Official 2013 Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

[Phloston]

I figure now is a good time to jump-start this thread.

Even though some of us who had taken the exam in late-2012 are still awaiting our scores (amid the holiday delays) and could technically still post within last year's thread, it is after all mid-January now, so it's probably apposite that we move forward and hope for a great year.

Cheers to 2013

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[RadicalRadon]

You're comparing apples and oranges. Program directors don't look at raw scores for your shelf exams. If they even bother to look at your transcript it's to see if you got honors or not in the clerkship overall. The competition to get a high percentile shelf exam is much less than to get a top percentile Step 1 score. The former becomes meaningless when it's beyond what's necessary to get honors at your institution while the latter can determine your career.

These are competency exams, as mentioned before by others. The competition is irrelevant. All that matters is the knowledge of the individual student.

Just like shelf exams, you know who is going to crush the step exams and who is going to struggle. I would say geting 99 on the tough clerkships is equivalent to 265+ and that has proven to be unequivocally true with both me and a few of my classmates who hit 99s regularly, which are 3.5-4 std dev above the mean per the NBME ... 260 is apparently only 2std devs above the mean.

Btw, your shelf score may easily determine whether you honor a clerkship. People are no less motivated for it than step 1 (for med/surg, at least). It's ridiculous to say otherwise.

 

[Zzmed]

You really think certain scores won't more or less lock you out of certain fields?

In the long term, i believe they won't! Sure there are cut off scores etc etc but the whole game is how you promote yourself as an applicant! Some people need less time, some others need more. But it's a matter of time.

 

[DukeJP2010]

I apologize for the esoteric question, but what color is the laminated paper and dry erase markers you get (and how many of each) for the Step 1? Are they the fat markers or skinny ones? Thank you!

 

[Hammergin]

I apologize for the esoteric question, but what color is the laminated paper and dry erase markers you get (and how many of each) for the Step 1? Are they the fat markers or skinny ones? Thank you!

They have varying colors (mine were pink). You get 2 sheets that are double sided, and can request blank ones if they start to get filled up. I got 2 markers, both relatively skinny.

 

[ijn]

These are competency exams, as mentioned before by others. The competition is irrelevant. All that matters is the knowledge of the individual student.

Just like shelf exams, you know who is going to crush the step exams and who is going to struggle. I would say geting 99 on the tough clerkships is equivalent to 265+ and that has proven to be unequivocally true with both me and a few of my classmates who hit 99s regularly, which are 3.5-4 std dev above the mean per the NBME ... 260 is apparently only 2std devs above the mean.

Btw, your shelf score may easily determine whether you honor a clerkship. People are no less motivated for it than step 1 (for med/surg, at least). It's ridiculous to say otherwise.

99 raw does not mean 99th+ percentile or 3.5-4 std devs above the mean. For example i got a 99 on the peds nbme and it was only 98th percentile.

 

[RadicalRadon]

.

 

[WashMe]

Read your scoring NBME form. Target median is 70 with sd of 8. Percentages hold more for med/surg where there are more questions available in the bank. Psych and peds are the worst in terms of question diversity

yeah, whatever "target median" means though! The 70 +/- 8 is based on really old data (like 20 years old) from a target population of medical students that may or may not have even represented the "average" at that time. The mean scaled score for many of the shelf exams is closer to 75-80 and the SD is not necessarily 8 anymore.

edit: the inflation of raw shelf scores can be thought of as analogous to the inflation of mean step 1 scores in the past 20 years.

 

[ijn]

Read your scoring NBME form. Target median is 70 with sd of 8. Percentages hold more for med/surg where there are more questions available in the bank. Psych and peds are the worst in terms of question diversity

Read your scoring NBME form. The average was 70 and the standard deviation was 8 in the 1993-1994 academic year. It's almost twenty years later. The true mean and std deviations have changed significantly since that date.

 

[ijn]

Here's an example for the 2010-2011 OB/Gyn shelf exam.
http://www.nbme.org/PDF/SampleScoreReports/Clinical_Sci_Score_Report.pdf

For the year the mean was 74.7 and the SD was 8.6. A 99 on the OB/Gyn exam is hardly anywhere close to 4 standard deviations above the mean. Two years ago it was 2.8 std devs, or 99.7th percentile. The two digit raw caps because of mean creep. The exam is no longer capable of reporting differences in performance at the high end.

That's probably why you have so many friends with 99s. Don't tell them though. It feels nice to believe that you're consistently performing at four sigma.

 

[RadicalRadon]

.

 

[MrBeauregard]

It also helps when you're at the top of your class at one of the finest med schools in the country. Idk, guess someone's got to be at the .1%?

Top of the class at one of the finest schools in the country...

...but can't properly interpret his NBME score report.

I guess someone's got to be elitist.

 

[VisionaryTics]

Everyone so mad

 

[Phloston]

Do you really believe that step 1 score will actually cost you your career?

If you consistently drive toward your goals, nothing can or will stop you, not even the Step1. Find your motivation and be passionate, and that will get you anywhere in this world.

 

[FIREitUP]

this thread just reminded me why i hate med students

 

[RadicalRadon]

.

 

[CDI]

Uh huh, except he still hasn't shown anything refuting what scores are for medicine or surgery where >91 is still 99%. I said subspecialties don't have enough questions to have the same level of certainty. His evidence was on/gyn data. Anyway, even with a >270 and honors in everything, my point is I thought getting 99s was more challenging than cracking 270. Obviously everyone is different.

Clearly people here don't know what confidence intervals are or how to interpret them...

I don't care about any of this anyway. I'm contemplating a transition back into banking so none of this is really all that important to me, quite honestly.

What...the...fark.

 

[RadicalRadon]

.

 

[CDI]

Serious brah, never should have left in the first place. I thought I'd be "helping people" but elite academic medicine is anything but. It's all ego, politics and gamesmanship. There's no difference between that department chair or the hedge fund manager. One is just more honest about their motivations.

Doesn't add up. You say you'd like to be "helping people", yet you want to go into banking?

You're part of an elite academic program now but where in that does it say you have to stay in that for the long run?

What the dept chair or hedge fund manager wants to do seems irrelevant. What it is that you want to do is what matters here...

 

[ijn]

It's a pity the field of medicine is losing such a promising future leader of our profession.

 

[raiaxunmucha02]

happy vday to me

 

[WonderBoy]

this thread just reminded me why i hate med students

lol seriously, good to have non med friends.

 

[JShephard]

Come on guys.

If we can't live together, then we're going to die alone.

 

[Old Style Nanny]

If we can't live together, then we're going to die alone

That's a good line.

 

[Goober11]

Come on guys.

If we can't live together, then we're going to die alone.

I feel like that's something Jack actually said in the show. If so, well played

 

[JoshSt]

It also helps when you're at the top of your class at one of the finest med schools in the country. Idk, guess someone's got to be at the .1%?

Serious brah, never should have left in the first place. I thought I'd be "helping people" but elite academic medicine is anything but. It's all ego, politics and gamesmanship. There's no difference between that department chair or the hedge fund manager. One is just more honest about their motivations.

Looks like you'd fit right in

 

[Shadowmoses]

I feel like that's something Jack actually said in the show. If so, well played

I'm pretty sure he said it in his first speech to the survivors after Locke motivated him to man up and take on the leadership role which he previously did not feel like he could do.

 

[jenniferleigh]

Anyone taken the Kaplan diagnostic? I scored pretty low - 59% I am 2 months out so can still improve but I have spent so much time in the past month reviewing and doing qbanks that I was disappointed to score so low. Is that test at all comparable to true step 1 percentages?

 

[JoshSt]

I'm pretty sure he said it in his first speech to the survivors after Locke motivated him to man up and take on the leadership role which he previously did not feel like he could do.

Episode 5 according to wikipedia.

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lost

http://roadto90.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/if-we-cant-live-together-then-were-going-to-die-alone/

 

[Geekchick921]

Screw it.

I just looked at the errata for the last few years of First Aid. 2010's is only 5.5 pages long. 2011's is just over 9. 2012's is currently 28. Twenty-freaking-eight. There are 30 tables and images that need revision in there, too. I've decided 2012 is an anomaly in how riddled with errors it is and I'm just buying 2013. I have better things to do than edit all that crap.

 

[Good Mans Armor]

If you consistently drive toward your goals, nothing can or will stop you, not even the Step1. Find your motivation and be passionate, and that will get you anywhere in this world.

Very true, Phloston! I have tremendous respect for you. I salute your spirit.

 

[OneTripAcross]

Screw it.

I just looked at the errata for the last few years of First Aid. 2010's is only 5.5 pages long. 2011's is just over 9. 2012's is currently 28. Twenty-freaking-eight. There are 30 tables and images that need revision in there, too. I've decided 2012 is an anomaly in how riddled with errors it is and I'm just buying 2013. I have better things to do than edit all that crap.

Good call.

 

[Good Mans Armor]

Anyone taken the Kaplan diagnostic? I scored pretty low - 59% I am 2 months out so can still improve but I have spent so much time in the past month reviewing and doing qbanks that I was disappointed to score so low. Is that test at all comparable to true step 1 percentages?

Hey Jenniferleigh! Don't panic, that's not unusual in the beginning. NBME CBSSA form exams are more accurate predictors. UWorld and FA alone have the potential to improve the score significantly over the next few weeks.

 

[DukeJP2010]

Thank you for answering my question above, Hammergin. I went and got a laminated colored piece of paper.

And now, a question for everyone: I have my Step I in about a week. I've done all of Uworld and the 2 Uworld practice tests. I'm currently going through Uworld a second time. I'm pretty happy about my scores on the Uworld practice tests (right at my goal, but of course, higher is better). I was wondering if you had any advice about the final week, specifically about the NBME practice exams. Should I continue going through Uworld again, or should I focus on the NBME practice exams. Which NBME practice exams are good (especially for someone who just has a week left)? Also, I heard one of them is free, is that one any good?

Thank you for your advice!

 

[Phloston]

If you've sent me a PM about USMLE stuff, I'm not ignoring you. I've just been receiving so many that I'm not able to keep up anymore. I've also just got a lot going on in my post-Step1 life right now. But I'll do my best to stop by here on occasion.

 

[Ronin786]

You guys that havent finished Step 1 have no idea what a relief it is being done with it. Its fun being able to read through this thread without worrying about not matching the SDN mean.

 

[nikmad]

I keep checking this thread everyday to see if anyone posted recent experiences. Where are you, 2013 step takers. Come forth and proclaim your victorious passage back to sanity.

 

[iamcool]

Taking my test in 9 days. Got 265 on UWSA2. I was shocked. Then I took NBME today and got 235. I personally think NBME actually represents my true score. Can you guys make sense of this?

At this point, I have gone through U world almost twice. I don't really know what the hell to do besides stare at first aid. I am lazy and I haven't really annotated anything in first aid from UW. Can someone please suggest something productive I can do in short time I have? I want 240 +. Thanks!!!

 

[Phloston]

Taking my test in 9 days. Got 265 on UWSA2. I was shocked. Then I took NBME today and got 235. I personally think NBME actually represents my true score. Can you guys make sense of this?

At this point, I have gone through U world almost twice. I don't really know what the hell to do besides stare at first aid. I am lazy and I haven't really annotated anything in first aid from UW. Can someone please suggest something productive I can do in short time I have? I want 240 +. Thanks!!!

Are you sure you have your numbers right? That doesn't seem right..

Which NBME did you take?

 

[iamcool]

Are you sure you have your numbers right? That doesn't seem right..

Which NBME did you take?

Form 6

 

[jpudge12]

Form 6 is the hardest one...take a newer form which may be more predictive

 

[Jorje286]

I have scored an average of 82% on the first two blocks of the second assessment of USMLE World. I don't want to take the other two cause I want to pace myself with training practice questions as my exam is in couple of days. Does that put me in the 250s?

 

[jpudge12]

Posters in the past have said UWSA 2 will inflate your score up to 30 points

 

[Biltong]

Lol. You're sitting the exam in October? I didn't realize you have "10 months of excessive prep time" to spare (yes, that's officially the new inside joke of us IMGs)!

I'm an IMG, planning to take Step 1 in November. Starting to get all the books together first. Where on earth do IMG's get so many months for prep time? I work an 80hr work week and still doing an MSc parttime, thus leaving about 1hour prep time per day, not that much..... Eek

 

[iamcool]

I have scored an average of 82% on the first two blocks of the second assessment of USMLE World. I don't want to take the other two cause I want to pace myself with training practice questions as my exam is in couple of days. Does that put me in the 250s?

I had overall 84 % on UWSA2 and got 265. I think you are def looking at a 250 + score. But I dont think I would trust UWSA2.

 

[Jorje286]

I had overall 84 % on UWSA2 and got 265. I think you are def looking at a 250 + score. But I dont think I would trust UWSA2.

Thanks. Which assessment exam do you recommend? Is UWSA2 really that off?

 

[bacotell]

My buddies and I though NBME 13 was pretty spot on. Uworld is an over predictor.

 

[Good Mans Armor]

My buddies and I though NBME 13 was pretty spot on. Uworld is an over predictor.

I concur with this recommendation.

 

[DukeJP2010]

Posters in the past have said UWSA 2 will inflate your score up to 30 points

I have a personal friend that said that both UWSA's were within 2 points of her actual score, and that NBME 7 was also within 1 point of her actual score. So, I think at worst, it's just not very consistent (for other people).

 

[ijn]

My NBME 13 underestimated me by about 13 pts. UWSA #2 was within 4 pts.

 

[USMELLY]

Hi Everyone!
I'm a 3rd year UK med student. I've been following the threads on here for a while but only just signed up, as it's nearing my Step 1 revision time. I've read through threads and threads but there are still things I can't elucidate for myself.
There's a lot of intimidating scores and experts flying around here.

• NBME: I just bought FA 2013 and it says "The NBME requires that users log on, register, and start the test within 30 days of registration" so I'm scared to register as I'm not ready to start full study yet. What are the different NBME numbers you guys talk about and why are they of different difficulty? Do you pay for them? I'm not sitting Step 1 for another year, can I register already now?
  
• Resources: you all seem to use A LOT of resources. I don't even know what most of the abbreviations you use stand for. I was planning on using the modest FA + Uworld until I came on here. If I want to score 250+ do I need to study with more resources?
  
• What do people mean when they say Pathoma? I've googled it and it looks like an online book you pay subscription for, but there is a 'Free' version.
  
• When you say Goljan do you mean the recorded audio lectures or a book? and when you say Kaplan do you mean the videos?
  
• UK GMC registration/US Residency: I found this subject touched upon but never really clarified for me. The UK F1 year ends in August, but US residencies start 25th June. There's talk about just resigning from F1, but if you resign does the year still count towards being fully GMC registered?
  
• I won't have time off to study purely for Step 1 so my plan was 2 weeks of solid study + 3 months of studying only a couple hrs in the evening + 2 weeks of solid study --> STEP 1. Is this realistic? Do I need to re-evaluate my study plan?

Thank you all in advance! xx