Interpreting Step 1 scores

[Solace]

Can someone tell me how to interpret Step 1 scores so I can know how many questions I was away from a particular score? Please provide an example if possible. Thanks.

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[Kalel]

I don't think that anyone will be able to answer your question for you because the USMLE is scored using complicated formulas based on how well you did versus past test takers and which questions you get (it's not a straight curve, everyone could theoretically all pass or fail according to my first aid). Basically, the mean every year is ~215 with a standard deviation of 15-25. My understanding of it is that your mean and SD may vary slightly from other test takers who took the test at the same time because you both got different questions, but I could be mistaken. A score of ~180 is needed to pass which is estimated to correspond to asnwering 55-65% of the questions correctly. Then the usmle people also give you a two digit score, which used to correspond to a percentile of how well you did relative to everyone else, but now it is a meaningless number normalized to 75/100 being a passing score, and 100 being the highest score possible. The USMLE people purposely moved away from giving students actual percentiles because they didn't want their test to be used as anything other then a pass/fail test (which residency programs do not do, they use it more like the MCAT and look for high scores). It's an extrememly complicated scoring process, and I've talked with PD's and attendings who have no idea what the scores mean anymore. Most programs just use the numbers as cutoffs, and I think that many PDs (program directors) have lost track of what a "good score" is because they have their secretaries screen applicants based on the score, and the USMLE people keep changing what the score means.

 

[Goofyone]

I've always wondered why NBME says it doesn't want scores being used to "rank" students because "it wasn't designed for that." If they really feel that way, then why don't they just send out a piece of paper that says "pass" or "fail?"

Funny isn't it?

 

[VentdependenT]

USMLE offers programs a novel, if somewhat arbitrary (I doubt the 15 point discrepancy between a 230 & a 215 provides any true correlation with a future physician's capacity to practice medicine proficiently), tool to weed out people. It requires a lot less energy to look at one 3 digit number than flip through 9 pages of information (no matter how revealing) to whittle down 700 applicants to 150 interviews.

I can appreciate the abysmal humor using the USMLE score in that fashion. Path of least resistance is always the one which is favored (so says my Panda Express fortune cookie).

 

[atropinedoc]

A 3 digit score of 215(mean), does it correspond to a 2 digit score of 85 ?????

 

[MedGeek42]

No, really.

What's wrong with using an impartial test everyone has a chance to do well on rather than recommendations (which favor politickers and the well-connected), med school prestige (which favors the rich), or any of the other things they use? Or, as I think, are they more interested in keeping their old-boy network going?

I think they should use board scores MORE than they do now!

 

[neilc]

because it is not designed as a weed out. there is an unequal distribution of questions, many tests are very different, and they expressly state that it is not intended to be a ranking device, rather it is intended to show that a minimum level of knowledge has been attained.

i have no problem with using scores for ranking, but i do think that the test should be better designed to do that. it would have to involve an even distribution of questions covering each subject on every test, tests of similar level of difficulty, etc...

as it stands now, i think pass/fail should be used. but, it won't happen. some states require a two digit mumerical score, and there is nothing else that is close to giving a comparison between applicants from different schools/systems. so, as imperfect as it is, it is the best we have.

 

[Idiopathic]

Originally posted by atropinedoc
A 3 digit score of 215(mean), does it correspond to a 2 digit score of 85 ?????

The two digit passing score is set at 75 and the two digit mean score is set at 82. So an 82 in 1999 will be the same, relative to an 82 in 2005, even though the e-digit score may be 20+ points different.

 

[atropinedoc]

Idiopathic, thanks for answering my question.

 

[docmemi]

what is a good score for getting a competitive residency, like anesth/rad/neuro or plastic surg/derm/EM, etc? i read that there are 350 questions....how many out of 350 would be passing and how many to get a good score for above compet residencies?

thanks in advance.

 

[tega]

Originally posted by MedGeek42



I think they should use board scores MORE than they do now!

ditto!!!