Is USMLE Step 2 CK really easier than Step 1?

[thelegend23]

This appears to be true for most. The mean for Step 2 CK is 242 with SD 17. The mean and SD for step 1 is 229 and 20, respectively. This shows that students are scoring much higher on step 2 CK than Step 1, and also suggests that a 242 on Step 2 CK is equivalent to a 229 on Step 1.

The general rule is that whatever your step 1 score is, you need to score 10 points higher on Step 2 CK to have the same performance. E.g. if you get 238 on Step 1, then you need to get at least 248 on CK to have equivalent performance to your step 1.

With all of this said, I got my CK results back today. I got 229. I scored 238 on Step 1. Does this mean that I dropped 19 points on CK?

As a non-US IMG applying for IM, how will this affect my chances of matching?

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[NeurologyHopeful2018]

This appears to be true for most. The mean for Step 2 CK is 242 with SD 17. The mean and SD for step 1 is 229 and 20, respectively. This shows that students are scoring much higher on step 2 CK than Step 1, and also suggests that a 242 on Step 2 CK is equivalent to a 229 on Step 1.

The general rule is that whatever your step 1 score is, you need to score 10 points higher on Step 2 CK to have the same performance. E.g. if you get 238 on Step 1, then you need to get at least 248 on CK to have equivalent performance to your step 1.

With all of this said, I got my CK results back today. I got 229. I scored 238 on Step 1. Does this mean that I dropped 19 points on CK?

As a non-US IMG applying for IM, how will this affect my chances of matching?

How many IM interviews do you have so far and at which type of programs? IM weigh step 2ck equally as heavily as step 1 - but a score above 220 should.be OK.

This appears to be true for most. The mean for Step 2 CK is 242 with SD 17. The mean and SD for step 1 is 229 and 20, respectively. This shows that students are scoring much higher on step 2 CK than Step 1, and also suggests that a 242 on Step 2 CK is equivalent to a 229 on Step 1.

The general rule is that whatever your step 1 score is, you need to score 10 points higher on Step 2 CK to have the same performance. E.g. if you get 238 on Step 1, then you need to get at least 248 on CK to have equivalent performance to your step 1.

With all of this said, I got my CK results back today. I got 229. I scored 238 on Step 1. Does this mean that I dropped 19 points on CK?

As a non-US IMG applying for IM, how will this affect my chances of matching?

 

[AshNiffler]

I found the actual exam more difficult than step 1.

 

[iBS1972]

Step 1 still outweighs Step 2 for IM programs. As long as you passed and got somewhere around average on Step 1, the actual Step 2 score does not matter as long as you pass. In which circumstance, of course it's not going to hurt if you score higher than your step 1 score but it's not going to help much if at all (again assuming you got somewhere around average on Step 1). This might not be true if you're trying to go to some top 10-20 IM academic center.

 

[NeurologyHopeful2018]

Step 1 still outweighs Step 2 for IM programs. As long as you passed and got somewhere around average on Step 1, the actual Step 2 score does not matter as long as you pass. In which circumstance, of course it's not going to hurt if you score higher than your step 1 score but it's not going to help much if at all (again assuming you got somewhere around average on Step 1). This might not be true if you're trying to go to some top 10-20 IM academic center.

Source?

I am pretty sure a 230 Step 1; 210 Step2CK is a red flag.

On the otherhand, I can vouch that an average Step1 coupled with a similiar Step2CK score (which is actually 10 pts below average) is good enough. I got 230; 232 and don't have less interviews than someone with board scores 10 points higher.

 

[iBS1972]

Source?

I am pretty sure a 230 Step 1; 210 Step2CK is a red flag.

On the otherhand, I can vouch that an average Step1 coupled with a similiar Step2CK score (which is actually 10 pts below average) is good enough. I got 230; 232 and don't have less interviews than someone with board scores 10 points higher.

Right, I'm saying that having a higher step 2 score doesn't really help you nearly as much as others might think, which is affirmed by your comment. Of course having higher the score the better, but its effect is not that big.

 

[NeurologyHopeful2018]

Right, I'm saying that having a higher step 2 score doesn't really help you nearly as much as others might think, which is affirmed by your comment. Of course having higher the score the better, but its effect is not that big.

Yes - but merely just passing Step2CK is not good enough. A 210 Step2CK will not even pass the common 220 filter used at many high end community/low tier academic programs.

 

[iBS1972]

Yes - but merely just passing Step2CK is not good enough. A 210 Step2CK will not even pass the common 220 filter used at many high end community/low tier academic programs.

You're right, merely passing is not a great score. But you bring back up the point that I was trying to make which is that it's questionable whether most IM programs even have look at step 2CK, let alone have a filter for it.

 

[NeurologyHopeful2018]

You're right, merely passing is not a great score. But you bring back up the point that I was trying to make which is that it's questionable whether most IM programs even have look at step 2CK, let alone have a filter for it.

Did you even read my post? The filter for both steps are 220 - this is the most widely applied filter.

 

[Anicetus]

If you guys have been following the interview statistics on the IM thread spreadsheet you'd see that a lot of people who scored significantly lower on step 2ck are getting slammed by places they otherwise should've gotten interviews at.