Step2/Optho timing

[Strawberrylover]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Those of you in optho-when in m4 did you do CS and CK? When are most interviews? Dont want them clashing. Would appreciate any tips

 

[Rirruto]

IVs: mostly Nov-Dec, though some are in Oct. Took CK in May and CS late Dec. Would have preferred to get CS out of the way in the summer but registered too late to get a date. Could get away with putting off CK until after apps go out in Aug if you have a good Step 1.

 

[longhaul3]

Not in ophtho but you should do CS ASAP regardless of specialty. Schedule it now if you are applying this year. It may even be too late to get a good date.

 

[ace_inhibitor111]

Not in ophtho but you should do CS ASAP regardless of specialty. Schedule it now if you are applying this year. It may even be too late to get a good date.

You can’t be serious. We have to compete to get a decent spot for this stupid ass test too?

 

[Rirruto]

You can’t be serious. We have to compete to get a decent spot for this stupid ass test too?

Yes, even applying for CS in March my earliest dates were Oct-Nov

 

[longhaul3]

You can’t be serious. We have to compete to get a decent spot for this stupid ass test too?

Yeah. It's extremely difficult to get a good date for CS. You should be thinking about it about a year in advance.

 

[Cawolf]

CK: mid-October - but this depends on if you want it on the app based on your Step 1 score. Would take it earlier with a study block if you need to report it
Interviews: For me they ran around 10/20 - 12/15
CS: I took CS after interviews in late December. As said above would have preferred to do it in like July, but there were no dates available and I didn't want to do it during interview season

 

[PantherPride]

I think its best to hit the sweet spot where you don't get your score in time for apps (assuming your step 1 is competitive). Don't push it till december or you'll be miserable during the interview season studying

 

[ciestar]

You can’t be serious. We have to compete to get a decent spot for this stupid ass test too?

Yes. I couldnt get a date earlier than July last year and scheduled in January. Spots fill up annoyingly fast and it is better to just get it over with.

 

[Strawberrylover]

I think its best to hit the sweet spot where you don't get your score in time for apps (assuming your step 1 is competitive). Don't push it till december or you'll be miserable during the interview season studying

if I take december off n most IV's are in november...is that doable...with ck @ end of dec?

 

[cubsrule4e]

Those of you in optho-when in m4 did you do CS and CK? When are most interviews? Dont want them clashing. Would appreciate any tips

I think its best to hit the sweet spot where you don't get your score in time for apps (assuming your step 1 is competitive). Don't push it till december or you'll be miserable during the interview season studying

The below is a bad strategy for CK if applying ophtho, as its clear you either 1) werent truly committed or 2) were worried about a bad score.

Take CK as early as possible (I did end of june, got score in july) so that you have it on all your first submissions of apps. CS is way less important, as they assume everyone will pass that, and I didnt take it until March after I had actually matched. Earliest interviews will start late august, with majority happening mid-october through early december.

 

[PantherPride]

The below is a bad strategy for CK if applying ophtho, as its clear you either 1) werent truly committed or 2) were worried about a bad score.

You clearly don't know what you're talking about. PD's for the most part don't care for CK score if you have a good step 1.

 

[PantherPride]

if I take december off n most IV's are in november...is that doable...with ck @ end of dec?

It's what I did this year and regretted it, but it worked out fine and is very doable. It's just that interview can run as late as the 17th leaving you with 1-2 week dedicated tops if you have to take it by dec 31st like I did (school requirement)

 

[cubsrule4e]

You clearly don't know what you're talking about. PD's for the most part don't care for CK score if you have a good step 1.

I guess we found the know it all of the class. Good luck this cycle, just glad I dont have to deal with that crap anymore!

 

[Lawpy]

You clearly don't know what you're talking about. PD's for the most part don't care for CK score if you have a good step 1.

Dude you're talking to an ophtho attending. I'll take his word over yours anytime.

 

[Ms Procrastinator]

You clearly don't know what you're talking about. PD's for the most part don't care for CK score if you have a good step 1.

Bear with him, attendings are a little slow 😉

 

[Ms Procrastinator]

Dude you're talking to an ophtho attending. I'll take his word over yours anytime.

Nah, med students are more in the know.

 

[ciestar]

Nah, med students are more in the know.

Pre-meds even more so

 

[Ms Procrastinator]

Pre-meds even more so

Can't argue with that

 

[PantherPride]

Dude you're talking to an ophtho attending. I'll take his word over yours anytime.

That's great. I just applied and matched in ophtho this cycle and have talked multiple applicants from my school and around the country. I've also seen where said people have matched. If I see advice on here contrary to what is actually happening I'll say something against it.

 

[Ms Procrastinator]

I just applied and matched in ophtho this cycle and have talked multiple applicants from my school and around the country.

This really makes it look like you know your sh#t 🙄

I've also seen where said people have matched.

Oh, come on! You're almost there! Don't just half douche, go all the way. Drop some rankings. Top 5? Top 10? Top 20? where'd these people match?

Based on what you've said your advice is from the success you and the MuLtIpLe aPpLiCaNtS from all around the country have experienced in one cycle. He's telling OP from his experience and from what he's seen over the years.

Multiple People have also agreed with doc above

Spoiler: A bunch of people proving what the doc says

A missing Step 2 in January is a failed Step 2 until proven otherwise.

Yeahhh I know at least when I was applying for residency people were asking for step 2 scores before they made rank lists. People would ask when you were planning to take step 2 on interview day.

From my (very limited) knowledge PDs seemed to want as complete of an application as possible. I talked to 2 PDs and an APD about my application and all of them said they wanted to see a complete app submitted by Sept 15 with everything passed. One even said they do not offer interviews to candidates who don't have a complete app submitted within a week of it opening because they have so many applicants to choose from that they can be picky about less organized people.

10 years ago I was hearing med students and residents say to only take Step 2 before applying if you felt like you needed to make up for Step 1. The last 5 years I've been hearing more and more people saying that having a Step 2 score at the time of application is important. I could certainly be wrong, but the trends in CTO and the PD surveys seem to back up the statements I've heard about that trend.

Declining to interview and declining to rank are two VERY separate things. We will almost certainly invite USMD/DOs with Step I passed and Step II missing in the fall, especially if they're coming from our region. But we won't rank them without a passed Step II.

We also will interview local people without step II, but I tell them they will not be ranked without step II. Programs could easily filter out everyone without step II and they still would only be able to interview a fraction of the applicant pool. This is mostly an artifact of people applying to more and more places, but it is true.

When should you take step 2 Ck if you have a strong step 1 score? Most people say to delay it but I’ve also heard this advice is outdated and programs want to see it before interviews.

These posts are not specifically related to CK and optho, but it shows how important having a score is.

I think its best to hit the sweet spot where you don't get your score in time for apps (assuming your step 1 is competitive).

The below is a bad strategy for CK if applying ophtho, as its clear you either 1) were worried about a bad score.

@PantherPride why are you encouraging OP to not take the exam early enough to have to include scores in their app if you think CK scores aren't that important? 🤔

Texas Physician again proves cub's point about why people avoid taking CK earlier. PD's are gonna start catching on.

Spoiler

Not enough info to lend an opinion other than I always recommend US MD applicants not take ck until the results would come out AFTER applications are sent out. This bites someone every year.

PD's for the most part don't care for CK score if you have a good step 1.

PD's do care about CK scores. If they weren't important they would have made them pass fail. It's unlikely that people with high Step 1 scores will fail CK but PD's are probably worried about failures too. A failing CK (depending on how late you take it) can mean you don't graduate. If you don't graduate, you obviously can't start residency.

Spoiler: Why PD's care about CK scores

TexasPhysician is right unless you are interviewing with a PD who has been burned by matching someone who then failed step II and couldn't graduate. Some PDs have learned from hard knocks to not rank applicants who don't have step II. I guess the best answer is always take step II unless you are going to fail it. Of course that isn't so easy to know.

If I see advice on here contrary to what is actually happening I'll say something against it.

Well you're gonna be fighting a lot of people on this. You're not the end all be all. You do not know everything. Someone tried to point out that the person above you might actually know a thing or two about what they're talking about and instead being professional and saying
"Okay, I understand that this is what worked for them, but this is what worked for me and the MuLtIpLe aPpLiCaNtS I've spoken to from all around the country let's agree to disagree". You went on to undermine what that person said and their years of experience by saying that you know more because of your success in the cycle and then hinted that you know multiple people who got into great programs so you all obviously know more.

It doesn't matter how GREAT of a program your friends got into, every program is not the same. There are tons of different programs across the country. What worked for you and your friends may not work for everyone. @cubsrule4e is trying to tell OP to get their app as complete as possible to give themselves as best a shot as possible. Honestly, with a specialty as competitive as optho it's not bad advice.

You know, I thought premeds outgrew their I 'know everything' phase but you unfortunately proved to me that that's not always the case .
You're four years out from premed. You're grooooown and you're gonna be someone's doctor. I sincerly hope that this is just your internet personality.

 

[Ms Procrastinator]

Sorry for derailing your thread OP @Strawberrylover 🙁. I hope you match and get the program of your choice! Go get 'em!

 

[Cawolf]

Although I see what you are trying to do @Ms Procrastinator, I would caution that the ophthalmology application process is distinct from the general match. I would agree with @PantherPride that if someone scores at the ophthalmology matched mean or higher on Step 1 (of course this will change when the P/F changes occur), they should push off CK until Fall or later and not send it with their application. This was the advice given to me by multiple mentors who are actively involved in the ophthalmology selection process - it worked for me and therefore the advice I pass on if this subject is brought up.

It isn't that Step 2 CK scores are not important, it's that in general they are not required to match.

 

[Lawpy]

That's great. I just applied and matched in ophtho this cycle and have talked multiple applicants from my school and around the country. I've also seen where said people have matched. If I see advice on here contrary to what is actually happening I'll say something against it.

Even then, my post stands. Also the fact that

You clearly don't know what you're talking about. PD's for the most part don't care for CK score if you have a good step 1.

This post is now outdated with P/F Step 1. Even then, I'll still get the advice from an attending who knows the process and the requirements involved. If an ophtho PD stops by with countering advice, I'll take note of that and be better prepared.

 

[Newyawk]

Ophtho generally doesnt care about step 2 (as most surgical fields dont), but if you wanna go for it and you test well, take a few practice tests and see where you stand. I crushed CK and im not sure if it helped me much but i had a few interviewers mention how well I did. It could be a differentiation as a lot of the ophtho apps (see above) will delay it deliberately.

 

[PantherPride]

This really makes it look like you know your sh#t 🙄


Oh, come on! You're almost there! Don't just half douche, go all the way. Drop some rankings. Top 5? Top 10? Top 20? where'd these people match?

Based on what you've said your advice is from the success you and the MuLtIpLe aPpLiCaNtS from all around the country have experienced in one cycle. He's telling OP from his experience and from what he's seen over the years.

Multiple People have also agreed with doc above


These posts are not specifically related to CK and optho, but it shows how important having a score is.





@PantherPride why are you encouraging OP to not take the exam early enough to have to include scores in their app if you think CK scores aren't that important? 🤔

Texas Physician again proves cub's point about why people avoid taking CK earlier. PD's are gonna start catching on.



PD's do care about CK scores. If they weren't important they would have made them pass fail. It's unlikely that people with high Step 1 scores will fail CK but PD's are probably worried about failures too. A failing CK (depending on how late you take it) can mean you don't graduate. If you don't graduate, you obviously can't start residency.




Well you're gonna be fighting a lot of people on this. You're not the end all be all. You do not know everything. Someone tried to point out that the person above you might actually know a thing or two about what they're talking about and instead being professional and saying
"Okay, I understand that this is what worked for them, but this is what worked for me and the MuLtIpLe aPpLiCaNtS I've spoken to from all around the country let's agree to disagree". You went on to undermine what that person said and their years of experience by saying that you know more because of your success in the cycle and then hinted that you know multiple people who got into great programs so you all obviously know more.

It doesn't matter how GREAT of a program your friends got into, every program is not the same. There are tons of different programs across the country. What worked for you and your friends may not work for everyone. @cubsrule4e is trying to tell OP to get their app as complete as possible to give themselves as best a shot as possible. Honestly, with a specialty as competitive as optho it's not bad advice.

You know, I thought premeds outgrew their I 'know everything' phase but you unfortunately proved to me that that's not always the case .
You're four years out from premed. You're grooooown and you're gonna be someone's doctor. I sincerly hope that this is just your internet personality.

I bet it felt great writing your tirade/ad hominem, but you continue to miss the point. Ophtho is different from the general application process. For prelim medicine you need your step 2 score to match. For ophtho you don't (assuming a strong step 1). Period. I'll write it in this thread, not because I care to change your mind, but because there's a lot of people applying ophtho next year who will read this thread and will be misinformed if they go off of some other posts.

Also, it's hilarious if you think simply being an attending graces you with wisdom of the current application process. If you talk to three different attendings they'll give you three different strategies for the residency process. Don't know where you are in training but hopefully you're smart enough to parse out what is good and bad advice in making your own decisions.

 

[PantherPride]

This post is now outdated with P/F Step 1. Even then, I'll still get the advice from an attending who knows the process and the requirements involved. If an ophtho PD stops by with countering advice, I'll take note of that and be better prepared.

That doesn't go into effect next year.

 

[Ms Procrastinator]

I bet it felt great writing your tirade/ad hominem, but you continue to miss the point. Ophtho is different from the general application process. For prelim medicine you need your step 2 score to match. For ophtho you don't (assuming a strong step 1). Period. I'll write it in this thread, not because I care to change your mind, but because there's a lot of people applying ophtho next year who will read this thread and will be misinformed if they go off of some other posts.

Also, it's hilarious if you think simply being an attending graces you with wisdom of the current application process. If you talk to three different attendings they'll give you three different strategies for the residency process. Don't know where you are in training but hopefully you're smart enough to parse out what is good and bad advice in making your own decisions.

You're still missing my point, but okay.

 

[PantherPride]

You're still missing my point, but okay.

It was hard to find under your air of superiority

 

[Ms Procrastinator]

It was hard to find under your air of superiority

No way! I was using my air of superiority to point out your air of superiority!!