step 2 score & residency

[markglt]

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Man, i'm really confused about all this and i need some guidance/advice.
i'm really banking on a strong step 2 score to make up for a lame step 1 score, and was hoping to take step2 on aug. 18th, but now with the score delay, i wont get results till 10.07, 5 weeks after programs start downloading app'.s on sept 1.
do i send out app's on sept 1 without my step 2 score, or do i wait till oct. 7to send out my app's.
I'm not a strong canidate, ie. low step 1, no research, IMG, etc..
i'm applying for psychiatry.
also, lets say i apply b4 i get my step2 score and get shot down from program x,y, and z. then i get my step2 score a few weeks later, can i reapply to program x,y and z, or can you only apply once to a program in a given application season.
thanks in advance for the advice.

 

[Saladin MD]

What score delay? It no longer takes three weeks to get results? Or just your score in particular was delayed? Please explain.

 

[synapse lapse]

What score delay? It no longer takes three weeks to get results? Or just your score in particular was delayed? Please explain.

See here: http://www.usmle.org/General_Information/announcements.html

"Starting on or around August 10, 2009, a transition period will begin in which the number of items in current forms of the Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) examination will change from 368 items to 352 items. Although the transition will occur quickly at many test centers, there may also be some locations where the changes take slightly longer to complete. The overall transition period will likely last approximately 6 weeks. The length of the examination day will remain unchanged. The decrease in the number of items per form will be accounted for in scoring the examination results, so that scores on new and old forms will be comparable. Because of these changes in timing, as well as modifications to the test item pool, there will be a delay in score reporting for most Step 2 CK examinations administered in the second half of August and September. The target date for reporting Step 2 CK scores for most examinees testing from August 10 through late September will be Wednesday, October 7, 2009.

We recognize that this update may inconvenience some examinees; however, USMLE is committed to processing results as quickly as possible for all its examinees and will do its best to complete the process as soon as possible. "

 

[Saladin MD]

Hey Alexander, I really appreciate your post. Thanks. Good luck on your step 2.

 

[Law2Doc]

Hey Alexander, I really appreciate your post. Thanks. Good luck on your step 2.

FWIW, while program's CAN download applications starting in the first week of September, many don't look at them until October anyhow.

 

[markglt]

pardon my ignorance, but how exactly can you make a sweeping statement like that.....and if they can start looking at app's on sept 1, why do they wait till oct?.....are you saying this for every specialty/program type...univ. prog....commu. programs, etc...
that seems like a really broad statement to make.
if indeed true, it might make me sleep a little better tonight, considering my step 2 wont come back till oct. 7th, with this flippin report delay

 

[diosa428]

pardon my ignorance, but how exactly can you make a sweeping statement like that.....and if they can start looking at app's on sept 1, why do they wait till oct?.....are you saying this for every specialty/program type...univ. prog....commu. programs, etc...
that seems like a really broad statement to make.
if indeed true, it might make me sleep a little better tonight, considering my step 2 wont come back till oct. 7th, with this flippin report delay

It wasn't really a "sweeping statement", and he certainly didn't make any statement about it being applicable to all programs. He just said many, not most or all. If you're curious about specific programs, the best thing to do is go to the forum for the specialty that you're applying to, do a search for an interview thread from last year, and see if you can figure out when the programs that you're applying to started handing out invites for interviews, because that's probably about the time they started reviewing applications.