Concern over Step 1 Two Digit Score And Residencies

[rocketbooster]

So my understanding was that a few years ago they changed the 2-digit score to be meaningless. Before you did really well, you might have a 99 or whatever. But now, someone with a great score may get in 80s or low 90s. We still don't know what it means but it was supposedly recently changed to be meaningless.

After meeting with the chair of my department recently, he asked me what I got on my Step 1 so I told him my 3-digit score. He then asked about my 2-digit score and I said I couldn't recall it because we were told it no longer carries any weight. Even after explaining that, he said it still holds meaning to them because the 3-digit score changes every year and used 99 as an example of someone doing incredibly well. He implied it was a percentile. I just dropped it after that because I didn't want to argue haha.

This kind of scares me for applying to residencies next year. Did residencies not get the memo about the change in the 2-digit score? Anyone else concerned about this? Anyone run across this when applying for residency?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[NickNaylor]

This is probably more of an "old-timer" sticking to tradition than anything based in reality. I'm pretty sure even the USMLE admits that the two digit score is essentially useless. I also thought it wasn't even reported?

(sent from my phone)

 

[username456789]

After meeting with the chair of my department recently, he asked me what I got on my Step 1 so I told him my 3-digit score. He then asked about my 2-digit score and I said I couldn't recall it because we were told it no longer carries any weight. Even after explaining that, he said it still holds meaning to them because the 3-digit score changes every year and used 99 as an example of someone doing incredibly well. He implied it was a percentile. I just dropped it after that because I didn't want to argue haha.

Yikes. It's definitely not a percentile, nor was it previously (as I'm sure you know). Heck, I'm pretty sure the year I took Step I, something like a 230 was a "99", and 230 is just a few points above the mean. The double digit score was already meaningless before they made the change a year or two ago.

If that PD actually believes what he told you, I imagine he's been ranking a huge number of above average applicants thinking he's somehow getting the absolute cream of the crop, nationally.

 

[K31]

This is probably more of an "old-timer" sticking to tradition than anything based in reality. I'm pretty sure even the USMLE admits that the two digit score is essentially useless. I also thought it wasn't even reported?

(sent from my phone)

I believe that's correct, and the only reason the NBME still reports it is some states have written into their laws that you need a 70 or whatever to get a license. IIRC, they stopped reporting the 2-digit score to anyone but test-takers and state licensing authorities when they adjusted the scoring scale a few years ago.

 

[SpecterGT260]

Shoulda just told him "that IS my 2 digit score "

Sent from my DROID RAZR using SDN Mobile

 

[gravitywave]

Shoulda just told him "that IS my 2 digit score "

Sent from my DROID RAZR using SDN Mobile

 

[JJMrK]

According to the NBME, the 2 digit score exists because some medical licensing bodies have documents with language that specifically states a score of 75 is required to obtain a license. The NBME's solution to this has been to set whatever the minimum passing score is to a two digit score of 75. So no, it's not anywhere close to a percentile. This info is available in the PDF document you're supposed to read before you sign up for step 1 or 2 CK if you feel like looking it up.

 

[ArcGurren]

Your PD is wrong and being completely and utterly ridiculous. I actually explained this to a couple of attendings and they were utterly flabbergasted, as though they had no idea this was even in the realm of possibility.

For what it's worth, the 2 digit score is NOT reported; however, at some residencies where they're stubbornly sticking to the 2 digit score, they may have a sheet of paper which shows the 3 digit to 2 digit correlation (even though, again, it means absolutely nothing). I had this at one of my interviews, and while it didn't really bother me all that much, it was annoying.

The NBME needs to do away entirely with the 2 digit score, and maybe when the state licensing boards realize that there's no such score to base their licensure on, they'll quickly change their tune and set a passing Step 1/2/3 3 digit score instead.

 

[swamprat]

At the end of the day does it even matter since everyone your competing against during residency has a 2 digit score adjusted for their 3 digit and not just 99

 

[Law2Doc]

So my understanding was that a few years ago they changed the 2-digit score to be meaningless. Before you did really well, you might have a 99 or whatever. But now, someone with a great score may get in 80s or low 90s. We still don't know what it means but it was supposedly recently changed to be meaningless.

After meeting with the chair of my department recently, he asked me what I got on my Step 1 so I told him my 3-digit score. He then asked about my 2-digit score and I said I couldn't recall it because we were told it no longer carries any weight. Even after explaining that, he said it still holds meaning to them because the 3-digit score changes every year and used 99 as an example of someone doing incredibly well. He implied it was a percentile. I just dropped it after that because I didn't want to argue haha.

This kind of scares me for applying to residencies next year. Did residencies not get the memo about the change in the 2-digit score? Anyone else concerned about this? Anyone run across this when applying for residency?

You aren't going to find many people interested in the two digit score. Its meaningless, not a percentage. This guy is not representative, and can safely be ignored as simply uninformed.

 

[kwel]

According to the NBME, the 2 digit score exists because some medical licensing bodies have documents with language that specifically states a score of 75 is required to obtain a license. The NBME's solution to this has been to set whatever the minimum passing score is to a two digit score of 75. So no, it's not anywhere close to a percentile. This info is available in the PDF document you're supposed to read before you sign up for step 1 or 2 CK if you feel like looking it up.

If this is the only reason then they should give everyone who passes a 99 and then everyone who doesn't should get a 0 (or 74 if they want to be mean). That way residency programs won't use it as a metric since everyone will have 99

 

[ArcGurren]

You aren't going to find many people interested in the two digit score. Its meaningless, not a percentage. This guy is not representative, and can safely be ignored as simply uninformed.

My experience is that it's used more in the IMG dominated community programs

 

[username456789]

My experience is that it's used more in the IMG dominated community programs

Yeah, the IMGs seem to have this obsessions with getting "triple 99s" on Step I/II/III, which is silly since getting a 99 is not a particularly great achievement (or at least it wasn't). A lot seem to still think it means 99th percentile which is obviously silly.

The guy who wrote Crush Step 2 (and other books I think) has listed on his bio that he scored "in the 99th percentile on all his Step exams." I am 99% sure he did not in fact achieve this, but rather earned 99s as his two-digit scores.