The critical unexplained issue in the P/F transition and the effect on the 2023 match

[2021Doctor]

If all Step 1 scores are REPORTED as P/F after January 1, 2022 then there is a critical problem going forward.
Example: A second year med student takes USMLE Step 1 in 2020 and gets a score of 197.
This student would normally apply through ERAS in 2021 for the 2022 match and the score of 197 would get reported to residency programs.
However, if scores are reported as P/F after January 1, 2022, then the student could delay graduation by a year (such as by doing a resarch year) and apply through ERAS in 2022 for the 2023 match.
This would mean that the 197 score would not be reported to residency programs for the 2023 match.
The NRMP match in 2023 would become flooded with large numbers of applicants with low USMLE Step 1 scores that they could now hide.

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[CyrilFiggis]

And? The applicant would still have to explain why they took a year off and still have grades, rank, CK, MSPE, letters, etc on their app. Someone scoring that low likely will have other proportionally low stats. Can’t game the system. Also, if you’re thinking about it, don’t you think PDs are smart enough to sniff it out too?

 

[2021Doctor]

And? The applicant would still have to explain why they took a year off and still have grades, rank, CK, MSPE, letters, etc on their app. Someone scoring that low likely will have other proportionally low stats. Can’t game the system. Also, if you’re thinking about it, don’t you think PDs are smart enough to sniff it out too?

For the 2022 match (2021 ERAS submissions), applicants will have their Step 1 scores factor into their ranking. For students with strong Step 1 scores, it will be business as usual. However, for students who are applying to competitive programs, they may elect to delay their graduation by doing a research year or masters program (e.g. MBA or MPH) for a double boost: their applications will be strengthened by the additional education and experience, and won’t be bogged down by a weaker Step 1 score. This means that you may see a dip in the number of students entering the 2022 match, leading to a less competitive field overall. Since medical students are typically risk averse, we can assume that more students will pursue the safer path of skipping the 2022 match to not have their Step 1 scores count against them. This will be especially true for students who are gunning for the most competitive programs.

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[Fried Plantaris]

Students that take Step 1 and have a score will be compared to other students with scored step 1. Those with pass fail will be assessed using Step 2 CK score.

Not too long ago, med school admissions had the new MCAT and old MCAT to look at for 1 year and while ultimately they could compare percentiles, it shows that the institutions can adapt.

 

[starlite911]

If all Step 1 scores are REPORTED as P/F after January 1, 2022 then there is a critical problem going forward.
Example: A second year med student takes USMLE Step 1 in 2020 and gets a score of 197.
This student would normally apply through ERAS in 2021 for the 2022 match and the score of 197 would get reported to residency programs.
However, if scores are reported as P/F after January 1, 2022, then the student could delay graduation by a year (such as by doing a resarch year) and apply through ERAS in 2022 for the 2023 match.
This would mean that the 197 score would not be reported to residency programs for the 2023 match.
The NRMP match in 2023 would become flooded with large numbers of applicants with low USMLE Step 1 scores that they could now hide.

Scores are going to be reported based on when the exam was taken, NOT the application cycle. You could take the exam in 2021 and apply in 2024 and your score would still be reported.

 

[Appellatelove]

Students that take Step 1 and have a score will be compared to other students with scored step 1. Those with pass fail will be assessed using Step 2 CK score.

Not too long ago, med school admissions had the new MCAT and old MCAT to look at for 1 year and while ultimately they could compare percentiles, it shows that the institutions can adapt.

That would not work and would likely be unfair. I think the fairest thing is that ERAS would not report the scores.

for example- how would you compare a student who has a 270 step 1 and 270 step 2 with a traditional curriculum (step 1 in 2021) with a pass fail student from a school with that has curriculum with step after clinical (step in 2022). Even if both have similar step 2 score it makes the other student stand to have a step score.

 

[2021Doctor]

Scores are going to be reported based on when the exam was taken, NOT the application cycle. You could take the exam in 2021 and apply in 2024 and your score would still be reported.

Please cite a real source. No proof of this. Just because you say so does not make it true.

"The USMLE program will change score reporting for Step 1 from a three-digit numeric score to reporting only a pass/fail outcome. A numeric score will continue to be reported for Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) and Step 3. Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) will continue to be reported as Pass/Fail. This policy will take effect no earlier than January 1, 2022 with further details to follow later this year."

Home | United States Medical Licensing Examination

www.usmle.org

 

[starlite911]

Please cite a real source. No proof of this. Just because you say so does not make it true.

I called the NBME office in Texas. Obviously it’s all subject to change since no information is publicly released yet, but that’s what I was told

 

[2021Doctor]

I called the NBME office in Texas. Obviously it’s all subject to change since no information is publicly released yet, but that’s what I was told

Ok. It would be nice if they made a formal announcement.

 

[ace_inhibitor111]

That would not work and would likely be unfair. I think the fairest thing is that ERAS would not report the scores.

for example- how would you compare a student who has a 270 step 1 and 270 step 2 with a traditional curriculum (step 1 in 2021) with a pass fail student from a school with that has curriculum with step after clinical (step in 2022). Even if both have similar step 2 score it makes the other student stand to have a step score.

If this is true, there will be huge swathes of people who will defer a year and make the 2022-2023 cycle a living hell, meanwhile the match of 2021-2022 will be cake. There are a ton of people who manage to do well in M3 while bombing the Step 1, especially for schools that don’t use the shelf.

As to your second point, Tulane IM has a transparent system. They have a point system for which Step makes up a portion. They take the highest of either step 1 or step 2 and divide by 10, and those are the points you get

 

[Appellatelove]

If this is true, there will be huge swathes of people who will defer a year and make the 2022-2023 cycle a living hell, meanwhile the match of 2021-2022 will be cake. There are a ton of people who manage to do well in M3 while bombing the Step 1, especially for schools that don’t use the shelf.

As to your second point, Tulane IM has a transparent system. They have a point system for which Step makes up a portion. They take the highest of either step 1 or step 2 and divide by 10, and those are the points you get

tulane IM has this system but what about all the other programs? How would you standardize this? Ortho or other competitive candidates would be SO mad if they had to deal with a mix of pass fail and scores. It would be totally unfair to the pass fail candidates because only strong step scores would apply that year and the pass fail candidates who may have also had high score will be at the bottom of the pile.

 

[Fried Plantaris]

That would not work and would likely be unfair. I think the fairest thing is that ERAS would not report the scores.

Just because 5% (not sure the actual number) of students for CO'23 take Step 1 after 3rd year, it shouldn't mean the majority of students who have a score are succumbed to a P/F system. I don't see what you refer to as being reasonable.

 

[JPmoleymole]

Please cite a real source. No proof of this. Just because you say so does not make it true.

"The USMLE program will change score reporting for Step 1 from a three-digit numeric score to reporting only a pass/fail outcome. A numeric score will continue to be reported for Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) and Step 3. Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) will continue to be reported as Pass/Fail. This policy will take effect no earlier than January 1, 2022 with further details to follow later this year."

Home | United States Medical Licensing Examination

www.usmle.org

Why do you think fairness is a factor the USMLE is taking into consideration? lol

 

[GoSpursGo]

We don't need multiple threads talking about the step 1 P/F decision. This thread asked a specific question related to the change, but there's no reason it can't be discussed in the main thread: Step 1 P/F: Decision