Unsure about usmle

[Fluffyone]

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Hi,
Sorry if this was asked a few times but I wanted to ask specifically about my situation. I'm currently unsure if I should take usmle 1 (which is now pass/fail like comlex). On the side of not taking it, I'm interested in pathology and heard that it's not a competive specialty. Furthermore, I'm nervous about preparing for 2 boards exams and the excessive cost. My dean also recommended that I don't take it. However on the side of taking it, I only want to do residency/work in the new york city or long Island area and I want to be competitive for those. Do you think I should take the usmle or is it unecessary? TIA!

 

[Schwifty]

Your dean is wrong, you should take it as long as you can pass. Studying for step is studying for comlex, just cram in som OMM for a few days before you take comlex and you’ll be fine.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Yes, you should take it. Residency is becoming more and more competitive every year especially in desirable locations like NYC. It is very easy for any program director to filter through hundreds of applicants by just selecting for "Pass USMLE Step 1" on ERAS, and then never see your application again for the rest of the cycle.

 

[Ho0v-man]

You’ll definitely match pathology without it. Likely a good program if you have some research.

However, you want one of the most desirable locations in the country. Furthermore, the job market for path has recently been better than awful, but still not hot compared to other physician job markets. So if for some reason you can’t match into a solid NYC program, you’ll still want to go to an excellent program with good name recognition if you want to practice in NYC one day. All of this is more likely to happen if you pass step 1.

Your dean probably soaped into an AOA FM program 30 years ago and has absolutely no clue what he/she is talking about.

 

[deleted1066449]

You dont have to report a Fail Step as a DO. Only upside and little down side. LOL

 

[Neopolymath]

You might be unsure but luckily for you I'm quite sure you need to take it lol

 

[Cornfed101]

Yes, you should take it. Residency is becoming more and more competitive every year especially in desirable locations like NYC. It is very easy for any program director to filter through hundreds of applicants by just selecting for "Pass USMLE Step 1" on ERAS, and then never see your application again for the rest of the cycle.

NYC is desirable? You couldn’t pay me $200k a year to do residency there

 

[DrStephenStrange]

NYC is desirable? You couldn’t pay me $200k a year to do residency there

It is to a lot of people, and some programs even offer housing to their residents to alleviate cost of living. But yeah, it's not a place for everyone.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Actually, as a resident 200K a year in NYC would be nicer than most other programs if you ask me.

 

[PapaGuava]

Don't limit yourself, take Step. It will also give you a good warmup before you would take Step 2 later on in your third year.

 

[arjusmc]

You dont have to report a Fail Step as a DO. Only upside and little down side. LOL

I'm fairly sure this isn't true. I think ERAS tells you to report all. If you don't it's essentially fraud and very well may lose your match.

That's how I understood it at least.

 

[deleted898021]

I'm fairly sure this isn't true. I think ERAS tells you to report all. If you don't it's essentially fraud and very well may lose your match.

That's how I understood it at least.

Nope no stipulation as a DO to report it, this has been discussed ad-nauseam on this site.

 

[arjusmc]

Nope no stipulation as a DO to report it, this has been discussed ad-nauseam on this site.

Can you choose to report step 2 and not step 1 or is it an all or nothing thing?

 

[deleted1066449]

Can you choose to report step 2 and not step 1 or is it an all or nothing thing?

Devil dog! do you even need to take S1 to take S2 as a DO? MD requires both for graduation jus like DO requiers COMPLEX.

SF.

 

[deleted898021]

Can you choose to report step 2 and not step 1 or is it an all or nothing thing?

No that's not an option you have to report both if you took both

 

[arjusmc]

Devil dog! do you even need to take S1 to take S2 as a DO? MD requires both for graduation jus like DO requiers COMPLEX.

SF.

From what I can tell now you don’t need to take step 1 to take step 2. However it looks like PDs in fields that had a step 1 score cutoff for auditions will require a P on step 1 for auditions and likely won’t accept a P level 1 in its place. So it all depend on what field.
semper fi