Step I Boards Scored?

Started by HEME-ONC
Get help with your application

Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.

Browse articles Compare schools My application plan Read Interview Feedback
Practice for interviews Ask an Advisor
H

HEME-ONC

Senior Member
7+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
20+ Year Member
Can somone please tell me how the USMLE 1 is scored and what designates a great score as oppossed to a bad score? How are the % given? Because I keep reading from posting a 247 is great and a 201 is bad. These mean nothing to me.

Is it also the same for Parts 2 and 3?

Thanks,
Heme-ONC
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
I know the Step one gives you a three digit score and a double digit score. The three digit score is your raw score on the test. I think 218 is around avg. 180 something is the passing cutoff. 247 is an excellent score. The double digit score is just a scaled score using only double digits. It is not a percentile. The USMLE does not give anyone a percentile score anymore.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
This is pretty much the information I think you're looking for. Instead of posting it all here, just follow the link, go to this website and take a look.

http://www.usmle.org/bulletin/2003/scoring.htm

(On a more personal note, having just taken Step I this past Friday I can tell you that it is a grueling, incredibly difficult exam. If I get anything above a 200, I'll be ecstatic.)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
No comparison. It's completely different. The depth and the breadth of Step I blows away the MCAT. The MCAT tests your general knowledge in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and reading comprehension. That's pretty much it.

Step I is the first part of one's license to practice medicine in the U.S. and tests the foundation of your medical science knowledge by covering Biochemistry, Anatomy, Histology (with Embryology thrown in there), Neuroanatomy (yes, arguably a completely separate subject from just plain old Anatomy), Physiology, Medical Microbiology, Immunology, Pathology, Behavioral Science, Epidemiology, and - of course you can't forget - good ole Pharmacology. (Did I miss anything?) It's 7 hours long and it is a bear. Don't let anyone tell you differently.

-Skip
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
THe step one is meant to test the knowledge you have leanred during the first two years of medical school. Yes it can be a bear to those who try to spend two months studying like crazy to do well. THe step one isn't designed as a exam you can study for in a brief amount of time. It is more of a thinking test and will show how well you can apply knowledge form your basic science classes. The best prep is a solid foundation and hard work through your first two years.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
What I don't get is why they decided to stop giving percentile scores. I read somewhere that it was meant to stop students from comparing their scores, but if this was the case:
1)What is bad about people comparing their scores?
2) People still do that. Sure, it's more difficult to do it with the new scoring system,but knowing the mean and the SD you can roughly say who did better and who didn't.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I recall reading somewhere (I think it was the usmle website) that they stopped using percentiles because they designed to test purely as a licensing tool and not as a way for residency programs to judge students.

Of course, this argument is garbage because residency programs still compare raw score and anybody with a calculator and a z-table and calculate his/her percentile from the information given by the NBME (your score, mean, standard deviation).
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Skip Intro,
Since you just took the USMLE, could you give us a little info. about what you saw on the exam? What areas did you feel you had the most? Any particular questions that you remember? THANKS!
Go out and relax while you are waiting for your scores!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
From someone who has taken all three Steps, I'd say that Step I was the most difficult but least frustrating of the exams. I took Step I back in June 2000 and thought it was very difficult and there were plenty of questions that I didn't know and this didn't bother me at all. As I took Step II, I was frustrated by the length of each question (you learn to scroll quickly and read fast) but was still ok with not knowing everything. After just taking Step III which was also the easiest of the Steps, I was also very frustrated when I came to questions that were very vague or ones that I just couldn't remember the answer to. I'm more critical of myself at this point and feel like I should be able to answer every question correctly.

In terms of percentages...it's actually (in my opinion) become a slight disadvantage for students that these are now used anymore. They say a 215 score today equals a 215 score 5 years ago in terms of knowledge...the 215 score 5 years ago was a higher percentage than it is today. We're either getting smarter or the review material is getting better. One of the reasons why they keep raising the passing score for the exam. They want around a 90-93% first time pass rate for Step I and a 95% for Step II and III. Those are still good odds on passing.

I remember my Step I had a lot of biochemistry on it but that was awhile ago. I still remember this because I wasn't expecting those types of questions (which enzyme in the Krebs cycle coverts one substance to another...those just pissed me off). Of course physiology, pathology, micro, ethics/behavioral, and pharm were the majority of the test with almost no embryology, very little anatomy and some molecular biology. Step I is difficult because you just don't have the context yet. You remember so much better when you see patients with those specific diseases.

For the scores, my Step I from June 2000 had a mean of 215 with SD of 20, Step II from December 2001 had a mean of 210 with SD of 23. I believe the mean for Step I has been creeping up every year so look for them to raise the passing score soon just like they did for Step II.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hey Peeshee-

Yeah, in addition to what Jim said about Step I...

Lots of kidney, lots of biochem, not TOO much pharm, a surprising amount of Neuroscience... hmmm.... details already getting fuzzy. 🙂D)

I would definitely, DEFINITELY say this, though. Get the "First Aid for Step I" book. Know everything that is covered in that book. If there is a topic or part that you don't understand, go back and review it in your main texts/other review books. Also, the BRS Pathology is awesome. Both of those are extremely high-yield. I'd say especially know the Gram (+) and Gram (-) flow-charts in First Aid. I memorized those with about a week or so to go, and they made the micro section a breeze for me.

And, unlike a lot of Carib/non-U.S. students, I did not take a review course. I'm not sure if this is going to hurt me or not. I know a lot of people that did Kaplan Q-bank and say that there were very similar questions on their test.

Good luck!

-Skip
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I'd also like to add that I'd listen to whoever just took the test over myself as my memory of a test from 3 years ago is pretty poor. I tend to remember what was difficult for me at the time of the test. Also, it's very possible for you to get blocks of questions completely different than anyone else as well so just know what's in First Aid well and you'll pass. I didn't take a review course either and in fact most U.S. grads do not and do very well. You just have to be able to sit and study. If you don't have that kind of discipline then maybe a review course would be wise.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.