When to take Step 2 if you're undecided

[goodoldalky]

Brief info: Interested primarily in EM. Some lesser interest in Ophtho and Anesthesia, but EM is #1 for sure. I have to be honest though, I'm not totally sold on it (only had a 2 wk rotation) and continually worry about changing my mind. lol.

>235 on Step 1. I am taking IM at the end of M3 and was initially hoping to take Step 2 in July with an easy rotation or take my month off then, knock it out, do well, not have to worry about it. Plus, lots of programs require it to rank you, and odds are the longer I wait the more that score goes down.

But if I am considering Ophtho, am not 100% sold on ER, and still thinking about Anesthesia, I feel like I should be doing one of those rotations to pick a field first (especially since Ophtho is an early match).

Anyone have any advice for an undecided like myself?

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[toods]

Brief info: Interested primarily in EM. Some lesser interest in Ophtho and Anesthesia, but EM is #1 for sure. I have to be honest though, I'm not totally sold on it (only had a 2 wk rotation) and continually worry about changing my mind. lol.

>235 on Step 1. I am taking IM at the end of M3 and was initially hoping to take Step 2 in July with an easy rotation or take my month off then, knock it out, do well, not have to worry about it. Plus, lots of programs require it to rank you, and odds are the longer I wait the more that score goes down.

But if I am considering Ophtho, am not 100% sold on ER, and still thinking about Anesthesia, I feel like I should be doing one of those rotations to pick a field first (especially since Ophtho is an early match).

Anyone have any advice for an undecided like myself?

It's not true that lots of programs require step 2 to rank you, they are aware that people take the exam at different times during the year.

You should definitely take ophtho/anesthesia in the beginning of your 4th year to make a more educated decision about what field you are going into. Don't do yourself a disservice by deciding the rest of your life without exploring all options.

As for step 2, you could always study and take it during a later month....say October. Plenty of people study and take it at the end of a month they take off for interviews (though I would not recommend that since it gets pretty hectic). In either case, you would have scores available by ranking time...even for early match.

HTH, best of luck!