With the arrival of every new residency application season comes a new host of questions and speculation regarding the requirements of residency directors. Obviously every applicant wishes to present themselves in the best light possible, so sifting through the volumes of information out there can be approaching impossible. Perennially, one of the most-discussed topics is when/if a student should sit for Step 2 either prior to interviewing, or prior to program ROL (rank order list) submission dates. In light of this uncertainty, the ERAS subcommittee of the AAMC sought to address the concerns of USMGs via a survey administered to "3793 ERAS-participating residency programs in 45 residency specialties on July 9, 2012." 1263 'core specialties' responded to the survey for a response rate of about 40%. From here the core specialties were objectively divided into three groups based on the average number of applications per residency position: "less competitive, medium competitive, and most competitive." The survey responses produced interesting results. In response to the question, "Do you require USMG applicants to pass USMLE Step 2CK before granting an interview?", the general trend demonstrated that as specialty competitiveness increased, the percentage of programs requiring a passing score prior to interview decreased. In response to the question, "Do you require USMG applicants to pass USMLE Step 2CK before placement on your ROL?", the trend broadly mirrored the responses to the first question although the baseline "yes" percentage was considerably higher across all specialties. Significant variability was present between specialties within the 'medium competitive' category. Click on the VSAS/ERAS link under "Useful Links" for the official document.