Step2 for Cards Fellowship

[CANE4LIFE]

Do cards fellowships look at Step scores and if so how much weight is placed on it?

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[dragonfly99]

Some don't even request/want you to send your step scores.
Others specifically request to see them.

I would assume the ones who want the scores are definitely looking at them, though I don't know where the importance would rank (vs. other factors). I would think it would matter if you did remarkably bad (like low 200's or less) or remarkably good (i.e. 250 or more) but maybe not so much if you are anywhere in between.

I think only one of the interviews I went to the PD mentioned something about us being there because of our "good personal qualities, excellent academic achieverments, including research and high USMLE scores" or something like that. It never came up in the vast majority of my interviews, though.

If you have particularly good step scores, you might want to preferentially apply to more programs that request you to send the step scores, and if you have lower step scores, might want to prefer programs that don't ask you to send them.

 

[OofMed]

Hey,
I'm a fourth year medical student and it's my goal to get into a cardiology fellowship. So, what if an applicant fails Step 2 CS? I got a 234 on step 1 and 265 on step 2. Of course I'm going to retake it, but is this going to affect my chance of getting interviews 2 years from now?

Thanks

 

[dragonfly99]

Like I said, some of the programs didn't even want us to send our step scores, so I don't think that cardiology will be out for you. The failed Step 2CS may keep you out of a few fellowships that are super picky and look at everything closely, and/or the ones that do use the Steps to select who they interview (the latter seems to be a small minority of programs).

 

[Myostatin]

Step 1/2 scores are relatively less important, but keep in mind that most programs have on the order of 30-40 applicants per position, so anything that's not absolutely stellar in your record can and will hold you back. If there's something that's not required and you didn't do well, don't send the information. Failing any portion of the steps would definitely be bad...