FREIDA and minimum score cutoffs

[pre med 2014]

is it worth wasting money on a program application fee if their minimum FREIDA step 1 cutoff is 220 and you under 220? It's confusing cause then under it says average range of PGY-1 is 210-225. How can average range be 210-225 if 220 is the cutoff? Does it basically just mean they take their their own med school grads with lower scores but all outsiders need minimum 220 or something?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Taddy Mason]

is it worth wasting money on a program application fee if their minimum FREIDA step 1 cutoff is 220 and you under 220? It's confusing cause then under it says average range of PGY-1 is 210-225. How can average range be 210-225 if 220 is the cutoff? Does it basically just mean they take their their own med school grads with lower scores but all outsiders need minimum 220 or something?

FREIDA info isn't always the most accurate. Also, its not uncommon for programs to state on their websites that they have a hard cutoff for Step scores but still offer interviews to people with scores below that cutoff.

 

[DrSnips]

Some programs have exceptions to the cutoffs, but among the better programs these exceptions are made for people with stellar CVs where they bring something else to the table. For example, if you go IM and have a step of 210, but also have 10 first author papers in well-respected journals, feel free to apply to programs that state score cutoffs of 220. You will have a chance at some of them.