Can anyone comment on schools requiring step 2 before issuing an interview? A recent nrmp survey indicated that 60% of programs required step 2. This is with an n=87 programs. I've heard of Duke requiring this, but have you heard of others?
An official word on this subject would be nice, because most of the advice in this area is hearsay.
From an admissions point of view, if you have an amazing step 1 score, are committees going to even think twice about your step 2 score? Is it better to play it on the safe side and have the test "completed" by the time you interview? Most people say if you aced step 1, taking step 2 can really only hurt you since there isn't much room for improvement, therefore just take step 2 after you interview... but if you're less likely to be offered the interview, simply because of semantics, this creates quite the dilemma.
Thanks for weighing in on this subject Dr. Levine.
I am unaware of any program making interview decisions based on step 2 scores. If you nailed step 1 then taking step 2 might pose problems if for some reason you do particularly poorly. On the other hand, if you did poorly (or relatively poorly) on step 1 and want to show the programs that you are in fact a good standardized test taker (step 2 MAY correlate better with orthopaedic in-traning scores and board passing rates) - then you really have nothing to lose. If a program didn't like your step 1 score they may not pay attention to your step 2 score no matter how good it is. On the other hand, if you do phenomenally well on step 2 perhaps it will get the attention of someone and you may get some interviews that you otherwise wouldn't have.
I also got Duke interview w/out Step 2. Their email said: "We would like to have this information (step 2) on file in our office before the NRMP match deadline of February 24, 2010."
I emailed their administrator and she said that taking the test in late December would not be a problem and would not negatively affect my application. This might mean what other programs say they "require Step 2" somewhere during the process.
