Anyone do fabulously in classes, but badly or only so-so on Step 1?

[thesauce]

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Im really curious how common it is.

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

I'd like to know the other way around.

bad in classes...... pretty good step 1? <--- now that's teh shiznit

 

[kito]

It appears as if the reverse is more common.

 

[velo]

yeah I'm sure you can find an anecdote or two, but I believe if you learned the material well enough to do well in class you should rock step1

 

[thackl]

We had a Jr AOA'er last yr who got a 220 and change..... not exactly a bad score, but less than you would expect from a student with a 4.0. Then again, there are people in my class who smoke block exams and srtuggle a bit with NBME's, so maybe we'll have one? If you do well on NBME's, you'll likely do well on the USMLE.

 

[toehammer]

does 1 question on the exam equal one point in your score?

stupid behavioral sciences.

 

[thesauce]

I'd like to know the other way around.

bad in classes...... pretty good step 1? <--- now that's teh shiznit

There's a thousand stories like this all over SDN. I wanted to hear something new and unique.

 

[thesauce]

We had a Jr AOA'er last yr who got a 220 and change..... not exactly a bad score, but less than you would expect from a student with a 4.0. Then again, there are people in my class who smoke block exams and srtuggle a bit with NBME's, so maybe we'll have one? If you do well on NBME's, you'll likely do well on the USMLE.

See, now that's profound.

How much do you think it would hurt you to have a lower board score if you are clearly at the top of your class. Don't you think that residencies would look at your Step 1 with a grain of salt?

 

[JBlue]

I don't think any residency director will look at your step score 'with a grain of salt'. We had an EM residency director give a talk at our school last fall and he said that the step score is very important to them because

a)it is the only objective score they have
b) studies have shown that it is a good indicator of how you will do in residency (???)

I don't know about the last one but that is what he said. Maybe if you go to a top school and are at the top of your class then a low step score won't carry as much weight but I think a low step score coupled with a high gpa will just negate your gpa a little. I don't know for sure though, just a guess based on what I have heard.
Oh, he also said that if you score high on Step 2, it can offset a low Step 1 score.

 

[velo]

How much do you think it would hurt you to have a lower board score if you are clearly at the top of your class. Don't you think that residencies would look at your Step 1 with a grain of salt?

Yeah unfortunately I think residency directors are on a salt-restricted diet when it comes to board scores. Although what the last poster said about step 2 scores is certainly true.

 

[lord_jeebus]

b) studies have shown that it is a good indicator of how you will do in residency (???)

Perhaps he was referring to passing specialty boards? It would be pretty easy to do studies on that.

 

[thackl]

With so many schools going to non-categorical grading and more ambiguous ranks, the step is all there is to look at for some. Also, one way residencies are ranked is on board pass rates. The USMLE is used for those purposes. How you do overall in residency has more to do with work ethic and getting along.

I don't think any residency director will look at your step score 'with a grain of salt'. We had an EM residency director give a talk at our school last fall and he said that the step score is very important to them because

a)it is the only objective score they have
b) studies have shown that it is a good indicator of how you will do in residency (???)

I don't know about the last one but that is what he said. Maybe if you go to a top school and are at the top of your class then a low step score won't carry as much weight but I think a low step score coupled with a high gpa will just negate your gpa a little. I don't know for sure though, just a guess based on what I have heard.
Oh, he also said that if you score high on Step 2, it can offset a low Step 1 score.

 

[chaser08]

With so many schools going to non-categorical grading and more ambiguous ranks, the step is all there is to look at for some. Also, one way residencies are ranked is on board pass rates. The USMLE is used for those purposes. How you do overall in residency has more to do with work ethic and getting along.

But this is what I don't understand (please excuse my ignorance) - if all they're concerned about is people passing the residency boards, then why do you need a 230+ on Step 1 to be acceptable? Is the Step 3 for a particular residency so hard that a person with a 200-215 on Step 1 won't pass? I would think that Step 2 would be a better predictor since it's based on more clinical knowledge. Even then, if you can pass the Step 1 and Step 2 the first time, isn't it a pretty good bet that you'll pass Step 3?

 

[thesauce]

But this is what I don't understand (please excuse my ignorance) - if all they're concerned about is people passing the residency boards, then why do you need a 230+ on Step 1 to be acceptable? Is the Step 3 for a particular residency so hard that a person with a 200-215 on Step 1 won't pass? I would think that Step 2 would be a better predictor since it's based on more clinical knowledge. Even then, if you can pass the Step 1 and Step 2 the first time, isn't it a pretty good bet that you'll pass Step 3?

Yeah. You're absolutely right. And, according to my family doctor, passing was all that residency directors cared about 20 years ago. What changed?

Some Derm residencies even differentiate between the 95th and the 99th percentile when deciding on candidates. That's like saying "we want the best of the best of the best, not just the best of the best!" Once your score is that high, the test is hardly even diagnostic anymore. You could take it again the next day and not do nearly as well.

 

[Sean2tall]

In regards to the original question: I don't know about fabulous, but I am pretty sure I was above average in most classes:

-Honors- 2 classes
-High Pass- 3 classes
-Missed High pass by a hair- 2-3 classes
-Regular Pass 2-3

Step 1 - below average 200
I don't know the reason, I thought I did pretty well, but anyhow, just to give an example for your original topic.

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

Once your score is that high, the test is hardly even diagnostic anymore. You could take it again the next day and not do nearly as well.

so you think this test is about getting lucky?

 

[OSUdoc08]

Im really curious how common it is.

Yes.

 

[Pollicis]

so you think this test is about getting lucky?

Probably a lot of luck involved, but as the saying goes...the harder you work, you luckier you get...