step 2 required before interviews offers!?

[apk7]

Hi all,

The standard advice I've gotten re: step 2 and plastic surgery residency applications is that if you have a strong Step 1 score, you can wait to take Step 2 until later.

I just browsed through FRIEDA and there are a significant number of integrated plastics programs that report that Step 2 is required for interview consideration.

Is this for real? Will my application not be reviewed at these schools if I don't have a step 2 score reported when I submit?

Anyone have any insight on this?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[apk7]

Can anyone comment on if this is a new thing? Or if this is just something that is reported but not actually true?

FRIEDA does not have info for all of the integrated plastics programs, but of the ones that it does, the following report that they need Step 2 for interview consideration:

SIU
Indiana University
Hopkins
U Mass
U Mich
North Shore - LIJ
University of Rochester
University of Cincinnati
OSU
Wright State
UTSW

This seems to be a pretty hefty list given that FRIEDA doesn't have info for a bunch of programs, and I'd never heard of programs requiring Step 2 for interviews before.

 

[Yoyomama88]

how did you find this list on the frieda site?

 

[apk7]

go to the FREIDA site and search for "integrated plastics" residencies. From the resulting list you'll see that about half the programs have information in the columns filled in. Click on the residencies with the info filled in, then go to the 'general' tab, and scroll down to where it asks whether Step 1/ Step 2 is required for interview consideration. A number of Step 1 cutoffs are also posted here

 

[Yoyomama88]

Yea. Funny...I'm interested in applying to Neurology and many competitive programs require a Step 2 for an interview as well. But I thought you might be interested in looking at
this

http://www.student.med.umn.edu/osr/...e-of-USMLE-Step-2CK-and-USMLE-Step-2CS-11.pdf

 

[apk7]

Interesting, thanks for sharing that. The article alluded to what I'm trying to figure out - do programs just report that they need Step 2 prior to granting an interview, but still evaluate each application on a case by case basis, granting interviews to those applicants who they are not worried about passing Step 2 (good step 1 score, scheduled date for Step 2, etc)? Or are applications at these institutions not even looked at if there is no Step 2 score included?

I've heard rumors that there are new policies in place by the AAMC that are forcing programs to have Step 2 requirements before granting interviews, but I'm not sure what they are.

On the other hand, with a good Step 1 score, nobody I've talked to has ever told me that I would need a Step 2 score on file to get interviews in plastics. Maybe for the final rank list, but never just for interviews.

If anyone else out there can comment, it would be much appreciated.

 

[kodename47]

i know ucsf also requires a step 2 ck score. anyone know of other programs that do this? it might help to keep a running list of programs that require step 2 scores.

 

[56473938]

My advice is to just take the test as soon as you can. You will spend so much time stressing over when to take it, what score you need, all that stuff (as evident by the fact that this is the most frequent topic discussed on this forum it seems like). I'm sure most residents/attendings would agree with me when I say to just take the test! Don't be afraid of failing and waste hours of your life worrying about when to take the exam. just make sure you are prepared, take the test, and go from there.

You are undoubtedly a stronger candidate when you have all your numbers on the table. You are saying to programs: this is my application, take it or leave it. If you get an interview, then your goal is to show up and be yourself. If you did really well on step 1, you will do really well on step 2 unless you blow it off, so just go for it and be an even stronger candidate. If you didn't do as well on step 1, step 2 can help you but again it's not going to make or break you. What will change your fate is your letters and away electives, not a step 2 score.

Be a complete candidate, take all your exams, and you are a better candidate. That will show the program that you get things done and aren't afraid of an exam.

good luck!

 

[56473938]

My advice is to just take the test as soon as you can. You will spend so much time stressing over when to take it, what score you need, all that stuff (as evident by the fact that this is the most frequent topic discussed on this forum it seems like). I'm sure most residents/attendings would agree with me when I say to just take the test! Don't be afraid of failing and waste hours of your life worrying about when to take the exam. just make sure you are prepared, take the test, and go from there.

You are undoubtedly a stronger candidate when you have all your numbers on the table. You are saying to programs: this is my application, take it or leave it. If you get an interview, then your goal is to show up and be yourself. If you did really well on step 1, you will do really well on step 2 unless you blow it off, so just go for it and be an even stronger candidate. If you didn't do as well on step 1, step 2 can help you but again it's not going to make or break you. What will change your fate is your letters and away electives, not a step 2 score.

Be a complete candidate, take all your exams, and you are a better candidate. That will show the program that you get things done and aren't afraid of an exam.

good luck!

 

[Moravian]

You are saying to programs: this is my application, take it or leave it. If you get an interview, then your goal is to show up and be yourself.

What will change your fate is your letters and away electives, not a step 2 score.

Be a complete candidate, take all your exams, and you are a better candidate. That will show the program that you get things done and aren't afraid of an exam.

Completely agree.

--M

 

[dootdoodooo]

I think for some of us it's not a matter of not wanting to take the exam, but rather timing. I would love to take step 2 asap and get it over with. I'm confident that I could do well enough that it would not affect my application negatively. It really comes down to wanting to focus on away rotations this summer. I don't think I need to take an entire month off to study, but I don't think taking step 2 during a sub-i is a good idea. My step 2 score will not be available before interview offers. It will definitely be available for ranking. I was always told that this would not be a problem. If I had realized I could miss out on some programs, maybe I would have planned differently. I still think that an extra away and chairman letter is more important though.

 

[56473938]

Of course if you can't take it you can't, but most people on these threads are trying to decide between taking it early or late (if they are this year's application cycle), or trying to plan for next year (planning to apply next year). If you are on a sub I, I think it's pretty obvious that you shouldn't take step 2. Most people are deciding between taking an easier elective in like sept/oct/nov, taking step 2 then, or waiting until much later (in which case I'd say take something easy in the earliest month you can, after sub I's, and take step 2). In addition, for those people on this thread who are not in this year's application cycle, it's good to know that you can plan ahead for next year and try to crank out your step 2 before sub I's (if you can, of course).

General consensus, from those I know, is that 1-2 weeks worth of full time studying (6-8 hrs/day) is all you need, especially if you are taking it right after third year (the test is awkward to study for and really just reflects what you've learned during 3rd year. It's not like step 1). If you can't do it full time, do the math for 1-2 weeks worth of time but spread out over a month or two depending on your schedule.

Take a practice CSSA. Then decide how long you will need to study. Helps a lot.