Step 2?

[axm028400]

Hi,
I am a DO student who will be applying to mid tier level psychiatry programs for 2011. I am preparing for step 2 of COMLEX and am wondering if I should take the USMLE step 2 as well. I took both the comlex and usmle and scored slightly above average on the comlex and got a 202 on the usmle (step 1). I am probably in the top 1/3 of my class (gpa around 3.5), and have numerous extracurriculars. Any insight would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

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[imari]

I would love to hear what DOs psychiatry residents in MD residency programs think about this (or any resident, for that matter). However I am in a slightly different situation. I did not take USMLE Step 1, only COMLEX and I am wondering if it would be helpful to take USMLE Step 2.

 

[NJWxMan]

PGY-1 DO in Psychiatry program here. I ONLY took the COMLEX I and II and scored in the low to mid 600's on both. I initially applied to only 5 programs (mid-tier university settings), all of which I received interviews from within 3 days of submitting ERAS. One week later, I added another 5 programs, all again, mid tier and received interviews from each within a week. Feeling slightly confident and now three weeks into the app process, I applied to 8 more competitive programs (Ivy's etc.) and received 3 more interviews. I went on to apply to about 5-7 more safety programs, in which I received 3 more interviews. I felt very fortunate to receive all of these interviews. I attended 12 in all, mostly in the NY/NJ/PA region. I had three very strong LOR's from psychiatrists. I also have a very specific interest in the field of psychiatry. Overall, I think with a reasonable COMLEX II score alone, you can be successful in the application process.

 

[psychattending]

Taking the USMLES helps the PD judge how your scores compare to the MD applicants. In that sense they are helpful to your application since they tend to counter biases some MDs have against DOs. Some programs won't consider an applicant without them but others will.