Step 2>>>>Step 1

[neilc]

allright, here is the deal...i did piss poor on step 1. first time pass, but with a 192/78. i am shooting for ob/gyn, so not the most competitve, but still, my score sucks.

so, i worked smarter for step 2 and brought my score WAAAY up. got a 234/95. now, i know that it won't hurt me to have this score, but does anybody have any first hand experience that it helps?

i am just slightly worried that my low step 1 is going to get tossed out in some eras screen, and nobody will even notice that i did better on step 2.

any insight would be great!

thanks...

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[BellKicker]

Congrats, Neil!

I think your biggest problem will be the programs that use filters when they screen applicants. For everyone that actually looks over your application, it will be obvious that you have the goods to do well at these tests.

Having just gone through this, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the interviewers knew my application. I'm sure they'll read beyond the numbers.

 

[kedhegard]

I am in roughly the same predicament. How did you study for step two to go up that much? I was all over the place for step one, using about ten different resources. What worked for you?

 

[doc05]

obgyn is among the least competitive specialties around. with the exception perhaps of a handful of top university-based programs, you'll be fine.

 

[neilc]

I am in roughly the same predicament. How did you study for step two to go up that much? I was all over the place for step one, using about ten different resources. What worked for you?

i studied for about two weeks using only usmleworld qbank.

before that, i made sure to have a nice rotation that would cover a lot of step 2 material. i did a FP rotation, at a strong program, and did 2 weeks of Med/Peds and 2 weeks Ob/Gyn. read on all my patients, really on every patient i heard about. also, i went to conferences, as this program had some good ones that covered basic patient care stuff that is common on step 2.

the other thing i did was read boards and wards about 1000 times over the clinical years. that book was my bedtime and toilet reading.

keep it very simple. a good review text and thousands of questions. learn most of it on the wards.

good luck

 

[neilc]

thanks for the feedback so far...

anybody out there that had step 2 help them out? or, did anybody find that it did not make any difference??

thanks!

 

[Skip Intro]

thanks for the feedback so far...

anybody out there that had step 2 help them out? or, did anybody find that it did not make any difference??

thanks!

Neil,

First off, I knew you'd rock Step 2-CK!! Congrats! That's an awesome score.

As far as Step 2 helping them out, I'm not sure. My Step 1 score was a lot stronger than my Step 2 score (for some reason, I had a much harder time with Step 2... although I still did pretty well so I shouldn't complain, especially since I just matched in Anesthesiology at a competitive university program). But, as other posters stated, I think you should have no problem matching into an OB/Gyn spot somewhere. A friend of mine who had a similar Step 1 score and not nearly the Step 2 score you had got a ton of interviews and just ended-up matching at a university-based OB/Gyn program here in the northeast.

If OB/Gyn is what you want, you should have no problems finding a spot.

Again, congratulations! You kicked Step 2's ass!!



-Skip

 

[neilc]

thanks for the info skip! that makes me feel a bit better...

yeah, i had it in for step 2, after the beating step 1 gave me. i taught that SOB a thing or two, eh?

well done on your match by the way, you are a super star. i am on my way to the bar, and it is one jaeger for you!

 

[beriberi]

I had very similar scores (a bit lower on Step one, a bit higher on Step 2). I scrambled (in EM). I had average clinical grades from a very well known school. I think I applied to programs that were too competitive and they weren't willing to overlook anything so glaring on the application.

I think many programs will overlook it. You just need to apply to a broad range. I had a good friend with a 199 apply last year in Ob/gyn and got interviews almost everywhere she wanted (including some that are very competitive for location reasons). She matched at her top choice. (and had not submitted any Step 2 score).

So, my thoughts are that you may have difficulty at programs that attract the most acadmically competitive applicants, but otherwise you will be just fine. Especially with the Step 2. However, I don't think that is true if you were applying in a different field.

 

[kem]

Hi!

Congrats!!!

You sound almost exactly like me! I went up 47 points from step 1 to step 2, and was convinced that my step 1 was going to keep me from interviewing at places...but I got a lot of unexpected interviews at "top" programs but didn't get some at places which I figured were more numbers oriented.

One thing I would recommend is having a good answer to the question, "So, tell me why your step 2 is so much better than step 1?" One interviewer even asked me "What happened to you? You did so well in college and third year, were you just totally slacking first and second year?" It would be good to have something ready to say when they ask you, so you don't look bewildered.

Good luck!

kem

 

[Koko]

Hi!

Congrats!!!

You sound almost exactly like me! I went up 47 points from step 1 to step 2, and was convinced that my step 1 was going to keep me from interviewing at places...but I got a lot of unexpected interviews at "top" programs but didn't get some at places which I figured were more numbers oriented.

One thing I would recommend is having a good answer to the question, "So, tell me why your step 2 is so much better than step 1?" One interviewer even asked me "What happened to you? You did so well in college and third year, were you just totally slacking first and second year?" It would be good to have something ready to say when they ask you, so you don't look bewildered.

Good luck!

kem

Is it common for programs to review college records?

 

[Furrball]

Neil = man's name? There are very few men who want Ob/Gyn, that should help you too. Congratulations on the step ii score!!

 

[neilc]

awesome. i feel much better. i was just a bit worried about getting enough interviews, but i think it will be fine. i am confident that if i can get a fair number of interviews, i will match decently, so it is a relief to hear from you all...

congrats to all who matched! and, hopefully you folks in ob/gyn will be interviewing me at your programs next year!

 

[kem]

Is it common for programs to review college records?

No, but I went to a university that is considered "difficult" and majored in a subject that is considered "hard" so I think that's what he was talking about. He didn't actually see any of my grades.

Good luck!

kem