Step 2 score and fellowship matching

[slitlamp1234]

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Hey all,

I am taking my step 2 after I match for ophtho. So my current plan is to study enough to pass it and not try for a super score.

However, I plan on doing some sort of fellowship after residency. Does my step 2 score matter for this? If so I probably will study more.

Thanks!!

 

[JMK2005]

Hey all,

I am taking my step 2 after I match for ophtho. So my current plan is to study enough to pass it and not try for a super score.

However, I plan on doing some sort of fellowship after residency. Does my step 2 score matter for this? If so I probably will study more.

Thanks!!

It matters. So go study and do the best you can.

 

[MstaKing10]

not certain it matters all that much although most programs asked for step 1-3 scores in the application. I think letters of rec, research experience and okap scores may matter more. In any case, I would study as hard as time permits and do your best, don't blow it off as it sounds like you may be planning on doing.

 

[FrankMD]

I agree with above posters. It does not matter as much as Step 1 when you are applying for residency but they do ask for it and they do look at it when they are considering your fellowship application. In addition, they also look at Step 3 scores too.

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

I really don't think the reason they ask for your step scores is b/c they want to see if you'll be a good fellow. That's ridiculous. They ask for it b/c they want proof that you've passed all your steps and are eligible to be licensed.

OP, study for Step 2 but definitely don't lose any sleep over it. As a poster above mentioned, your performance during residency, LOR, research, CONNECTIONS and maybe OKAP scores (importance of this is debatable as well) are what fellowship PDs use to seperate the wants vs the don't wants.

 

[200UL]

I believe there are many, many, many things on a fellowship application that have more impact than any of the USMLE scores.

Some things that come to mind include where you are in residency, letters of recommendation for the fellowship application (what do they say about your clinical / surgical skills), publications or other scholarly activities, career goals, personal statement, interview.

The more I think about it, I would say USMLE scores are probably the least important part of a fellowship application. Let’s face it – would any fellowship director want an applicant who scored a 99 on step 2 and step 3 when the letters of rec had the following message: “this applicant was average at best clinically and below average at surgery.” I don’t think so. Such an applicant would make for a miserable year for the fellowship director.

With that said, you should always try your best on these tests.

 

[MstaKing10]

so summarizing above posts, probably not that important but still study hard and do well.

The last thing you want is to look back and wonder if you didn't match somewhere because of the borderline passing test score!

 

[BuckleExtrusion]

everything that fellowship programs can use to evaluate you will matter, steps 1 and 2 and OKAPs. Why in the WORLD would anyone think it would not matter? Candidates are getting super competitive so put yourself in the shoes of the program, if there is a method to tease apart the applicants, it will be used.

 

[Visionary]

It may be different now that fellowship applications are made through SFMatch, but when I was applying, all fellowship programs wanted USMLE scores, but most didn't ask for OKAP scores. As stated above, if you haven't passed all steps of the USMLE, you can't get a medical license. Most, if not all, fellowships require licensure. OKAP scores mainly reflect your test-taking ability, with a little knowledge thrown in. I don't know how much they even correlate with the boards (the tests seemed pretty different to me).

Fair or not, the most important factors in fellowship applications are probably where you trained and who wrote your letters. Naturally, subspecialty fields in ophthalmology are even smaller communities than ophthalmology as a whole--everyone knows everyone else. If a buddy of yours tells you that you can't go wrong hiring such and so, you probably won't care what the OKAP scores are. There are also a lot of folks who don't like each other, for whatever reason. That can, likewise, doom an application. It's much more personal and political at the fellowship level, though such dynamics clearly exist even in residency.

 

[azzarah]

You have to list all of your USMLE scores (1,2,3, CS) on the front page of the fellowship application. Some places also asked me to mail my original score reports and one program even asked for first and second year OKAP scores.