Taking Step 1 after Step 2 in early 4th year

[Darkskies]

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Hi, I'm a 3rd year DO student. I have not yet taken the USMLE Step 1 although I did well on the COMLEX Level 1 and scored a 32 on my MCAT. I know this may seem like a ridiculous plan but would it be possible to study hard and take the USMLE Step 2 and COMLEX Level 2 by August of this year and then take 4 weeks off(school allows us a certain amount of time off) along with an easy elective afterwards to prepare and take the USMLE Step 1 by late October? Ideally I am anticipating having around 2 months to study for Step 1(4 weeks of time off plus 4 weeks of an easy elective). I would also be taking the COMLEX PE by November.

I know that ERAS for ACGME residencies opens on September 15th but is it all right to have everything submitted around November or December? I realize that I have a lot on my plate and it's overwhelming me. I feel like otherwise I don't know how I could make time to properly study and take the Step 1 as I am having to manage rotations, obtaining LORs, updating my CV, setting up 4th year electives,etc. at the same time. I really wish I had just taken it at the end of 2nd year instead of making this mistake...Please provide me with advice. Thanks!

 

[Darkskies]

I know this is not the most typical thing to do but could anyone please respond as to what they think of this plan?

 

[YankeeCandle1141]

I think programs will see right through this. Having a good step 1 score in your 4th year seems pretty irrelevant to me. But hey its your time and your money.

 

[a runner]

There are some MD schools that are allowing their students to take step 1 near the end of 3rd year and there is some evidence it leads to higher scores. A step 1 score is a step 1 score. I don't think programs will care nearly as much WHEN you take it as the actual score you receive. It's hard to get a high step 1 score no matter when you take it.

 

[Darkskies]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I know that a Step 1 score is a Step 1 score and for all intents and purposes, programs do not care when you took it as long as you have a decent score. My question is, whether taking the Step 1 by late October would be too late for most programs since ERAS opens on Sept 15th for ACGME residencies. Also, is taking 4 weeks off plus another 4 weeks as an easy elective, enough time to prepare for the Step 1 and aim for a 220ish or better score? I'll also be taking the PE around that time or the month after so I have to keep that in mind as well.

 

[preDoGuy24]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I know that a Step 1 score is a Step 1 score and for all intents and purposes, programs do not care when you took it as long as you have a decent score. My question is, whether taking the Step 1 by late October would be too late for most programs since ERAS opens on Sept 15th for ACGME residencies. Also, is taking 4 weeks off plus another 4 weeks as an easy elective, enough time to prepare for the Step 1 and aim for a 220ish or better score? I'll also be taking the PE around that time or the month after so I have to keep that in mind as well.

Honestly that's fairly late in the game for step 1...not that it couldn't possibly help but by October you are probably already sorted into the interview or don't interview piles...that's my opinion though. I would crush step 2 and focus on that OR plan on having step 1 done with results before mid September. I don't think you mentioned what you were applying for? All this may be a needless amount of stress of its a relatively noncompetitive field.

 

[YankeeCandle1141]

Program directors arent stupid. If you take step 1....a test geared towards M2s, as an M4, and you dont CRUSH it, i think it would hurt your application.

 

[preDoGuy24]

Program directors arent stupid. If you take step 1....a test geared towards M2s, as an M4, and you dont CRUSH it, i think it would hurt your application.

Maybe. They are two different exams though, step 1 is arguably much more difficult then step 2, and program directors know that (programs typically have step 1 minimums for interviews not step 2). I would not expect any M4 or M3 for that matter to be able to crush step 1 without significant review no matter how clinically oriented the exam is, it's a basic science exam at it's core, not a clinical exam like step 2. I would like to see a comparison on students who take it after 2nd vs after 3rd year, not sure if that exists (hell I wouldn't mind retaking it to see how my score has changed ...except that whole 8 hour thing).

 

[YankeeCandle1141]

Maybe. They are two different exams though, step 1 is arguably much more difficult then step 2, and program directors know that (programs typically have step 1 minimums for interviews not step 2). I would not expect any M4 or M3 for that matter to be able to crush step 1 without significant review no matter how clinically oriented the exam is, it's a basic science exam at it's core, not a clinical exam like step 2. I would like to see a comparison on students who take it after 2nd vs after 3rd year, not sure if that exists (hell I wouldn't mind retaking it to see how my score has changed ...except that whole 8 hour thing).

I definitely would do worse today on step 1 than the day I took it.

If you are trying to make interview cutoffs, then yes, absolutely take it.
I just wouldn't expect anyone to be impressed by your score, even if you do very well on it.

 

[cliquesh]

I know someone who did that. They had their usmle step 2 score when they applied for residency in September and they got their usmle step 1 scores in December. They got interviews based on their usmle step 2 score, obviously, and their step 1 score didn't help much in the long run. They told me that having a usmle score helped a lot in the process, so definitely take usmle step 2 at least.