Step II vs Step I - how do they matter?

[Audrey Hepburn]

To all -
I am a fourth year med student, planning on applying for an anesthesia spot this fall, and I just got back my step II scores today. They were a VAST improvement over my step I's.

Step I - 215/88
Step II - 242/98

I'm a good student, mostly A's over the last 3 years, but not AOA - no big awards, etc. Some good letters of recommendation, and I'm a very good interviewer.
So my question is - how do my options look now that I've done significantly better in my step IIs? Will this open more doors for me this fall? Or does it not matter? How good are my chances at getting interviews at "top tier" programs?

Thanks for all you help with this - this forum is invaluable! And by the way - Step II is a LOOOOOOONG test! One more hoop jumped through.....

-AH

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[UTSouthwestern]

Your scores are great and that Step 2 score makes you highly competitive. I hope to see you here on an interview.

 

[Arch Guillotti]

My Step II score was similar to yours, and my step I was lower. I definitely think that it will help you land a few more good interviews. However, a few programs have a 220 cutoff, which may hurt you since apparently they don't even see your app if you don't meet the minimum. I interviewed at Hopkins and Penn amongst others. I also matched at a program with a 220 step I cutoff, even though I was below that mark (I rotated there). Good luck.

 

[shahkg]

Hey man, congrats on the great score!!

I am a 4th year student gearing up to take my Step II in 2 weeks...any advice you have on the test? I need to do a lot better than Step I (194) cause I really want to get into a gas program, preferably one in the south (Florida). You guys have any advice? I'm a solid B+/A student, A/B's on my rotations, and two great LORs. Thanks in advance.

 

[Audrey Hepburn]

I took two and a half weeks to study - I read Crush step II twice the first week, and started on some medicine Kaplan Q bank questions. Then the second week I also started some NMS questions (I ended up doing three total tests about 450 questions..) and finished the Q bank questions. The last few days I did some Q bank questions I got wrong, and read a short book twice called "Advanced Life Support for the Boards." It's only about 130 pages, big type, and is just a down and dirty reivew of the things you may have forgotten....
The day of the test I ate well, drank a butt load of coffee (as I siad it's a LONG test....by the last two blocks I was fading FAST.) I did it in sections - 3 blocks, 2 blocks, then three blocks to finish.
Then I slept for two days.

=)

Good luck everyone, and please let me know how my scores will or will not affect my application!

-AH