If you think you can beat your Step 1, I would take Step 2CK early so that you can get your scores before you submit ERAS. Your Step 1 will hold you back at some (but not all schools), so if you apply w/o Step 2CK you'll still get interviews (given your school, likely AOA status and great grades). However, if you want to maximize your chances at getting a lot of interviews and getting interviews at top programs, a better Step 2CK can help compensate. Some, but not all, programs will allow a great Step 2CK to kind of override a meh Step 1.
However, if you think you'll score <240 on Step 2CK, I would not take it before you submit ERAS. I would really think about putting a ton of effort into Step 2CK though, since it sounds like you may not have pulled out all stops with Step 1 since you weren't thinking derm at that time.
Another thing to think about is that certain schools (UCSF and a few others) requires Step 2CK scores in order to rank you. Apparently new schools are imposing this requirement each year, and it's not always posted on their websites.
A final consideration is that a way to hedge your bets if you're scared of scoring poorly on Step 2CK is that you can take it soon after you submit ERAS and release your Step 1 score. That way your Step 2 score won't be available for your initial application. If you do well on Step 2, you can release it, and if not, you can withhold it. The risk with this strategy is that if you don't release your score and a school asks at an interview if you've taken Step 2, they'll probably ask you to release it, and it'll look like you were trying to hide the score. You could always lie and say you haven't taken it, but I wouldn't risk this.
Re: cut-off scores, I've heard 240, 245, and 250 at certain schools. Other schools use super-low cut-offs like 220ish or don't screen based on Step 1.
Another thing you don't mention is research and derm letters. Publications (derm>non-derm) and outstanding LORs (preferably from well-known academic derms) are crucial.
Congrats on your great grades and likely AOA, by the way. Those will go a long way!
I'm somewhat of a new, but dedicated member to the "Interested in Derm" club and wanted to see what people think about taking Step 2 Ck before applications. I took my Step 1 when I was not planning on Dermatology and scored a 235. I did however, receive a grade of Honors in all of my clerkships and most of my preclinicals at a top 5 school (not really sure if that matters). So while I feel like I'm a strong applicant and should be AOA (board scores aren't factored into AOA at our school), I am worried about being screened out of programs before my application is read, but on the other hand worried about the possibility of doing the same or worse on Step 2. I keep hearing 240 as a possible cutoff score. Any suggestions?
