3rd years: Step I scores and their correlation to 1st 2 years

[thepoopologist]

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Title says it all. I'm an incoming second year.

 

[Tenacity]

Title says it all. I'm an incoming second year.

I was straight up the median for most of the blocks in my first and second years, and somehow I pulled out a 247 on Step 1, so no correlation to me if your school's curriculum is boring or sucks.

 

[SpartanBlueJay2]

I averaged about a 92% in first year blocks and a 95% in second year blocks. My step 1 score was 257/99. I studied 12-15 hours/day for 6.5 weeks after classes ended. Hope this helps, best of luck to you in year 2.

 

[xanthomondo]

Title says it all. I'm an incoming second year.

I don't really want to post my score, but I will say that there is a difference between learning and getting good grades.

My weakest subject all year was pharmacology, which just happened to be my strongest subject on step 1 (with the little bar all the way to the right under "higher performance"). I knew my professor was asking stupid and outrageous questions so I just took the hit on the crap he was testing on and went my own direction in learning.

In MS1 I also struggled with physiology (my lowest overall average for both 2 years, it was ~75%) and that subject's bar is all the way to the right as well.

...on the other hand, the only two exams that I failed between the first two year (Renal physio and GI path) were my two weakest subjects, GI and Renal. So I guess there I didn't learn or get a good grade in those 2 subjects.

 

[azntxn]

no correlation. scored 249/99 and i'm probably in the bottom 1/2 of my class

 

[turkeyjerky]

there's gonna be a definite correlation, but it won't be perfect. that said, the single best prep for step 1 is learning your stuff well during the school year.

 

[naus]

Depends on if your school mimics the boards or if they have essay tests.

If your school has essay tests, then I bet the correlation is really low, since most of the test questions are arbitrary and poorly graded.

But if your school curriculum and tests look a lot like the boards, then the correlation should be pretty solid, unless you just hate school.

 

[Dedikated2liftn]

I was wondering the same thing the entire M2 year, and for me anyway, it turns out there was a pretty good correlation. They don't release the class ranking to students at my school; however, I've honored about 2/3 of my classes (top 10% is cut-off) so far--grading system P/F/H. The folks at my school who tend to do better all keep in touch, so if I had to estimate, I'd say that I've at least placed in the top 10% cumulatively for the first two years. USMLE score was 251/99. Hope that helps and best of luck as you prepare for M2 year.

 

[Ookluh]

If I had to guess, I'd think there's a loose correlation. I did well for the first half of first year then bombed the second half of first year pretty big (mostly due to lack of studying, some personal stuff going on, etc) and ended up sinking my grade to probably bottom 25% of my class. Second year I busted my butt, did decent (but not fantastic) and was probably in the top 30-40% (based off second year alone.. still much lower class rank-wise I believe). 252/99 after studying for 12+ hour days for about 2.5-3 months towards the end.. I had built up my stamina studying for a long time though, so the 14-hour days seemed totally normal (though miserable - but I'd guess the misery would've been worse if I hadn't gotten used to it earlier in the year) for me by the time board studying came along.

Bottom line, I'm sure people who do amazingly well in classes have less of an uphill battle to a board score than people who didn't do so hot.. but that doesn't directly correlate to your Step 1 score.. because, as some people may testify, the test questions on Step 1 might be very unlike most of the test questions you're seeing in your school curriculum. That being said, having a good fund of knowledge going into board prep will always be to your advantage.

 

[killinsound]

Bottom line, I'm sure people who do amazingly well in classes have less of an uphill battle to a board score than people who didn't do so hot.. but that doesn't directly correlate to your Step 1 score.. because, as some people may testify, the test questions on Step 1 might be very unlike most of the test questions you're seeing in your school curriculum. That being said, having a good fund of knowledge going into board prep will always be to your advantage.

this.

if youre an allstar in medical school, you don't have to study that much harder to get a great step 1 score.

if you've been slackin, you have a lot more work to do

 

[ddr1212]

There are too many confounding variables on this one. I started off medical school in the top 10% of my class and then finished 2nd year getting bottom 10% on tests. I was bored, unmotivated, and tired of all the bad lectures that were on some faculty member's personal research. Also, they were simply just bad lecturers. I decided to work again for step 1 because I wanted to do well and because it has more "bang for your buck." My first 2 years were p/f anyway... all passes for me, just toward the bottom of the class. Anyway, usmle score = 252/99.

I learn quickly, make connections, and when I'm motivated I'm unstoppable. Motivation is the key. First two years killed that quite effectively. So far 3rd is awesome! Crossing my fingers on these grades! 🙂

 

[ClockworkDoc]

top 5 in my class, mid 250's; My practice scores put me past 260 :-/

 

[2012mdc]

Title says it all. I'm an incoming second year.

Top 10% of my class - 4.0 - 260

I think it definitely correlated as I scored a 212 on a practice test in March before we covered MSK, CNS, or Skin 2nd year and a 244 before I started dedicated studying,

But it could depend on your school, my school makes 2nd year pretty difficult where about 10% don't pass the 1st time because they don't want you to pass unless you are going to pass Step 1

PS - every single exam was MC the 1st 2 yrs except gross practicals. all 1st yr tests were computer based and some 2nd yr tests were as well

 

[tachyon34]

I was usually around 70-80th perecntile in my class. Usually studied 2-3 hours a day first year and maybe 3-4 hours second year, but always made sure to also read through step 1 review books during 1st/2nd year

Got 259/99

 

[FranklinBluthMD]

I really saw no correlation.

I am probably in the 'top 40%' (in quotes because who would claim that? haha) I'm above the half way mark, maybe above 60%, but definitely not in the top 20%.

My mindset through med school has been - don't become the stereotype. I studied like I studied in undergrad - go to class, listen, learn, but I really don't study daily. I would start studying for exam week about 2 weeks before the block (we take exams 4 times a year - its a 2 week block of all our exams). So 2 weeks before that block, I'd start my studying for the exams. My grades range from H in some things, HP is most, and the occasional P (many of my HPs were times when I score low 90s on an exam but our class averages were always pretty impressive and they stuck to the SD-grade distribution). I might be underestimating my position in my class, but its a good school and a competitive bunch so I'll stick by my initial guess.

I took my same approach to step 1 - I had faith that i had learned a lot during my first 2 years, so I took 2 weeks off after my final exams in early May then started to prepare for Step 1 - M - F doing FA and Questions, no studying on weekends, and going out w/ my fiance whenever we wanted to (except the week of the test). This went for about 3 weeks, and I took the week off before the exam since I took the exam on a Friday.

Result: 250/99 - A score that I think puts me much further up in my class than you would have expected from my performance throughout the first two years (relative to my peers). So I say there is no correlation because I didn't drastically change my study techniques from my performance throughout med school.

My advice: Trust yourself. I won't say all med schools, but the questions professors ask you throughout the years aren't always questions to best prepare you to be a good doctor but more a way to see who they can trick so that they can get some sort of differentiation in grades among a class of 180 really smart people.

You know how you prepare. Don't let people tell you that you aren't doing enough/judging you - and know that just be being eligible to take Step 1, you're so much more likely to pass Step 1 than fail it (I know we aren't aiming for just pass/fail but see next advice point)

One thing I truly believe is don't get some score in your head that you want or need - prepare how you need to, do questions, take your practice exams but don't get discouraged by calculators or start 'expecting' certain scores because a practice test says you will get so and so. The test is a marathon and the stress alone of pass/fail (even for you geniuses who scored 288), even if you know with almost full certainty that you won't fail because you are so well prepared is enough to take someone who had the knowledge base to get a 260 down to a 210. If you go in thinking "Man I need a 250 or else I am screwed" you are just asking to get a hard first block that completely destroys your confidence and ruins you for the rest of the exam.

Those last few parts had nothing to do with correlation. Sorry! haha

 

[blarrgh]

I would say there is a strong correlation if the effort levels were the same.
I worked my butt off the first two years and averaged about 1 SD above the mean on exams (we did not have class ranks). I also worked my butt off on Step 1 and ended up with 1 SD above the mean.

YMMV of course 🙂

 

[username456789]

top 5 in my class, mid 250's; My practice scores put me past 260 :-/

Same exact story here.

 

[lord_jeebus]

Honors in zero classes MS2 year (H/P/F curriculum).

Highest Step I in my class.

 

[LoveGI]

They won't tell us class ranks, but based on the exam reports we get: usually average in my class, if anything within one standard deviation below the average.

Actual Step 1: insignificantly above average score

So, I line up pretty well I guess.

 

[coldweatherblue]

my cumulative %-tile above the mean for all the shelf exams we took (7 total) was exactly the same as my %-tile above the mean on Step 1.

 

[Dakayus]

I'm easily bottom quartile and I was practice testing 250+
I just don't care about classes and I usually just crammed for tests a day or two before.😴

 

[LawCash]

I took step 1 on june 4 and just got my score last wednesday. I scored 269. I honored all my classes in the first/second year except one. I think the best way to do well in your classes while simultaneously preparing yourself for shelf exams/boards is to read the course textbook then memorize the notes before each unit test. Don't waste your time with lectures, especially if your unit test is all given to you in class notes/text. When you get to the final exam, hopefully you will have read a textbook and at one point had all the details of your class notes thoroughly memorized. Then go through a review book like BRS as fast as possible before the final exam. This is all that the first two years of medical school takes. Nothing more is required, just systematic study. Your ability to adhere to this format without going insane will bring you great success. Best of luck to everyone still dealing with it.