Step 2 CS as a DO for CC or CT fellowship

[pandayogi]

Hi everyone!
I will be a DO starting Anesthesia residency this July.
Looking ahead I am aiming for a CC or CT fellowship in a big city and will be pretty much restricted to that area because of family. I've heard that taking Step 2 CS as a DO is unnecessary and have taken USMLE Step 1 and 2CK as well as the COMLEX so far. But I have checked many of the fellowship applications and they ask for ITE and USMLE scores with no mention of COMLEX score. I was wondering if I should take CS and USMLE Step 3 (can't take Step 3 without finishing CS) in order to be as competitive for these types of fellowships? OR can I take the COMLEX Level 3 and still be considered as competitive?

Are there any PDs or fellows who can give some advice on what to do? Many thanks!

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[kazuma]

Just take comlex 3 and pass c a decent score. As long as your usmle 1-2 are good, then you'll still be in the running. Even though some programs dont list comlex in their apps, most accept it, esp c usmle to back it up More important is to kill the ITE your CA1 year. Get a good q-bank and go through it thoroughly taking notes throughout the year, not just a month before the ITE. I like the M5 board review, its the most up to date, with questions added periodically. the explanations are golden and cover all the high yield board content in an easy to learn format. That's the only q bank I use anymore and it has helped me score in the top 10-15 percentile each year. I read about questions I miss in a real text like big miller or barash, but m&m or baby miller are fine for an overview or review.

In addition, work hard and play well in the sandbox so you'll be able to get some good LOR's. If you do these things you'll be in good shape. I'm a DO and I got interviews at some top notch CCM programs and I matched at my #1 as an outside applicant.

 

[pandayogi]

Thank you, kazuma! I appreciate your reply!