest. I am just scared that with my step 1 (not over magical 250) and step 2 apparently going even couple points lower, I am at a disadvantage despite my dream programs having already send me invites.

 

[gutonc]

I am not trying to be difficult here. It has been hammered into my head over the years that Rads is a very competitive field, especially in Chicago/Midwest. I am just scared that with my step 1 (not over magical 250) and step 2 apparently going even couple points lower, I am at a disadvantage despite my dream programs having already send me invites.

Step scores are generally used for screening more than for the actual ranking.

Besides, what can you do about the (again, very good...the difference between 247 and 250 is meaningless) scores now?

 

[aspiringrads]

It's good to know that programs use step scores for screening and not ranking! Thanks for sharing, glutonc!

 

[radftw184]

Step scores are generally used for screening more than for the actual ranking.

Besides, what can you do about the (again, very good...the difference between 247 and 250 is meaningless) scores now?

can't do anything - that's the unfortunate thing! Thanks for the info glutonc..Appreciate you taking time out to tell me.

 

[chiz2kul]

is this real life?

 

[aspiringrads]

is this real life?

thanks for your sarcastic comment. I asked a very serious question that pertains to my future.

 

[Siverhideo1985]

 

[thecampuslegend]

thanks for your sarcastic comment. I asked a very serious question that pertains to my future.

yeah...your future belongs in the basement if you can't find the common sense that 2 points = absolutely worthless to create a post on SDN about.

 

[aspiringrads]

yeah...your future belongs in the basement if you can't find the common sense that 2 points = absolutely worthless to create a post on SDN about.

It's the score going down, and not going up! Had my score on step 2 gone up by 2-3 points, I would have not made a new post! But my score went down and so I was concerned! Especially because of applying to a field like radiology in prime location like Chicago!

 

[sunset823]

It's the score going down, and not going up! Had my score on step 2 gone up by 2-3 points, I would have not made a new post! But my score went down and so I was concerned! Especially because of applying to a field like radiology in prime location like Chicago!

I live in Illinois, not in Chicago, and I hate chicago with a passion. Couldn't pay me enough to live there (or LA, or NYC) And I'm not the only one in my class that does. So you won't have as much competition as you think for your 'prime location'. I'll take the not so prime location of Detroit any day.

Can this thread just die already?

 

[thecampuslegend]

It's the score going down, and not going up! Had my score on step 2 gone up by 2-3 points, I would have not made a new post! But my score went down and so I was concerned! Especially because of applying to a field like radiology in prime location like Chicago!

Sorry bud, no dice. For all intensive purposes - your score stayed the same, it didn't go down. "Going down" (albeit with it's other awesome meanings) translates into dropping 10-20 points, not by 1-2 points on board exams.

 

[aspiringrads]

I live in Illinois, not in Chicago, and I hate chicago with a passion. Couldn't pay me enough to live there (or LA, or NYC) And I'm not the only one in my class that does. So you won't have as much competition as you think for your 'prime location'. I'll take the not so prime location of Detroit any day.

Can this thread just die already?

First of all, I think you're a minority who does not want to live in Chicago or any other big city as a matter of fact. I don't think you are getting an accurate sense of demand of residency spots in chicago based upon a small subset of people from your class.

Also some people know that they are not "that competitive" for Chicago and hence don't even apply there or make excuses of not liking Chicago. I am not saying this is you since you seem to hate Chicago with passion. Wonder why that is?

And taking Detroit over Chicago makes no freaking sense to me. I want to do a MMSE on you just to see if you are doing ok!

Also I went through some of your previous posts and it seems like that you applied to a lot of big city programs such as NW (Chicago), UCSD (Cali), Wisconsin (Madison). I wonder what was the logic there? If you truly hate a city with passion, why even bother applying there?

 

[smq123]

is this real life?

Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide....no escape from reality....

Anyway, everybody just needs to calm down. So if we could all stop with the derogatory remarks about people who want to live in City X, or that people who DON'T want to live in City X are clearly demented, that'd be great.

Thanks.

 

[sunset823]

Also I went through some of your previous posts and it seems like that you applied to a lot of big city programs such as NW (Chicago), UCSD (Cali), Wisconsin (Madison). I wonder what was the logic there? If you truly hate a city with passion, why even bother applying there?

uh, I never applied to UCSD. The farthest west I applied was Kansas, so get your facts straight. As to applying to NW, I did that before my awful Step 2 CS experience put a nail in the coffin of living in Chicago. Not like I got an invite there anyway. And Madison is a smaller college town. I love college towns, grown up in them most of my life, and it has nothing to do with living in big cities.

I'm not going to get into why I hate big cities, but just the usual things (traffic, chaos, crime) etc. And the people in my class who think like me definitely had the stats to get into Chicago programs in their respective specialties, they just feel the way about it that I do. And I'm pretty willing to bet you haven't even been to Detroit, before you judge my mental stability based on that.

Anyway, I don't want to argue about this. You love Chicago, great. You have the stats and already stated you have great interviews there, the summary of this is your step 2 score, which is as good as your step 1, will not hurt you.