D
deleted994889
Can someone explain a little more why low-tier MD/DO students get shafted? Please excuse my ignorance 
Edit: Thanks, @ruledaworlds
Edit: Thanks, @ruledaworlds
Last edited by a moderator:
Can someone explain a little more why low-tier MD/DO students get shafted? Please excuse my ignorance![]()
Everyone seems like they're in favor of this decision in the MD subforums.
The problem with this sudden change is that we actually have no idea what the repercussions will be on the weight of school prestige in the new way residency programs assess candidates. I feel like the ranking or reputation of the school's specific department would matter more for applications as 45 vs 30 is not that big of a difference. However, this change might actually have a ripple effect on med school admissions this cycle and onwards. People who might have previously chosen to go to cheaper schools or lower ranked schools with scholarship might reconsider now.Serious question: would attending a #30 ranked school be a significant advantage over attending a #45 ranked school in light of this change?
Serious question: would attending a #30 ranked school be a significant advantage over attending a #45 ranked school in light of this change?
School rankings don't matter?
If STEP2 CK suddenly has increased emphasis, my primary concern is how we're essentially moving our primary barometer of competitiveness for specialties/programs so much closer to the residency application deadline (unless I'm misreading the schedule). I feel like this will just increase the pressure on M1s/M2s to load up on ECs/research/research years without having a relative gauge of how competitive we really are until we get our STEP2 scores back.
Say your score is lower than anticipated. Doesn't the margin of error for increasing competitiveness through taking a research year, or doing more aways, etc. suddenly reduce to zero? We would have no way of "making up" for a lower score like in the past.
bumpCan anyone tell me if this should change the school I pick? Deciding between UCI, BU, Einstein, and stony brook. On the waitlist for Keck. Is there a difference in prestige at any of these? I was going to pick UCI before this news fwiw.
****. I'm stuck in the midwest permanently now.Not sure if this has been reported here or not, but it looks like USMLE has decided to make Step 1 P/F beginning in 2022. Rejoice!
Home | United States Medical Licensing Examination
www.usmle.org
They didn't used to.
completely false. They've always mattered. What in fact didn't use to matter is Step 1, certainly not to the extent it does today, and any current attending physician will tell you the same.
if you think school ranking didnt matter in the current meta you havent been reading the match thread every year.
if you think this change will mean that every single slot at every competitive residency/specialty will be filled by T20 grads you are also living in a mathematically implausible fantasy land.
bump
GPA really won't matter besides being a weed out because most top ranked schools are P/F pre-clinical without ranking.All the speculation regarding lower tiered schools ONLY holds true if residency directors start caring more about school prestige. From a reasonable perspective, assuming PDs are rational, there are far better metrics of applicant analysis such as gpa, class rank, extracurriculars, LoRs, ability to be social and interview well and beyond before school prestige would even be considered. I think this change will emphasize LoRs, being sociable and likable, and interview capabilities to have similar weight with step 2 & 3. If this is true, this could filter out the robotic, awkward yet high achievers at prestigious MD schools.
While you do have more pressure Step 1 is completely within your control.It looks like current MS1s will be the last people to take a scored step 1. That's me. LOL.
While you do have more pressure Step 1 is completely within your control.
I would rather take Step 1 than rely on my appearance and boot licking during clinicals.
The decision said this would take effect no earlier than January of 2022. So we don't actually know when this will take effect. Just that it will happen after December 31, 2021. Who knows, it could take a year or more before they implement it...Looking at other threads, it looks like all reported scores will be p/f after 2022. In other words, we're ****ed.
It looks like current MS1s will be the last people to take a scored step 1. That's me. LOL.
Lol so the incoming class doesn’t even know whether to gun for step or spend time doing ECs.The decision said this would take effect no earlier than January of 2022. So we don't actually know when this will take effect. Just that it will happen after December 31, 2021. Who knows, it could take a year or more before they implement it...
Unless you go to a school like mine. We take step in 3rd year, so there will be a super small cohort of us trying to match in 2023 with only P/F while everyone else has scores. Hurray!
Definitely focus on ECs.Lol so the incoming class doesn’t even know whether to gun for step or spend time doing ECs.
All the speculation regarding lower tiered schools ONLY holds true if residency directors start caring more about school prestige. From a reasonable perspective, assuming PDs are rational, there are far better metrics of applicant analysis such as gpa, class rank, extracurriculars, LoRs, ability to be social and interview well and beyond before school prestige would even be considered. I think this change will emphasize LoRs, being sociable and likable, and interview capabilities to have similar weight with step 2 & 3. If this is true, this could filter out the robotic, awkward yet high achievers at prestigious MD schools.
Dear god chill out you’ll be fine****. I'm stuck in the midwest permanently now.
I really shouldn't have turned down all those interview invites 😱
Edit: Can someone tell me if I'll be fine at a T-40 school? I really rejected interview invites left and right for in-state tuition and now I feel like I might actually be screwed.
i don't think how they score will change, just how they report it. so a passing score by today's standard will be the benchmark you need to get. A passing score is like a 195(?) or something like that right now, so if you score 195 or above, you "pass".Any speculation on knowledge that it would be a fixed score to pass or would it be percentile based on those who take the test?
Step 1 is required to take Step 2So is there going to be any point of doing Step 1 as a DO now that it wont even matter anymore? lol
This is some next level gunning. Telling other students that they don't have to worry about class rank or Step examinations but need to focus on being sociable and likeable because those are screening metrics that can be applied to thousands of applications in an objective manner. Very clever.All the speculation regarding lower tiered schools ONLY holds true if residency directors start caring more about school prestige. From a reasonable perspective, assuming PDs are rational, there are far better metrics of applicant analysis such as gpa, class rank, extracurriculars, LoRs, ability to be social and interview well and beyond before school prestige would even be considered. I think this change will emphasize LoRs, being sociable and likable, and interview capabilities to have similar weight with step 2 & 3. If this is true, this could filter out the robotic, awkward yet high achievers at prestigious MD schools.
Step 1 is required to take Step 2
Well you def need to take it to be eligible for step 3:I know that applies to the conventional MD program, but I see people are able to even take Step 2 before they do Step 1 as potential IMGs. I feel like it might be similar for DOs. I know you have to take Step 1 and 2 for Step 3. But DOs dont need to do any of them to graduate. I'm not sure if DOs even bother to do Step 3.
This is some next level gunning. Telling other students that they don't have to worry about class rank or Step examinations but need to focus on being sociable and likeable because those are screening metrics that can be applied to thousands of applications in an objective manner. Very clever.
So is there going to be any point of doing Step 1 as a DO now that it wont even matter anymore? lol
Step 1 is required to take Step 2
I know that applies to the conventional MD program, but I see people are able to even take Step 2 before they do Step 1 as potential IMGs. I feel like it might be similar for DOs. I know you have to take Step 1 and 2 for Step 3. But DOs dont need to do any of them to graduate. I'm not sure if DOs even bother to do Step 3.
"Exam prerequisite for Step 2 Clinical SkillsWell you def need to take it to be eligible for step 3:
"To be eligible for Step 3, before submitting your application, you must:
- pass Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS, AND
- obtain the MD degree or the DO degree from an LCME- or AOA-accredited US or Canadian medical school, OR
- obtain the equivalent of the MD degree from a medical school outside the US and Canada that is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools as meeting ECFMG eligibility requirements and obtain ECFMG Certification.
The USMLE program recommends that, for Step 3 eligibility, applicants should have completed, or be near completion of, at least one postgraduate training year in an accredited US graduate medical education program that meets state board licensing requirements."
source: United States Medical Licensing Examination | USMLE Bulletin | Eligibility
It's okay, I'll take the ad hom in order to deride you for thinking that this will actually r/o any high achiever from a prestigious MD school. Also your statement about PDs being rational and then equating that to sociability and likability bearing the same weight as Step 2 and Step 3. I'm guessing no one makes an effort to call you out on this because you're so far gone it's too pointless to try to tether you back to reality.Did we read the same post? My post never said that. I now understand why CARS is so heavily emphasized.
No.Are they really gonna retroactively change scores from three digit to P/F? That seems like utter BS.
"Exam prerequisite for Step 2 Clinical Skills
The USMLE program is implementing an examination prerequisite for Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS)—specifically, all examinees will be required to pass Step 1 in order to take Step 2 CS. Further details are forthcoming and this policy will take effect no earlier than March 1, 2021.
In taking this action, the USMLE Composite Committee, the governing body of USMLE, considered multiple factors to ensure that the program fulfills its ongoing mission to protect the public by providing medical licensing authorities with a secure, high-quality assessment of prospective physicians.
The committee reviewed data indicating that the vast majority of examinees routinely take and pass Step 1 before attempting Step 2 CS. Limiting access to Step 2 CS to those individuals with a track record of prior success on a USMLE Step protects the integrity of the exam and limits the time and resources examinees might commit unnecessarily without first having demonstrated success along the path to licensure. The committee also noted similar prerequisite policies in other exam programs for medical licensure, which require examinees to first pass a knowledge exam before a performance exam.
For more information regarding this policy change, please review the FAQs below."
Source: United States Medical Licensing Examination
This video pretty much sums it up:
There definitely needs to be reform, but this change seems like an obscene miscalculation that will ignite nepotism, elitism, gunning, and increased barriers within the medical education system.
I am open to other viewpoints- is there something that I am missing here?
That's actually a fallout fear of my mine. Although, I think , like passing step is hard enough that scoring the MCAT makes sense ( as in, somebody should still break 505 or something to have a high enough chance of merely passing step I- I also feel like the threshold for passing may be increased. Also- dedicated time would still be used to study for Step- isn't passing not easy, orc it's easier than getting a groundbreaking score, but it isn't like , chill.I'm curious if making Step 1 P/F will have upstream effects on medical school admissions. The main argument for placing such an emphasis on the MCAT was its correlation with Step 1 so it's possible that medical schools may de-emphasize the MCAT as well.
As an admitted DO with one pending MD decision this just made the anticipation 10x worse