Step 1 Score

[Stinger86]

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Got my scores in the mail Saturday, but haven't been able to post because I'm without internet until this thursday. So, from my local coffee shop, here's the report.

Step 1: 252/99 🙂 🙂

NBME Form A: 630
NBME Form B: 610

Released items: 88% or something like that

MCAT: 29

Shelf exams: Did so-so on my first year shelf exams, but did well on my second year shelfs.

Didn't use Kaplan or any other question sources, so I can't give you any numbers. sorry 🙁


So according to the assessment exams and knowing that the mean and sd are 217 and 24, respectively, on recent administrations of the step 1 exam, it was predicted that I would score between a 243 and a 248. Pretty accurate but obviously not spot-on.

Anyhoo, thanks for all your advice and support over the year, and I hope I can give back ten-fold in the future. Best wishes for those who are awaiting scores and those who are preparing to take the exam soon. 👍

 

[daisygirl]

Congrats Stinger You did awesome!!!!!!!!!!!

Seeing your post is motivating me to study. 😳

 

[daisygirl]

I was wondering when exactly, during your studies, did you complete the nbme exams? Did you do both towards the end? Thanks so much and congrats again 😀

 

[Stinger86]

I was wondering when exactly, during your studies, did you complete the nbme exams? Did you do both towards the end? Thanks so much and congrats again 😀

Thanks daisy 🙂

I took Form A about a week after I began studying, and Form B about 3-4 days before my exam date.

 

[MedPuck]

Congrats Stinger! What an accomplishment. You especially deserve it considering your contributions to this forum and the help you have been to many. Go celebrate my man.

 

[Idiopathic]

Thanks daisy 🙂

I took Form A about a week after I began studying, and Form B about 3-4 days before my exam date.

Congratulations...I had a feeling you would do 250+.


Did it bother you that you did worse on Form B? I thought it was harder, but I can imagine that would be disheartening, for sure.

 

[Willamette]

Way to go man! That's a freaking awesome score! Do you really feel like an MS III now? I start Pediatric Surgery tomorrow, but haven't got my Step scores yet and feel a bit like a poser...anyway, way to rock that thing man!


Willamette

 

[adamant]

Great job man! That is an awesome score. Glad to see you scored higher than the self assesments predicted that gives us hope.
When did you take the test. I took mine on June 11th and haven't heard anything yet, hope I don't have to wait all the way to the 14th.

 

[lindyloohoo]

Congrats on the score! You gave awesome advice to all of us even after you were finished. I can't thank you enough! Good luck with your clerkships....care to let us know when you'll be taking step 2 so we can all plan accordingly 😀 j/k

 

[nuclearrabbit77]

way to go stinger 👍 👍

 

[Discobolus]

Way to go! That is an excellent score! Now just don't send out an announcement on the class listserve and tell everyone your score (or even that you passed). My M3 sources tell me that would be insensitive 😀

 

[bigfrank]

Awesome!!!

 

[Jalby]

Congrats Stinger. That's amazing. Seems like everybody who posted a ton of info on herer has been doing amazing (hint for people taking it next year. Maybe I'll post a thread about the correlation)

 

[AlexRusso]

Congrats Stinger. Just got back from my vacation and seeing yours and BigFranks scores is very encouraging. Stil waiting for mine (prob 2-3 more weeks. Will keep you posted.

 

[newbie5]

Awesome score dude.....congratulations!!!!!

 

[imtiaz]

first of all, congratulations on the score! that is one rippin' score. you did great, as i knew you would.

i had a dream the other night that i got my step 1 score back. i opened the envelope and i got a 225. 🙁 i was happy i passed, but disappointed at the same time. now i don't give a crap, i just want to pass!

 

[lotanna]

Way to go!!! I 2nd what Jalby said, hmm I'll be more active on here!!

 

[Brian Pavlovitz]

Great Job, Matt!

 

[Stinger86]

Thanks everyone 😀 . Remember that posting on SDN is good karma!

Idiopathic, I was actually kinda surprised that I made over a 600 on the second form because I found it to be much, much more difficult than the first. Interesting thing is, my subject breakdown for Form B was actually a lot better in every way than Form A, but my score was lower. But I didn't really let it get to me because I knew I wouldn't see most of these questions again on the real thing, so there's always hope!

And imtiaz, I too had a dream about getting my scores early, except when I opened the envelope, it was full of nbme surveys!! sigh

 

[Stinger86]

Way to go! That is an excellent score! Now just don't send out an announcement on the class listserve and tell everyone your score (or even that you passed). My M3 sources tell me that would be insensitive 😀

I thought it was funny how there were two emails in a row in my inbox from the same guy, one labeled "apology".

 

[Echelon]

Wow, awesome score, congratulations! My test is tomorrow and I feel as if I don't know a thing right now but I got the same exact scores as you on both NBME tests so you've given me a bit of hope 🙂

How would you compare the difficulty of the NMBE tests with the actual one?

 

[the_equalizer]

Hi,
What exactly is the difference between the two scores on the USMLE? My guess would have been that the only number that really matters is the second one, and that the first would kind of depend on your individual test. But now there's a score in the low 250's and one in the high 260's, both with 99s as their second score. What does that mean? Are the scores the same, similar...? Thanks.

 

[bigfrank]

That's a good question. All I can say with assurance is all that I've only heard posters refer to on here with any degree of frequency is the 3-digit score (2 _ _ ). It is obviously more specific, as 82 is mean and 99 is high concerning the 2-digit score, while considering the 3-digit score, 217 is mean with scores going much higher.

Best,

 

[cubs3canes]

How can 82 be the mean on the two digit score? I think 50 is the mean on the two digit?

I was under the assumption (which we all know we should not do), that the two digit score was your national percentile. Like on the SAT.

Therefore, a 217 would be 50th percentile. Above 250, 99th percentile. A 182, like 8th percentile. Am I thinking about this incorrectly?

 

[DrDre']

75 is passing with 2 digit. supposedly, it is NOT a percentile

 

[bigfrank]

It is certainly not a percentile. A 2-digit score of 82 is the mean, which you could argue is approximately the 50th percentile (50%). 82 is NOT the 82nd percentile and does NOT mean you answered 82% of the questions correctly.

 

[newbie5]

is the three digit score the number of questions you got right? Considering that 50 questions get thrown out, this would mean that a 270 would be like getting a 90 %; and getting a 182 would be ~ 60 %, which is what you need to pass.

 

[AlexRusso]

some people have suggested that but nobody knows for sure.

 

[bigfrank]

I would also like to believe that's true, but I honestly highly doubt it. I don't there there is any way I got 89% of the questions right. Probably much less.

 

[Howard Roark]

great score. congrats again.
😀

 

[Stinger86]

To address the question of how to interpret the 2-digit and 3-digit scores, here's what I know. As stated directly on the score report, the 2-digit and 3-digit scores are, for all intents and purposes, equal. What this means is that once you hit the high 240s, your 2-digit gets to 99 and stays there. So whether you make a 250 or a 280, your scores are actually pretty equivalent. Of course, the report also says that the residency programs can use either score for admission purposes, but I think most will look at the 99 and think "ok, this person's passed our application step 1 score cut-off" and little more.

I think the NBME makes this point (about the scores being equivalent) because once you get around the upper 240s, you've basically "beaten" the exam and scored at the top. Everyone gets a different exam with different questions, so someone who gets a 250/99 and someone who gets a 285/99 are indicated to have "equivalent" scores because both 3-digit scores are considered "outstanding" by most, if not all, residencies. Also, consider what you've heard about competitive residency programs. Usually, a score higher than a 235-240 will land you an interview at most programs, no matter how competitive. Do you think programs will ultimately pick one applicant over another based solely on their Step 1 scores (a 250 vs. a 285)? Highly unlikely. They're going to be looking for other qualities like interest, research, and enthusiasm to rank their applicants.

So for those of you who are planning to apply to a competitive residency and have recently found you've scored over 235-240 on step 1, congratulate yourself, party until you collapse, and be happy, damnit! You've basically opened all the doors you wanted open in the first place! 🙂

 

[lotanna]

great breakdown Stinger!!!

 

[bigfrank]

Stinger makes good points. I know for a fact, however (after hearing faculty talk re: their specific fields), that the 'most competitive' specialties such as Derm, Ophtho, Plastics, Rads, etc., do use the screening of the THREE-digit score. For example, a 241 is roughly the 84th percentile yet is probably a 97 or 98 2-digit score. Most people I've talked to (specifically residents in derm) have told me that a 241 is nowhere near a safe score.

But for the most part, I agree with you.