That's true, there is a sense that someone who doesn't have Step 2 is "hiding" their score. But I would say that your impressions are overgeneralizations that are more pessimistic than accurate. People will find fault no matter what happens. Unfortunately not all of us can ace every exam. So if you can do well on Step 2 and have it for applications then you should do so.
The good thing is that people in general are much more willing to give grades and residency performance more weight anyhow, I mean which would you trust as a barometer of performance, the result of months or years of work, along with a great letter from a leader in the field, or a two day standardized exam? The people who think you're a kiss ass because you did well on rotations and not on your Step2 are just being difficult, ignore that stuff. That is not the kind of thought process people use to decide who gets in or out of a residency.
The reason that high Step2 exams are helpful to have in residency and fellowship application is because it can open the door. Some one sees that you got a 205 on Step 1 but a 239 on Step 2, they may give you an interview for internship even though their very competitve program doesn't usually give interviews to people below 215 on Step 1. In fellowship it's far less important, but a track record of high performance will never hurt, obviously. Your inservice exams and letters and interviews mean far more for felowship.
Again it all depends on what you want to go into. Good luck!
