My friend got his score back yesterday and he told me that he FAILED step 3 by ONE point (he got a 183 and would have passed with a 184. he also mentioned something about a 74 and how he would have passed with a 75). HOW UNLUCKY. I was trying to convince him to recorrect it (since the computer can make a mistake correcting the written portion). But he says it is REALLY REALLY unlikely and a waste of $50 for recorrecting. However, if he gets ONE more point he can pass step 3 and $50 is not so much. Do you think that he should recorrect it?
( I think that it is so stupid that they don't have you pass the test b/c of only one point... It is just by CHANCE...In the score sheet, next to how many points a person has, it says that these points are incorrect to +-6 POINTS)
( I couldn't get much feedback in the step 3 forum so I though I would ask you guys)
The $50 fee for a hand grade of this test is generally a "gift" to the test administration. If your "friend" has a spare $50 that money is better spent on some good review materials because that score is unlikely to change. Your friend is not "unlucky" but unprepared as is the case with most people who fail Step 3. The exam takes minimal prep but preparation nevertheless.
Not at all. What should they have to fail by? Six points? Then if your friend had gotten seven wrong, it would still be by only one point. Think about that a little longer. There has to be a threshold.
The regrade probably won't accomplish anything, but I'd probably do it just to be sure. The cost of Step 3 a second time is probably a lot more than $50.
Agree with this, as most of the time, a regrade either stays the same goes in the opposite direction instead of in favor of the test taker.
You bet your life, people fail Step 3. Usually folks fail Step 3 because they don't do any prep at all. It is difficult at times, to find the time to prep for this exam (generally a couple of weekends) but this exam does need
some preparation. (Do the six cases on the CD-ROM that come when you register for this exam) if nothing else.
I thought the Step 3 test was the one you prepped for by bringing a No. 2 Pencil to the test.
Since this exam is on computer now, many people underestimate the usefulness of being
thoroughly familiar with the Case Simulation Software. If you just go through the cases that come with the CD-ROM that is sent out when you register for this test, you can save yourself a load of headache. The software is not intuitive and thus some practice and familiarity is needed before you take the actual exam. It doesn't take long to go through the six cases and read the critiques when you are done.
This is a nuisance of an exam but you are not going to get an unrestricted license to practice medicine without a pass. The best time to take it is as soon as you can during your PGY-1 year (though some take it between end of fourth year and start of PGY-1 year).
You can't just walk into the test center and take USMLE Step III because of the Clinical Simulation Case Software but the other questions are not difficult at all if you have passed your Internal Medicine clerkship as a medical student.
To the OP:
Tell your friend to do some significant prep and work through the Clinical Cases before he/she retakes. It does not help your residency career to keep retaking this exam. One retake might be a fluke (and unfortunate) but two retakes are trouble.
