Thanks for the reply. I understand that it's perfectly acceptable to apply w/o a STEP 2 score, but the only reason why I got concerned was that the phrase on FREIDA is "USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 requirements for interview consideration" with breakdowns for yes/no for STEP 1 and STEP 2. All programs say "yes" for STEP 1 (obviously) and almost all programs say "yes" for STEP 2.
FREIDA is a directory hosted by the AMA, which sends out an annual survey to programs. You can see on a FREIDA program page when the survey was returned. You can frequently see how imprecise the answers are, such as a minimum 190 on Step 2. That's not a passing score. That's a minimum Step 1 score from 5+ years ago.
FREIDA doesn't own residency app/interview requirements. Programs do. Thus my suggestion to look at program websites, and email your favorite programs for clarification.
Family medicine programs tend to get a lot of applicants who got low Step 1 scores or needed multiple attempts to pass. Such applicants definitely need Step 2 for interview consideration. If you look at programs that list their minimum scores on their websites, you'll see a whole lot of 209 for CK. That's not a minimum
score - it means you're required to pass. With a
250 on Step 1, PDs aren't actively worried about you passing Step 2. No FM PD is going to let your app sit in a pending pile waiting on a CK score when you have a 250. PDs know that the med school requirement for passing CK tends to be "by the end of the year" and they don't actually literally always require you to schedule your CK in July/August of your 4th year when a lot of strong students are doing sub-I's and aways.
Regardless, if you were to move up your date to tomorrow, you still wouldn't get your scores before ERAS submission date.
You're applying without a Step 2 score. Hopefully it's well known that applying after the submission date is a mistake.
Seriously,
pick one program, make a phone call to their coordinator. Call/email a few more as your schedule allows. You have to be clear that you have a 250 on Step 1 while you're asking. I wouldn't believe a "yes you have to have CK before you apply even with a 250 on Step 1" answer that comes from anybody other than the PD.
If you find that I'm totally wrong, kindly repost with the programs you contacted, and make sure to let your med school know that they did you wrong by letting you believe you could wait to take CK.
