Three Digit > Two digit conversion in CK?

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Hello everyone. Does anyone have an updated graph for the Three digit > two digit correlation?

It seems that you need a higher three digit score for the same two digit score in comparison to step 1.

Originally Posted by FreakofMeds

Hello everyone. Does anyone have an updated graph for the Three digit > two digit correlation?

It seems that you need a higher three digit score for the same two digit score in comparison to step 1.

Nobody in the States actually cares about the two-digit score.

I doubt if anyone will have a score conversion for you. You can look at a bunch of posts in the scores thread to get an idea though.

Originally Posted by Labslave

Nobody in the States actually cares about the two-digit score.

I doubt if anyone will have a score conversion for you. You can look at a bunch of posts in the scores thread to get an idea though.

Huh, that's odd. Most of the programs put their cutoff points / criteria on their websites based on the two digit, not three digit scores.

Are you talking about percentile.

I posted here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=670718

a way to determine that.

Just take the mean and standard deviation that they reported for your test.

(Your score - test mean)/SD = z

Look up the z value here... it will give you an APPROXIMATE (not NBME-official) percentile.
http://business.statistics.sweb.cz/normal01.jpg

Note... if you scored below average, then this will not work.

The 2 digit score is not a percentile.

I know that some programs look at the 2-digit score, but they are a minority.

Why do IMGs seem to pay more attention to 2 digit score and all the US grads talk about is 3 digit score? I don't understand it because I've never heard a US grad talk about 2 digit score, but IMGs seem to refer to it often. It is a seemingly arbitrary number that has nothing to do with statistics or any measurable way to determine how well someone scored. Anyone above the 70th percentile or so gets a 99, so what's the point of using your 2 digit score?

Originally Posted by tfom08

Why do IMGs seem to pay more attention to 2 digit score and all the US grads talk about is 3 digit score? I don't understand it because I've never heard a US grad talk about 2 digit score, but IMGs seem to refer to it often. It is a seemingly arbitrary number that has nothing to do with statistics or any measurable way to determine how well someone scored. Anyone above the 70th percentile or so gets a 99, so what's the point of using your 2 digit score?

I really don't get it either. I'd appreciate an explanation from an IMG.

It just sounds better to say "99" than, say, 238 or whatever the minimum score for a 99 equivalent is. It makes it seem as though they aced the exam and that they are a smart little cookie (i.e. higher earning potential). You also have to take into consideration the fact that a large number of IMG's will be or are in the process of being arranged for marriage, so this perception that they aced their exams makes their stock with the potential flock that much higher.

Stupid, yes, but warranted, IMHO.

I mean, does it necessarily harm you personally if they opt to use their 2-digit score over their 3-digit score when in the end PD's will determine their fates?

That's hillarious. I actually have an image in my head right now. An IMG approaching a girl and asking her hand for marriage. She says no, so he takes out his step 2CK score and he says, but I have a 99! At that point the girl will be like oh my, if I just have known. But the answer is still NO! because lets face it, you just can't marry a nerd

Originally Posted by barmay

That's hillarious. I actually have an image in my head right now. An IMG approaching a girl and asking her hand for marriage. She says no, so he takes out his step 2CK score and he says, but I have a 99! At that point the girl will be like oh my, if I just have known. But the answer is still NO! because lets face it, you just can't marry a nerd

It will actually be the IMGs mom .

that's pretty interesting considering a great chunk of img's are Americans who went to the Caribbean, so does your theory apply to them as well? i mean do American Caribbean med students arrange marriages as well? I mean are Americans in the process of looking for marriage as they "ace" their usmle's? hmm? i guess that would be hilarious as well!

I was just making fun of the concept that IMGs look at the 2 digit score because it will make them more attractive to the opposite sex. It seems kind of ridiculous to me. I know IMGs who scored well over 250 and they still go by their 2 digit score. It never made sense to me, but it seems that residencies have cutoffs according to the 2 digit score for IMGs and thats why they talk about it more often.

And I am pretty sure carribean students are not like other IMGs. They actually think more like AMGs.