When to Take Step II CK IMG

[SAF12]

Hello I am a MS3 U.S. IMG with a high Step 1 score (253) straight A student with expected good LORs. I would like to match in a competitive IM/IM-Primary care program. Due to the Augaust delay if I take the Step II CK anytime in August I will get the results around September 20th after the Sept 15th MSPE opening. As an IMG I am aware I should apply as early as possible. My question is would it be worth it to take it late July to ensure I get it in before ERAS opens ( I would only take it if I was averaging >240 on NBMEs) or take it in Augast and potentially get a 10-20 point boost but have it come in after ERAS opens. If I could get a reply buy those who have either matched or interview residents I would very much appreciate it.

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[Raryn]

Hello I am a MS3 U.S. IMG with a high Step 1 score (253) straight A student with expected good LORs. I would like to match in a competitive IM/IM-Primary care program. Due to the Augaust delay if I take the Step II CK anytime in August I will get the results around September 20th after the Sept 15th MSPE opening. As an IMG I am aware I should apply as early as possible. My question is would it be worth it to take it late July to ensure I get it in before ERAS opens ( I would only take it if I was averaging >240 on NBMEs) or take it in Augast and potentially get a 10-20 point boost but have it come in after ERAS opens. If I could get a reply buy those who have either matched or interview residents I would very much appreciate it.

5 days is probably nothing, so if you get your scores back sometime in late September it's fine.

Do understand though, as an IMG you must have Step 1, Step 2 CK, AND Step 2 CS passing scores back before you can be ECFMG verified, and that a very large proportion of the programs will filter out your application until you have that verification. Five (or even fifteen) days is no big deal for a delay to have those, but more than that and you really are potentially hurting yourself.

 

[Questionmark?]

Hello I am a MS3 U.S. IMG with a high Step 1 score (253) straight A student with expected good LORs. I would like to match in a competitive IM/IM-Primary care program. Due to the Augaust delay if I take the Step II CK anytime in August I will get the results around September 20th after the Sept 15th MSPE opening. As an IMG I am aware I should apply as early as possible. My question is would it be worth it to take it late July to ensure I get it in before ERAS opens ( I would only take it if I was averaging >240 on NBMEs) or take it in Augast and potentially get a 10-20 point boost but have it come in after ERAS opens. If I could get a reply buy those who have either matched or interview residents I would very much appreciate it.

I was pretty much in the same position as you last year. I ultimately took the ck exam in August, and my score was reported a few days after September 15th. But, my ECFMG certification/verification process only happened on October 1st or 2nd.
In other words, I had my 'completed' application a little over 2 weeks after eras opened. I would say that's less than ideal because it's in that gray area where it might be late for programs.

If you can afford to take it before the ck delay period, I think that gives you a better chance to not be filtered out as a foreign graduate. But don't rush into taking the exam if you're not prepared.

 

[the argus]

I am going through the match this year (countdown t-minus 16 days!!) coming from a similar background as a US-IMG with high GPA, great letters, but a lower step 1 score than you, applying for IM programs. My advice would be that you should do everything in your power to have your application complete, including CK score, the day ERAS opens.

Your citizenship status and great step 1 score makes you immediately competitive for the best IM programs that will take US-IMGs (mid-tier university programs for the most part). That being said, there will be many comparable applicants and once you hit 230+ on step 1 the actual score makes less of a difference. More and more programs, IM especially, are putting greater weight on CK scores. And as Raryn pointed out, many, if not most, programs will not look at any IMG until they are ECFMG verified. There is also the idea that having your application complete the day ERAS opens shows organization and maturity.

Will a 2 week delay until 10/1 hurt your chances of matching in IM? Almost certainly not, as you have good stats and assumably can hold a coherent conversation. And obviously having a delayed good score is better than an on-time bad score. That being said, if you want to keep all your options open so you can match into YOUR choice of the best program for you, have your application complete on 9/15.

 

[labelleindifference]

If you are from a Caribbean school, you don't have to worry about ecfmg certification in order to apply and get interviews. You can only become ECFMG certified once you have graduated. I would say that if you are scoring well, take the exam before the end of July. If not, just wait and take it in August but make sure the rest of your application is complete and submit the day ERAS opens. Good luck!!

 

[the argus]

If you are from a Caribbean school, you don't have to worry about ecfmg certification in order to apply and get interviews. You can only become ECFMG certified once you have graduated. I would say that if you are scoring well, take the exam before the end of July. If not, just wait and take it in August but make sure the rest of your application is complete and submit the day ERAS opens. Good luck!!

ECFMG certification and verification are different. You are correct that CERTIFICATION only occurs once you graduate, but VERIFICATION is what the ERAS/NRMP calls having completed step 1 and step 2 CK/CS before graduation. It is absolutely true that many programs will not look at your application until you have verification, i.e. have passed step 1 and step 2 CK/CS.

 

[gutonc]

Read through this thread carefully and notice that nobody said you had to worry about ECFMG certification. But if you're not ECFMG verified (which means you're ABD), you're in a world of hurt if you're an IMG.

That said, the likelihood of a 2 week delay hurting you significantly is pretty small.

Pay attention to recent interview invite threads in various specialty forums. There aren't that many IV offers going out in the first 2-3 weeks after ERAS opens.

Finally, the chance of another week of studying resulting in a 20 point boost is small as well. If you feel good about your chances early, take it.

 

[labelleindifference]

My mistake, I read that way too fast. This is going to sound silly but i can't find ECFMG verification on my ERAS app at all. In ADTS, there is a space for ECFMG status report.

According to the ERAS website: The ECFMG Status Report confirms your ECFMG certification status. The ECFMG Status Report contains the month and year that you passed examinations for ECFMG Certification. It does not include your USMLE scores, which can be reported only as part of an official USMLE transcript. The only scores listed on the ECFMG Status Report are those for the one-day ECFMG Examination, FMGEMS, VQE, NBME Part exams, or FLEX, if you received your Standard ECFMG Certificate based on any of these former medical science exams. If you passed the former ECFMG CSA, the ECFMG Status Report will list the month and year of your passing performance. The ECFMG Status Report will not contain any failing scores or other non-passing attempts.

So according to their website, only your USMLE transcript provides your scores. When you first submit your application, your scores that are already available will be transmitted. Once your CK score is released, you have to go back into your application and retransmit your score. It's really simple and takes a day or two max to go through.

A few of my friends, who are US-IMGs from the Caribbean all did this and several of them received interviews before their step 2ck score was available.

 

[the argus]

You are right, after going back and looking I guess ECFMG verification is only explicitly part of the NRMP process (which is required by ROL day). In ERAS it is called the ECFMG status report and there is no deadline for when the score has to be in.

Regardless of what it is called on either website, the fact doesn't change that many programs will not look at an IMG application until all step scores are in. As you mentioned some programs will, but many definitely will not and is stated as such on their websites.

Like I and everyone else in this thread have said, the OP seems to have a solid application so a CK score a few weeks later will almost surely not affect the overall chance of matching in IM.

That said, the name of the game in the match as an IMG (and all applicants really) is maximizing both your overall chance to match and your options to choose the best program for yourself. IMGs are inherently at a disadvantage and I'm of the opinion that you should do everything in your power to have your application, step scores and all, complete on 9/15.