Paranoid about my Step 1 score

[ronin8]

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Hi, I just found this site it's great but I have to ask - is 229/93 good enough to get into a residency of your choice?? Because I always hear that the cutoff is 230 and that one point is driving me crazy! Thanks everybody

 

[Stinger86]

Depends on the field you want to enter and the specific programs you apply to. Some "upper" programs screen with the step score and in that case you might be cut off.... but 229/93 is not a bad score by any means, and if you can back it up with valuable experience and good LORs, you should at least be able to land interviews at many of the places you want. Then, once you get the interview, it's all up to you.

 

[Skip Intro]

Hi, I just found this site it's great but I have to ask - is 229/93 good enough to get into a residency of your choice?? Because I always hear that the cutoff is 230 and that one point is driving me crazy! Thanks everybody

Cripes! Don't listen to all the fearmongering rumors (and probably, in many instances, inflated scores) on this forum. 229/93 is a very good score. Remember that Step 1 is not what gets you your residency. You determine that with your clinical grades, LORs, etc. A 229, unless you have your heart set on Derm, Neurosurg, or other super-hard-to-get residencies at top centers, is excellent and will open plenty of doors for you.

LISTEN PEOPLE: THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR STEP 1 SCORE IS EXTREMELY OVERRATED!! Ask some of the PDs at your school if you don't believe me.

Your buddy,

-Big Skip

 

[Idiopathic]

While I agree with Skip, I also agree that some programs use numbers as a cutoff, just as they did with the MCAT. I dont know enough about this to comment too much, but package yourself well and you should do fine.

 

[doc05]

229 is good, but it's not great. You good to go for most specialties, but your score is kind of low for derm, rads, ortho, gu, ent, neurosurg, ophtho. even so, you can still match competitively with the score, so focus on getting high grades as a 3rd year and then firgure things out.

 

[Skip Intro]

While I agree with Skip, I also agree that some programs use numbers as a cutoff, just as they did with the MCAT. I dont know enough about this to comment too much, but package yourself well and you should do fine.

Yeah, depending on the number of apps they get. From what I've heard, most of the supposed "cut-offs" are 200 or, at high volume places, 215. Of course, higher for IMGs (like myself) and the truly "top-tier" programs.

-Skip

 

[Skip Intro]

229 is good, but it's not great. You good to go for most specialties, but your score is kind of low for derm, rads, ortho, gu, ent, neurosurg, ophtho. even so, you can still match competitively with the score, so focus on getting high grades as a 3rd year and then firgure things out.

I disagree. A 229 will get your app looked over at most programs. You may then get an interview based on the strengths of other parts of your application. Once you get the interview, you're back to a level playing field. It's just that simple.

Board scores are used to rule people out, but not rule them in. If anyone needs me to explain what I mean, I'd be happy to.

-Skip

 

[doc05]

I disagree. A 229 will get your app looked over at most programs. You may then get an interview based on the strengths of other parts of your application. Once you get the interview, you're back to a level playing field. It's just that simple.

Board scores are used to rule people out, but not rule them in. If anyone needs me to explain what I mean, I'd be happy to.

-Skip

as I said, you CAN match into competitive fields with a 229. Keep in mind that for the specialties I listed, 229 isn't impressive.

 

[bigfrank]

And the fact that you're a US medical student weighs heavily in your favor. Best of luck and congratulations!

 

[mountaindew2006]

yup as long as you're a US grad you will be fine! if you were a IMG w/ a 229 I think you may have some probs, but in your case you should be fine for 'competitive' residencies

-BF 😉

 

[ronin8]

thanks for the replies, everyone! i didn't want to have to rule out plastic surgery or derm or anesthesiology...