Middle of the Pack--USMLE

[DrWhozits]

I know I have read that class rank/grades typically end up correlating with how you do on COMLEX, but for DOs who took USMLE: how closely did your class rank match up to your USMLE score?

I am above average (probably 60-65th percentile) for my school, but I was wondering how well that typically matches up with USMLE scores for DOs

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[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Supposedly it's the same correlation. Though I imagine that entrance stats also likely play a role as well, namely in that a school with an average mcat of a 30 will probably have a different 50th percentile than a school with a 26 average.

 

[68PGunner]

I know I have read that class rank/grades typically end up correlating with how you do on COMLEX, but for DOs who took USMLE: how closely did your class rank match up to your USMLE score?

I am above average (probably 60-65th percentile) for my school, but I was wondering how well that typically matches up with USMLE scores for DOs

If you bust your ass for that test, the odds are that you will score around 230s on Step 1.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

If you bust your ass for that test, the odds are that you will score around 230s on Step 1.

What is busting your ass off for the test mean to you?

 

[Postictal Raiden]

I know I have read that class rank/grades typically end up correlating with how you do on COMLEX, but for DOs who took USMLE: how closely did your class rank match up to your USMLE score?

I am above average (probably 60-65th percentile) for my school, but I was wondering how well that typically matches up with USMLE scores for DOs

A person in my class, who did very well on boards, was barely passing courses. I, on the other hand, did very well in school and still did well on boards (lower than that person, though). Therefore, I think one can't say for certain that your performance in class will reflect your performance on boards.

 

[68PGunner]

A person in my class, who did very well on boards, was barely passing courses. I, on the other hand, did very well in school and still did well on boards (lower than that person, though). Therefore, I think one can't say for certain that your performance in class will reflect your performance on boards.

Was this person a total slacker in school? That could happen. Or maybe this person was prepping for board from Day 1.

 

[68PGunner]

What is busting your ass off for the test mean to you?

So that you won't have any regret even if you hit the test mean.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

A person in my class, who did very well on boards, was barely passing courses. I, on the other hand, did very well in school and still did well on boards (lower than that person, though). Therefore, I think one can't say for certain that your performance in class will reflect your performance on boards.

I feel like this probably happens rarely enough to not merit discussion.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

So that you won't have any regret even if you hit the test mean.

I meant more like, going through all of Uworld once and reading first aid twice or something lol. Idk, I have no clue what to do for boards.

 

[68PGunner]

I meant more like, going through all of Uworld once and reading first aid twice or something lol. Idk, I have no clue what to do for boards.

I plan to go through World and FA twice when I take the test next year. However, I'm perfectly happy with a 230s score. Everything 240+ is just peachy.

The worst feeling is the feeling of regret that you could have done better.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Was this person a total slacker in school? That could happen. Or maybe this person was prepping for board from Day 1.

No he was preparing for boards from day 1. The only studying he did for classes is hearing the lectures once. The rest of his time and energy was focused on boards prep.

I don't recommend doing this. It's very risky as you can risk failing courses.

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

When did everyone start prepping for boards?

I have a friend who has been skimming through FA since day 1 of MS1 (hasn't taken step 1 yet), and I've heard a lot of people start doing this type of thing at the beginning of MS/OMS2.

I really like the videos DocOssareh puts out on YouTube, and he says he began annotating FA from day 1 as well.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

When did everyone start prepping for boards?

I have a friend who has been skimming through FA since day 1 of MS1 (hasn't taken step 1 yet), and I've heard a lot of people start doing this type of thing at the beginning of MS/OMS2.

I really like the videos DocOssareh puts out on YouTube, and he says he began annotating FA from day 1 as well.

At KCU I would limit your boards prep first year to reading first aid. Second year your first 6 classes are going to be too hard to have any meaningful time for board prep.

 

[D4C]

My anecdotal experience is that most peoples class ranks are a decent predictor of board success. Uworld till your eyes bleed for dedicated - it'll take you places. The people that were all super FA from day 1 of MS2 didn't really seem to do any better.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

A person in my class, who did very well on boards, was barely passing courses. I, on the other hand, did very well in school and still did well on boards (lower than that person, though). Therefore, I think one can't say for certain that your performance in class will reflect your performance on boards.

The good ol' humble brag.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

The good ol' humble brag.

Lol, c'mon bro. For most of my life before med school, I had been an underachiever. Thankfully, things have taken a turn for the better. I feel no shame of taking pride of my successes.

On a more serious note, medical school is a game. The trick to succeed is finding the correct balance between doing well in classes while still putting the efforts to prepare for boards. It's a tough skill to acquire and takes plenty of trial and error to achieve. For example, I went from the traditional method of attending lectures and then study at home and prep for next day's material (obviously this is the perfect way to do things if we didn't have to take worry about boards) to streaming the lectures from home and watching them multiple times, to finally watching the lectures only once at double speed while taking a one-sided page handwritten note per lecture hour. You need to experiment with different methods and find what's right for you.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Lol, c'mon bro. For most of my life before med school, I had been an underachiever. Thankfully, things have taken a turn for the better. I feel no shame of taking pride of my successes.

On a more serious note, medical school is a game. The trick to succeed is finding the correct balance between doing well in classes while still putting the efforts to prepare for boards. It's a tough skill to acquire and takes plenty of trial and error to achieve. For example, I went from the traditional method of attending lectures and then study at home and prep for next day's material (obviously this is the perfect way to do things if we didn't have to take worry about boards) to streaming the lectures from home and watching them multiple times, to finally watching the lectures only once at double speed while taking a one-sided page handwritten note per lecture hour. You need to experiment with different methods and find what's right for you.

Poor guy and his humble brag.

 

[DrWhozits]

Thanks for replying everybody. I guess I'm just curious on what to expect as somebody who has been getting all As and Bs (about half and half) on exams and had a 27 MCAT if that means anything. I'm just kind of hoping that with a good amount of effort I can reach the 230s with 240s being a best case

 

[acapnial]

Thanks for replying everybody. I guess I'm just curious on what to expect as somebody who has been getting all As and Bs (about half and half) on exams and had a 27 MCAT if that means anything. I'm just kind of hoping that with a good amount of effort I can reach the 230s with 240s being a best case

Use your experience studying for the MCAT to form your plan for step 1. If you study the same kind of way for the USMLE you'll get the same kind of results. If you double down and study harder then you'll do better!

I can't think of anyone in my class that jumped to an excellent step score with bad preclinical grades, or vice versa, but I don't really know the usmle score and relative class rank of that many people. Believe me, if there were any students in the top ten in my class who got a 205 on step 1, they weren't running around bragging about it.

 

[AlteredScale]

Please keep the conversation professional and civil, thanks.

 

[hallowmann]

I knew a decent number that did well in classes but average or below on boards. Your board study time will really determine how you do. What your preclinical grades indicate is that you can do well on the material. Now it's up to you to get in the grind for the actual exam and kill it. Again, 10-12 hr days for weeks. Get through Uworld a couple times and be sure to take plenty of NBMEs/UWSAs.

 

[68PGunner]

On a second note, WTF is up with med students arguing about a point w/ a professor when they're straight up wrong? I was perusing through complaints about a recent exam just now, and some of the pts made were just wrong. Some of these kids need to STFU and spend more time studying the materials.

 

[Brorthopedic]

On a second note, WTF is up with med students arguing about a point w/ a professor when they're straight up wrong? I was perusing through complaints about a recent exam just now, and some of the pts made were just wrong. Some of these kids need to STFU and spend more time studying the materials.

third year will bring them back to reality