Step II timing

I really don't think that you need to take step 2 early. I just took the exam a couple days ago (it is an 8 hour torture session by the way) and it didn't hurt me when it came to getting interviews (I applied to 30 programs and received 26 interviews). I actually had multiple programs comment that they wouldn't have taken step 2 early if they were me.

I am sure some will disagree with me, but why play with fire. If you did well on step 1 you have already proven yourself, don't risk making programs rethink your academic aptitude.

What would be consider a good enough Step 1 score to delay taking Step 2? Above 240? above 250??

bump

How good of a step 1 do you need to delay?

280 at least

I had plenty of classmates going for ortho who got a 250+ and still took Step 2 early. I think that is where the trend for ortho is going, however you won't be dinged if yo don't have it, but if the step 2 is good it can only help you by providing more information about your application.

It has nothing to do with the score. I you look at the averages for these past years getting a 240 was average for people who matched. Based on the numbers if you get a 251 or higher 111 matched and 10 didn't. Not bad numbers. You hit the 90% match spot at about 240 something to 250. Also, 194 people matched and there is no data on there step 2 score meaning they didn't have it by the time the match happened and the data was collected.

If you look at the program director survey 32% of programs say step 2 important for interview, step 1 is 59%. The importance on a 5 pont scale was 4.4 for step 1 and 3.7 for step 2. Other more important stuff was clinical grades and how you interact with the residents and faculty. However, 42% of the program directors said step 2 scores were not required.

The target scores btw are 236 for step 1 and 237 for step 2. (based on survey, not my guessing)

Bottom line, if you have time to take it early take it and do at least the same if not better. If you did well on step 1 odds are you have remained decently smart and will do well on step 2. I took mine in July of fourth year. There are programs that look at step 2 and require it in order to rank you. Also it's a more clinical test so some programs like that score better than step 1.

1

I took it early and studied intensely in June when we had 12 days off between 3rd and 4th years. I would take it early for 2 reasons.

1. Get it over with. Take it as close to your medicine rotation as possible.

2. Some programs require it for an interview. There is a thread on here somewhere that lists them. So if you want to interview at these places, you need to have it done.

Take it early
1. as others have said some programs require it before they'll invite you for an interview (Orlando was one that I was interested in).
2. you get increasingly more medicine-stupid throughout 4th year of medical school (or at least I did)
3. If you have a low Step 1 it can make up for some of that. I scored in the 230s on step 1 so I took it early and got a 274. I got interviews at places where they said they almost didn't interview me until they saw my step 2 score.
4. Even if you got a good step 1 score its great to have two strong scores going into application season.

This is priceless -- point well taken.

I did very well on step 1 and took step 2ck late, so that the score was not back until after interviews. This did not hinder my ability to get interviews or match one bit. A couple places want to know that you've passed step 2 in order to rank you (duke and ucsf i think), so i sent the result to them after i found out and before rank lists were due.

I highly recommend this approach if you have a great step 1 score.

I've got a slightly below ortho average step 1 score. I've been given the option to take step 2 in late June/early July and start my first AI July 6 or start my first AI June 8 and take step 2 after my last AI. Which would be the more prudent option?

I'd take it first. I know this previous post was two years ago, but I feel like things have changed a bit since then. Of the 6 people applying ortho at my school, only one didn't do it before submitting their applications. He had a step 1 score of 248, thought he didn't need to take it. He ended up getting 8 interviews while the others all got 14+. Not that this is the only factor (and n=6), but that's what happened at our school this year.

Agree... for a mid-range Step 1, I would advise taking Step 2 early. If your score is >1 SD above the ortho 245 average (i.e., 258+) and the rest of your app has no red flags, then it won't make a difference and you can take it late.

This is a great way to look at it, actually. Do you know for sure the SD was ~13?