take step 2 w/o step 1?

[redbookfan]

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Hello, am a 3rd yr medical student at a DO school. Can I take USMLE step 2 even though I have never taken USMLE Step 1? Is it possible to take step 2 before step 1 or even without ever taking step 1? thanks!

 

[RussianJoo]

it sure is. you can take 1 or 2 in whatever order you want.

 

[FutureInternist]

Hello, am a 3rd yr medical student at a DO school. Can I take USMLE step 2 even though I have never taken USMLE Step 1? Is it possible to take step 2 before step 1 or even without ever taking step 1? thanks!

Why would you want to do that?? Most residencies care only about the score on Step 1 & as long as you pass Step 2 you are OK. Even the residencies that require USMLE (as opposed to COMLEX) only REQUIRE Step 1 USMLE.
If you have a choice, take step 1 & not 2.

 

[Shigellosis]

Hello, am a 3rd yr medical student at a DO school. Can I take USMLE step 2 even though I have never taken USMLE Step 1? Is it possible to take step 2 before step 1 or even without ever taking step 1? thanks!

People who have taken step 2 before step 1 found it very difficult because it expands on the concepts tested on in step 1. Studying for step 1 and taking it will make your studying for step 2 easier and your step 2 score will be higher than your step 1...or another possibility is that they will both be high.
Since you've had third year experience step 1 will be a breeze and you will cover the basics in your step 1 studying that many step 2 review books assume you know. What I've been told by many people in my family is that doing well on step 1 makes step 2 easier to study for. Good luck!

 

[bobcomlex]

A lot of people in my class have taken step 2 before step 1. You don't need step 1. It's a completely different test. And based on my classmates experience, the COMLEX 2 was a harder exam than Step 2 because the COMLEX has a lot of poorly written questions that you can't prepare for whereas the USMLE questions are more in depth and longer but more fair.