how did you do on step 1?

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this poll was up last year - i thought it might be interesting
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If you look at the highest score that was achieved in 1999, it was a 250. I suspect, although I'm not entirely sure, I believe that the grading scale has been modified at the extremes to allow for more differentiation. Why do I say this? Look at the lowest score in 1999: it was a 170. But now in 2003, the lowest score is a 144. The fact that the low end score dropped significiantly is in parallel with the rise at the high range of the scores.

My guess is that they've tweaked the grading to allow for more scores at the extremes...why they're doing this is unknown to me...however, i really wish the nbme would explain how they grade the exam. For all major exams, like the SATs in high school, you could tell exactly how many questions wrong correlated with what score.
 
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maybe its a matter of reporting intervals...

maybe they've included a range that is -3 STD to +3 STD (covers 99.7% of scores). Back in 1999 it was a range of -2 to +2 STD (covers 95% of scores). There's no way that that a 170 was the LOWEST score in 1999. Passing that year was set at 176. Generally 8% fail. It is hard to believe that the lowest 8% of scores fell between 170-175 that year, unless there's some funky tweaking going on.
 
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Originally posted by JP2005
comlex is prob last week july/first week of august...i think i might get my usmle score before that...
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I got my COMLEX score halfway through August... that was two years ago, so I would assume it would come out the same time. It is a LEETLE less than two months from the time you took the COMLEX until you got your scores back.

Just so ya know, COMLEX I - 93% (2001)
COMLEX II - 99% (2003)

Good luck those awaiting your scores. I do not believe grades/class rank coorelate with the COMLEX, as is apparent by my step 2 score.

Q, DO
 
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For Step 2 and Step 3 the range is between 140 and 260 (and that range is for over 3 SD). The extreme high scores seem to be only related to Step 1. I think people just have access to better methods...I mean they can only ask so many questions and with all the newer study tools people are bound to really crush this exam. A score of 215 today is suppose to equal the same amount of knowledge of a score of 215 5 years ago and the mean is still fairly similar. Some peolple are just excellent at standardized tests and have good study skills. I mean, I don't remember anyone who even studied for the ACT or SAT when I was in high school. I didn't even study for the MCAT. There is just so much more information by outside companies on these tests that they've really given students a pretty good edge. Think of the review books there were 10 years ago....hardly any, and now they pretty much can spoon feed you all the high yield, most likely asked questions.

And PD's have noticed. It really was unheard of to see a score of over 260 3 years ago, now they see several people with scores over 280 applying. I think the so called "magic" number which was once a 230 is quickly approaching 240 for most competitive specialties now however. However, high scores are just your "in" for an interview and your 3rd year performance and letters mean more in the actual rankings.

Also the real purpose of the steps exams is to ensure that you have a minimum competency to practice medicine. The intent was not to make it into a screening tool for program directors. Maybe they should just go to pass/fail.
 
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I just got my score and didn't really know what it means. After reading all the posts in this thread, I started to feel like I didn't do well. I got 227/92, which I thought was decent... But then I started to read all these posts (so many scores >240!) and posts about how competitive programs are now increasing their "cutoff" scores b/c people are getting high scores. Are those of you who got lower than 230 feeling shy about posting (like I was initially)? If you are, please come out :)
 
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Thaifood, you should feel very good about your score. I think only the most competitive programs and specialties have 230 or 235 cutoffs. For some reason, this group of sdn'rs has very high scores, but in the real world, your score puts you near the top of the pack. I haven't received my score yet, but I'll be happy to see "Pass" on the sheet.

ps: I'm having green curry chicken right now.
 
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Well, I got my scores today as well...took the test on June 23rd.

250/99. I'm in kinda a funny situation though. I'm an osteopathic student in my fourth year. I didn't think I would need the USMLE, but later settled on Anesthesia, and, due to the sparcity of programs in the "DO World", I decided that I'd better take it. So, the only time I had to restudy for it was after I finished my hospital work. Anyway, I'm pleased.

I pretty much just used 1st Aid and Step Up and whatever I happened to remember from the first two years of school. One thing that I didn't do, that I wish I had was to take some practice questions. I felt liike I had plenty of time on the actual test, but I didn't do any practice board questions at all.

Anyway, for all osteopaths out there, it's much easier to take the USMLE at the same time as the COMLEX, otherwise there's no time to study for it, trust me.
 
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I don't think anyone should be shy about posting a passing score...it's a tough test, and a few hundred people fail it every year (if 20K take the test every year, that means that around 1,600 folks fail it the first time around).

I know some folks who were devastated that they failed Step 1. In many cases, they only needed a few points to pass...now they have to take a leave from school and stay out until they pass it.

Those that post a high score should be proud of their accomplisment, but they must be aware that others are reading this forum who either failed it or didn't do as well as they wanted to.
 
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I agree that no one should be shy about posting a passing score--and especially not a score that is above the mean. Considering how hard it is to get into medical school, I'd say being in the top 50% of med students is nothing to be ashamed of!

Also, since this thread was started with the intention of providing information to future test-takers, I think it would be nice to have representation from people with scores of all ranges. I remember looking at this site before my exam and wishing there was more info about how the people w/average board scores did on Kaplan so I could gauge myself better. I promised myself that even if I didn't do well, I'd swallow my pride and post something (or post anonymously at least). Maybe we should just be posting as "unregistered" so it would be more like a poll and less of a personal pride thing?
 
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I received my score yesterday and I refuse to live in the closet with my score. Most people that score around what I did don't post because, like me, they really aren't sure where this score puts them as far as residency is concerned. Maybe we should start a thread posting some of the averages that have been posted in previous forums. Good luck for everyone else. I hope you receive whatever score you truely desire.

Zeffer
 
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wow, there r some really smart folks on this forum.. u dont get 255+ w/ luck or chance..

btw thanks for sharing your study prep stories! please keep em coming.
 
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A 230 is not a mediocre score. Niether is a 215 which is the national mean, unless by mediocre you mean "average."

Maybe a 183 is "mediocre" but some people want internal medicine or pediatrics residencies where Step1 scores are almost superfluous.

I understand that there are only a few ultracompetative residency programs which will be ruled out by an "average" Step1 score. There are just not that many people, out of the total number who take Step 1, in the upper percentiles. At least not enough to fill every single competative residency program in America.

Don't sweat it.
 
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Listening to these people, you would think the average was 240, and that most people were above 230....

I tend to believe that only people with ultra-high board scores post their scores, while those with scores lower than 230-ish hesitate...
 
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I'll give my score to give some varitey in this thread. I got a 76/185. I m not sure if it s a good thing that I passed with this kind of score or if it would be better if I had failed, but the truth is that now I will at least keep trying, because had I failed, I wouldn't take this again. By the way, do you think that "just passing" is enough for an IM residency, which I m interested in? And is it true that when applying to many programms it's better to have passed with the first attempt-regardless ther score- than to pass with the 2nd,3rd etc attempt, no matter how well you might do? Thanks.
 
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Oh, one more thing. I had 75% in the released items and 70%cumulative in qbank. Also strange was the fact that I didn t do well on subjects I was theoretically strong(like GI, where i was in the bottom plus an asterisk), and did better in those I was afraid of(like micro and respiratory, where I was in the top plus an asterisk). But what s for sure is that I really screwed up on the last couple of blocks, where I was just excluding one or two answers and then was clicking randomly( I know, it was stupid, but on the other hand I just couldn t look at the damn screen anymore).
 
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we are getting really good responses this year to the poll. thanks to all of you who voted. it almost seems that we could have representation from most of the medical schools in the country - unless there are a couple of you from the same school - i do not know of anyone from umkc who voted in this poll except myself.

i will post my scores to all of you. way below the poll majority - 219/89. Took May off to study for the exam and took it May 29th. Qbank 65% - used 2100 questions - did about 50 a day.
 
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to be honest...i'm just happy that i passed...
I think after the exam i had a feeling i failed...don't know about the rest of you guys...Be proud that you passed...it is a hard exam. As for those that have a 2 digit score over 97...congrats!
Average for a med students is still pretty dam high i think...
 
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that's wonderful, christiangirl! send some of those good vibes my way, because I'm expecting my scores thursday.
 
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Just so everyone knows there are some people on this board with below average scores, I scored a 201/83. Considering how clueless I felt taking the exam, I was excited to learn that I had passed! Luckliy most specialties I am interested in, such as IM and FP, don't require high board scores. I always viewed the first two years of med school as a "ticket" to the third year where the REAL learning begins. (Maybe this was my problem?? :) ) Don't get me wrong- I believe that an understanding of basic science is crucial to competent decision making in clinical medicine, but I also think that the details of the Krebs cycle are why books are made. I admire the folks who can get the details without losing sight of the big picture, but I know I had to sacrifice some trees for the sake of the forest. :) Congrats to all the high scorers and no worries if you didn't crush the exam- you probably got the big picture just the same!
 
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I passed, I passed, I passed!! Thanks to all for your study advice and post-test feedback. It was nice to know that there was a group of people freaking out as much as me during those dark days of june.

I got a 220/89 - much better than I expected. I did 75% of q bank and ended up with a 57% average overall (low 60's with the occasional 70 towards the end). Got a 460 on the second online assessment, which I took 2 days before the real thing. I studied for 4-5 weeks, and used pretty much the same books everyone else did. I put myself on the slacker schedule - got in 6 hours of studying per day on a good day, and took far too many days off (about one day off for every 3 days of studying).
 
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Hi kcrd. Congratulations. Which books did you use for each subject? And how did you do during the first two years? Thanks a lot.
 
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Hi,

What is the highest score that has been achieved on the USMLE Step 1 in recent administrations? Please give a web link where they post this information.

Thank you,

--Vinoy
 
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Originally posted by caunyd
Hi kcrd. Congratulations. Which books did you use for each subject? And how did you do during the first two years? Thanks a lot.
Click to expand...

I was pretty much an average student. First year I tended to be below the mean, but our course exam means were fairly high. Second year I was usually right at or above the mean.

What I used:

Q bank
First Aid
Path BRS
Physio BRS
Pharm - mainly first aid, but Lange Smart Charts for antibiotics
Anatomy - first aid and went through about 1/2 of the UCV
Neuro - first aid and about 1/2 of high yield neuro
Biochem - BRS
Behavioral - first aid only
Histo & Embryo - first aid only
Micro - Ridiculously simple
Immuno - the chapter in Micro/Immuno BRS on immuno


For those of you looking for mcat correlations, my scores were 9V/9P/10B/Q.
 
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hey since many people were making up their scores so will I got a 331 three digit score and 101 two digit score. Hey maybe I am wrong and everybody here are brilliant and we all represent the top 1% of med students.
 
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Well, everyone could be lying. Or perhaps the people with higher scores are more willing to post them.
I tend to bet on the latter. But it's silly either way, considering that for all practical purposes we are posting anonymously.

By the way, a 331 actually corresponds to a 2-digit score of 106. Duh. ;)
 
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Originally posted by cjw0918
Just so everyone knows there are some people on this board with below average scores, I scored a 201/83. Considering how clueless I felt taking the exam, I was excited to learn that I had passed! Luckliy most specialties I am interested in, such as IM and FP, don't require high board scores. I always viewed the first two years of med school as a "ticket" to the third year where the REAL learning begins. (Maybe this was my problem?? :) ) Don't get me wrong- I believe that an understanding of basic science is crucial to competent decision making in clinical medicine, but I also think that the details of the Krebs cycle are why books are made. I admire the folks who can get the details without losing sight of the big picture, but I know I had to sacrifice some trees for the sake of the forest. :) Congrats to all the high scorers and no worries if you didn't crush the exam- you probably got the big picture just the same!
Click to expand...

Cjw- it's really nice to read what you wrote. You definitely have a healthy perspective on this Board score thing. Plus, the fact that you are not bitter about those who scored higher really shows your maturity :) I have to say, those who scored such high scores are pretty incredible, but same to those who worked equally as hard and didn't get their desired scores. I think many factors contributed to the score: effort, your background (what you learned in the past 2 years), and of course, a bit of luck too. So, for those who didn't do "well" (as this is all subjective), don't feel too bad, esp if you did your best. There's more to medicine than that score. So, good luck to all of you!
 
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Originally posted by JP2005
damn that sounds like a tough time during your psych rotation
i guess i must be greatful with my current psych rotation....
Click to expand...

actually, the experience I posted way back wasn't too bad at all compared to last night in the ER.. I won't write in detail for now, but my 2nd overnight call involved a patient with borderline personality disorder and anorexia nervosa coming into the ER in the middle of the night, demanding food and cigarrettes at the top of her lungs from staff even though she was going to be discharged, and faking a seizure on the floor. I also interviewed a guy at 1 AM who wanted to go to heroin detox for his 16th time and informed me and the resident on call that I was "looking at him like an animal." I didn't take it personally b/c he had his eyes closed during the entire interview. He ended up cursing at the staff and refusing to take a list of detox places to call (the patient has to call first b4 admission). I think I slept for maybe 3-4 hours before morning ER rounds. not complaining though, this was a real learning experience and made me understand why doctors sometimes lose the nice, perky attitude with patients..

Other than the occasional tough night in the ER, Psych is going well. Mostly my team just gets called for consults for depression in medicine, and the staff and attendings are incredibly nice. Let us know how your psych rotation is going in NY; I've not been able to compare notes with anyone yet! and apologies to everyone else for the topic deviation; congrats on your USMLE success!:)
 
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Ok, so there are 20000 students taking this test every year in the US alone, and another 20000 or more from all over the globe. So 140 votes are in no case representative. And it s just human nature to hesitate posting a low score, even in an anonymous fashion. I thought a lot before posting mine, at least.
And no, someone with a very high score can t be thought of as a top 10% or top 1% med student, since there are many med students around the world that don t have the means to take the exam for whatever reason. I know some students in my school much more bright than myself that never considered taking it, either bc they didn t have the money to go through the whole procedure, or they re simply not interested in being slaves for the next 7 years of their lives. I imagine there are many bright people out there that haven t even heard of an exam called USMLE.
Anyway, passing this thing is important by itself, let alone crashing it. Having gone through the procedure, I can only have respect for those that try to take this exam, admiration for those who pass it, and awe for those who ace it. So, congrats to all of them,regardless of the outcome.
 
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Originally posted by theodore
Ok, so there are 20000 students taking this test every year in the US alone, and another 20000 or more from all over the globe. So 140 votes are in no case representative. And it s just human nature to hesitate posting a low score, even in an anonymous fashion.
Click to expand...

This poll is opened to all registered members. I would not be surprised if a handful of people thought it would be funny to "vote" on the higher scores even though they did not take the test. I'd bet that's as much of a source of the skew compared to non-reporting of low scores.
 
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Uhm, sorry for my ignorance, but what does "bump" mean?
Jaded soul, I have the same opinion with you. Although I don't consider it to be funny,especially from med students, but I guess it s a matter of personal taste to screw an anonymous in this way.
Anyways, the only statistics you can trust are the official ones.
 
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Originally posted by theodore
Uhm, sorry for my ignorance, but what does "bump" mean?
Jaded soul, I have the same opinion with you. Although I don't consider it to be funny,especially from med students, but I guess it s a matter of personal taste to screw an anonymous in this way.
Anyways, the only statistics you can trust are the official ones.
Click to expand...

BUMP stands for "Bring up my post."Self explanatory I guess.
 
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Is this poll closed? I can't add my score for some reason. I got it in the mail today (8/5; took the exam 7/7) and am very happy with the score. I said I would be absolutely ecstatic if I got above a 230, considering how I felt after the test and gauging by how little I did to get by in years 1-2. I exceeded that goal and, while my score looks to be "average" in this poll (230-239), I definitely don't feel I could possibly ask for anything more. However, I was really disappointed to see that I did very poorly in cardio, which has always been the subject that I "crush." Go figure--I "crushed" behavioral science, musculoskeletal, and renal, the former two being historically bad subjects for me. Oh well, I'll just try not to let that borderline cardio score tarnish my overall happiness.
 
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Congratulations Fermi. What was your study method? What books did you use for each subject? And how long did you study? Thanks.
 
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Originally posted by caunyd
Congratulations Fermi. What was your study method? What books did you use for each subject? And how long did you study? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I'm very happy, because it seems my score will be just fine for most strong IM programs. I may be bummed in a couple years if I decide I want to do derm or ENT, but I don't think that is going to happen. Anyway, I studied for almost eight weeks, although the first few weeks weren't as hardcore as most people probably. I felt I needed a little extra time because I really, really underachieved in years 1-2 when it came to studying and performing on exams.

I basically went through First Aid section by section, branching out to review books and reference books to fill in the (extensive) holes. Toward the end, I did this in parallel with the BRS Path book, which I think helped immensely. The last week, I just went through all of BRS Path and First Aid, and a couple ultra-high-yield notecards I had made. My most-used resources were BRS Path, PharmCards, Robbins, Flash Micro, and...wow, I'm really surprised I can't remember what else I used. I must have blocked it out! Buzzwords for Boards is also a really good time-filler for light studying.

I had a great setup for studying--a separate office at home with a desk for reading and writing, and a desk with a computer (+ cable modem) behind me. Aside from the lost productivity from emailing and surfing (and SDN), it was great to have the PC there so I could look up anything I needed to at a moment's notice, and take QBank tests without having to leave my chair or even close my books.

I ended up doing about 65 or 66% on QBank, with most scores around 70 at the end. I almost always did 50-question, all-inclusive blocks just to simulate the real thing. However, I really didn't see much improvement over time. I am ambivalent about how well QBank prepared me for my particular exam.

Anyway, good luck to those few who still have to take the exam! I sure hope the mean doesn't go up too much...
 
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Just wanted to contribute to this thread. I'll be brief. Scored 250/99. Took Kaplan Video Course (10hrs/day, 6days/wk, completed in 3 wks). 10 additional days to review material before taking test- which was heavy on physiology and pathology. Video course had it's ups and downs but overall impression is positive.

First pass Qbank score was 79%. Released materials 80%. COngratulations and good luck to all.
 
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Thanks for the tips Fermi. Did you use anything for Biochemistry and Physiology? And what's Flash Micro?
 
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Originally posted by caunyd
Thanks for the tips Fermi. Did you use anything for Biochemistry and Physiology? And what's Flash Micro?
Click to expand...

For biochem, I just stuck to First Aid and used Marks Marks & Smith to supplement. I went pretty light on the physiology because I knew I had it down pretty well. I just used First Aid and supplemented with Berne & Levy (Principles of Physiology). Flash Micro is a set of multicolored flash cards for almost every bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoal organism you can imagine. Like many board review resources, it is most effective when used throughout your coursework.

If you have a lot of time, I'd also suggest a run-through of Lilly (Pathophysiology of Heart Disease). I came out just above "borderline" on cardio, which is usually my best subject, but I think that's because I studied it first and concentrated only on my bad subjects at the end. I'm still pi**ed about it, because I want to be a cardiologist!:(
 
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i want to share a story. some md/phd student i know just took the boards and got a 255. but get this - he NEVAR went to a single class the first 2 yrs except for required seminars and pt presentations. Instead he worked in his lab from 8am to 10pm. He studied med school stuff on the weekends. then 6 wks before the boards he disappeared and i assume studied his ballz off..

anyway this shows that w/ a super brain cramming CAN work for the boards.. lol i'm in no way recommending doing it this way
 
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Chef,

I wish I could've done what your MD-PhD friend did. I entertained notions of keeping my full-time job as an engineer and just studying at night and on weekends. I didn't study much during the day anyway, and I didn't get honors or anything, so I'm sure I could have passed everything (and not had to take out any loans!) Then I could just quit my job 2-3 months before boards and go hardcore. By the way, how did your friend get away with just working in the lab full time without his PI questioning whether he should be going to class? Doesn't seem very ethical on the PI's part to allow that! At least your friend should be able to get his PhD by only taking a year off!
 
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I have a question guys. My 4th year friend manually screen captured most of kaplan's qbank. He's willing to give it to me. Ethical issues aside, does this ruin the test-taking conditions of the real step 1. He basically cut and pasted everything into a word document. Will I kid of waste the opportunity to gauge my studying if I go through all these questions (its the 2002 edition), or does kaplan write more each year?

Also, has anyone here used gold standard for step 1.... they are audio files reviewing all the basic sciences.

Thanks for any help
 
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I forgot to mention that I still have a year until I plan to take my boards & do not plan on studying currently. Otherwise you would not understand the context of why I am asking whether going through all 2000 qbank q's now would waste my 'barometer' of how my studying is progressing when i do actually decide to study.
 
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Q bank is useful because it helps you to get used to taking timed 50 question blocks. it also saves your data so that you can track your progress and see which subjects you are strong or weak in. the material itself is less important, and there are better sources out there for study material. I would suggest that you just suck it up and spend the $200 for the subscription. It would also help you keep your karma clean.
 
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well for those still curious about score correlations...just got USMLE scores today.....

MCAT: 28
COMLEX I: 639/95
USMLE I: 241/97
 
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Anyone has any opinions on whether to use qbank or medrevu for practice questions?


Thanks,
 
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