Step 1 Bad Score

[californiahope]

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I know there's a ton of these out there so please feel free to move this or let me know if I've posted in the wrong section. I've already posted in the USMLE forum.

I'm a DO student and I was hoping for an allopathic IM residency (preferably a university setting). I got totally creamed on USMLE and ended up with a score of 196. I'm surprised because I scored well over 200 on my NBME's. I'm still waiting on COMLEX but it seems like most allopathic programs don't really care much about COMLEX. I'm not restricted geographically and will go anywhere that takes me. I just wanted to see if this was out of the question.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[theunderdog]

don't worry bud about the step 1 score. mine was less than yours, as i probably was about 2 questions away from failing. yes, your step 1 score will weed you out of the ivy league IM programs, but there are a ton of non-ivy league programs that will look at your application because they will see your higher step 2 score. some good examples are wake forest, jefferson, temple, umdnj, tufts, UIC, rush, etc. i got interviews at ucla and usc with my step 1 score.

the step 1 score is probably the most used factor for candidate selection and will follow you into fellowship. but it is only one factor out of so many.

i totally remember how you are feeling now. you'll still get a lot of interviews, so apply broadly. i ended up with 17 invites out of 30; i went on about 12 interviews for IM.

and look at me now... i'm a GI fellow!

 

[johndoe3344]

don't worry bud about the step 1 score. mine was less than yours, as i probably was about 2 questions away from failing. yes, your step 1 score will weed you out of the ivy league IM programs, but there are a ton of non-ivy league programs that will look at your application because they will see your higher step 2 score. some good examples are wake forest, jefferson, temple, umdnj, tufts, UIC, rush, etc. i got interviews at ucla and usc with my step 1 score.

the step 1 score is probably the most used factor for candidate selection and will follow you into fellowship. but it is only one factor out of so many.

i totally remember how you are feeling now. you'll still get a lot of interviews, so apply broadly. i ended up with 17 invites out of 30; i went on about 12 interviews for IM.

and look at me now... i'm a GI fellow!

A DO applicant with a Step 1 of 196 is competitive for UCLA?

 

[dozitgetchahi]

A DO applicant with a Step 1 of 196 is competitive for UCLA?

Sounds like bunk to me...UCLA is DO unfriendly to begin with. Jefferson is too.

Most of those progs listed aren't going to interview a DO nowadays with a 196 on step 1. OP, look towards the mid/lower-mid tier university progs and good community programs...think UMDNJs, UMass, UConn, Kentucky, Louisville, Wright State, Advocate Lutheran, etc

 

[californiahope]

thanks for the replies. i wouldn't mind a lower tier, but is that even within reason? i know a 196 is crap and even if i were to raise my step 2, i don't have anything amazing on my app that would make me stand out against other applicants. i guess i just want to see what's feasible at this point and not get my hopes up too high.

 

[Instatewaiter]

don't worry bud about the step 1 score. mine was less than yours, as i probably was about 2 questions away from failing. yes, your step 1 score will weed you out of the ivy league IM programs, but there are a ton of non-ivy league programs that will look at your application because they will see your higher step 2 score. some good examples are wake forest, jefferson, temple, umdnj, tufts, UIC, rush, etc. i got interviews at ucla and usc with my step 1 score.

the step 1 score is probably the most used factor for candidate selection and will follow you into fellowship. but it is only one factor out of so many.

i totally remember how you are feeling now. you'll still get a lot of interviews, so apply broadly. i ended up with 17 invites out of 30; i went on about 12 interviews for IM.

and look at me now... i'm a GI fellow!

This surprises me...

A lot of those schools are solid upper midtier programs. You'd expect they would have at least an average step 1 score of national average for IM.

Were there extenuating circumstances like your father was the program director?

 

[theunderdog]

This surprises me...

A lot of those schools are solid upper midtier programs. You'd expect they would have at least an average step 1 score of national average for IM.

Were there extenuating circumstances like your father was the program director?

My earlier post is no BS. It's true. Difference between original poster and myself is that I'm an AMG MD. I also did score 40+ points higher on my Step 2 CK. I also had a pass on my Step 2 CS while applying.

Even now, it's clear that there will always be doubters. I did not have any connections. So good grades, good Step 2 score, lots of research, and good letters go a long way.

I'm the best example of how a step 1 score is only one factor out of many in your application.

Once you get to the interview pool, this means you're foot is already through the door. This means you've passed the screening criteria. At the interview stage, everyone is on the same level. Keep that in mind.

 

[235009]

My earlier post is no BS. It's true. Difference between original poster and myself is that I'm an AMG MD.

are you serious right now? you're mentioning that in passing as if it's no big deal. that's HUGE! being a US MD vs DO makes a world of difference. Not to mention that the national avg step 1 score has increased significantly over the last 4-6 years, the passing score of CK is now 203, there are more US MDs and the competition in IM is becoming much stiffer. you're really setting this guy up to ruin his career by giving ridiculous "advice" like that.

 

[johndoe3344]

At the interview stage, everyone is on the same level. Keep that in mind.

Also, I highly doubt this is true.

 

[gutonc]

At the interview stage, everyone is on the same level. Keep that in mind.

Also, I highly doubt this is true.

It is not. While the greatest use of Step scores is as a screen, it will also play somewhat into a final ranking. In my fellowship program, Step scores make up 20% of a final "rank score" so, even if you make the initial cut, all other things being equal (which of course they never are), the dude with the 240 beats the one with a 200 like a rented mule.

 

[ThoracicGuy]

It is not. While the greatest use of Step scores is as a screen, it will also play somewhat into a final ranking. In my fellowship program, Step scores make up 20% of a final "rank score" so, even if you make the initial cut, all other things being equal (which of course they never are), the dude with the 240 beats the one with a 200 like a rented mule.

I'm surprised fellowship programs really care about step scores. Shouldn't your residency inservice exams, letters, etc be what they care about? Step scores seem rather removed from it all.

 

[gutonc]

I'm surprised fellowship programs really care about step scores. Shouldn't your residency inservice exams, letters, etc be what they care about? Step scores seem rather removed from it all.

In IM we don't get inservice scores, they're not allowed to be used for that.

And yes, Step scores are removed, but they're still reasonable to use as a portion of the evaluation. My program doesn't use the absolute score itself as much as we look at the trend in scores. A mediocre Step 1 with increases over the next two exams is worth more than a 250+ on Step 1 followed by Step 2 and 3 in the 220s.

Again, it's just a small part of the overall evaluation.

 

[ThoracicGuy]

In IM we don't get inservice scores, they're not allowed to be used for that.

And yes, Step scores are removed, but they're still reasonable to use as a portion of the evaluation. My program doesn't use the absolute score itself as much as we look at the trend in scores. A mediocre Step 1 with increases over the next two exams is worth more than a 250+ on Step 1 followed by Step 2 and 3 in the 220s.

Again, it's just a small part of the overall evaluation.

So how do you know how you did on the IM inservice exams? In surgery, we aren't allowed to use them for promotion/firing purposes (or so the rules say). Fellowships want to see those scores, though, rather than anything to do with step scores.

 

[ivy14]

Hey, I'm in a similar situation. I'm a MD student and my step 1 score was really low at 201. I was hoping to do better on step 2 and I just found out I failed it. What are my chances of getting into a internal medicine program. Any advice on places I should apply to based on my step scores?

 

[Niviancer]

Hey, I'm in a similar situation. I'm a MD student and my step 1 score was really low at 201. I was hoping to do better on step 2 and I just found out I failed it. What are my chances of getting into a internal medicine program. Any advice on places I should apply to based on my step scores?

Apply BROADLY to university programs. Theres a chance.

 

[gutonc]

So how do you know how you did on the IM inservice exams? In surgery, we aren't allowed to use them for promotion/firing purposes (or so the rules say). Fellowships want to see those scores, though, rather than anything to do with step scores.

The PD and the resident get to see the scores, but they're not allowed to be transmitted to anybody else, including being used in fellowship LORs.

 

[Trogghunter]

My fmg parents scored 215/225 245/245 when they didn't really speak English well, but they both had already practiced in home country. Trained at Pitt in the late 90s. They may be my attendings next year. Good talk.

 

[laricb]

My earlier post is no BS. It's true. Difference between original poster and myself is that I'm an AMG MD. I also did score 40+ points higher on my Step 2 CK. I also had a pass on my Step 2 CS while applying.

Even now, it's clear that there will always be doubters. I did not have any connections. So good grades, good Step 2 score, lots of research, and good letters go a long way.

I'm the best example of how a step 1 score is only one factor out of many in your application.

Once you get to the interview pool, this means you're foot is already through the door. This means you've passed the screening criteria. At the interview stage, everyone is on the same level. Keep that in mind.

What yr did you graduate?