I agree that the board scores are a big deal, but I also had to warn myself not to make too big of a deal about them. They can be reflective of the school, but I think they are a bigger reflection of the student. It is widely held that the MCAT is a pretty good predictor of Step 1 scores. And, remember, Utah doesn't put a lot fo weight into things like MCAT scores. Therefore, Utah accepts a lot of people with lower MCAT scores than a lot of other comparable schools. In other words, Utah accepts people who simply may not do as well on standardized tests such as the MCAT or USMLE. I think this may be a major factor in why Utah's Step 1 scores are lower than many other respected schools, and this has a direct effect on the residencies they get.
Do I think part of the blame for the low scores are the College's fault. Sure. I think that is worth consideration. But I would also look at the people who they accept simply may not be destined to score well on the boards, even if they went to Harvard or Johns Hopkins. They just won't do well on the Step 1. And I think a significant factor in the lower-than-ideal board scores is a direct effect of this, maybe even moreso than the College's curriculum or teaching methods.
So I personally am not investing as much into the lower board scores, and thus the unimpressive match lists, as I initailly thought. I just don't think they are the most accurate gauge of the quality of their curriculum.
Besides, Boards are individual things. If you put in the time, most likely you will get a comparably good score. That's what I think anyway...
