U Chicago-Pritzker Board Scores

[Falco2525]

So I know U Chicago is nototrious for not teaching for the boards and that their students do about average on the USMLE...is this a cause for concern and should I consider this when making a decision on which medical school to go to? SHould I go to the school with the highest board score or is U Chicago respected enough to not worry about it and just do my best with what they teach?

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[doctor0125]

everybody knows board scores are important, if you even have a slightest fear that you may do worse then go somewhere else.

 

[monday_best]

I'm wondering about this too. This and the class time/exam schedule are the only real things giving me pause. I didn't manage to ask about it on my interview day (because I didn't want to seem like the neurotic, over-SDN'ed pre-med I am).

 

[NervousNed]

i say drop a deuce on on em

 

[weathertalk]

They tried to play it off at the interview by saying "look at our match list... we do great even though we don't ace the boards"


I think it's nonsense. Pritzker needs to revamp their curriculum.

 

[Doctor~Detroit]

I think it's nonsense. Pritzker needs to revamp their curriculum.

screw that. the boards aren't everything. learning how to ace a multiple choice test is not a valuable medical skill. pritzker's doing it for the long haul.

 

[UCLAMAN]

i don't know what it is...but Northwestern is notorious for not teaching for the boards(and everyone hates it here)...yet our averages are always 230+ every year. the point? your board score is not a reflection of which school you go to and how the classes are taught. i think part of it is that we have a little over a month off before we have to take boards. this is a month that our students study for like 12hours a day for boards.

i dont know how much time off UofC gives before boards. but boards are all about effort and efficiency self-studying and your ability to take standardized tests. UofC is a world-class institution. i would still go there even if the board score average is low. why? as i have found on the interview trail...your school's reputation can take you places and open doors for you on the interview trail. your board scores are something you achieve through your own work, it isnt based on how the school teaches you.

 

[Falco2525]

i don't know what it is...but Northwestern is notorious for not teaching for the boards(and everyone hates it here)...yet our averages are always 230+ every year. the point? your board score is not a reflection of which school you go to and how the classes are taught. i think part of it is that we have a little over a month off before we have to take boards. this is a month that our students study for like 12hours a day for boards.

i dont know how much time off UofC gives before boards. but boards are all about effort and efficiency self-studying and your ability to take standardized tests. UofC is a world-class institution. i would still go there even if the board score average is low. why? as i have found on the interview trail...your school's reputation can take you places and open doors for you on the interview trail. your board scores are something you achieve through your own work, it isnt based on how the school teaches you.

Thanks for the input UCLAMAN it is much appreciated

 

[UCLAMAN]

Thanks for the input UCLAMAN it is much appreciated

no problem. i would argue that UofC's name and faculty will open more doors in more fields than Uminnesota(assuming all other things are equal). Not saying UM is a bad program or bad school.

someone who went to Uminn who scores a 240 will get "better" interviews than the one who scores 210 from UofC. However, whether you get a 240 or a 210 is really based on how hardcore you study and memorize your "first aid for step 1" book and how many kaplan Qbank questions you are able to do and learn from. so regardless of how a school teaches...i would argue that it does not affect your board score a whole lot since the bulk of your boards studying will be self-studying. the other factor like i said, is how much time off does the school give you. for example...i am a bad test taker...so even though northwestern's average board score is like 230's...i scored a fair below that. don't base your decisions on a school's average board score because that is a poor reflection of how well a school teaches. board scores are a reflection of the individual student's test taking abilities. a lower average may just mean that there isnt a whole lot of time off before the school makes u take step 1(in which case you just have to start studying earlier in the year). and regardless of what a school's average is, it is not indicative of how well YOU will do on the test. (if that were the case, then i should have a 230+ as well)

 

[sara3426]

UCLA, thanks for your input! Especially considering 1) you've already taken it and 2) you don't go to Pritzker and aren't sticking up for your own school
(although the input from current students would be appreciated, too)

 

[turkleton]

So I know U Chicago is nototrious for not teaching for the boards and that their students do about average on the USMLE...is this a cause for concern and should I consider this when making a decision on which medical school to go to? SHould I go to the school with the highest board score or is U Chicago respected enough to not worry about it and just do my best with what they teach?

If they're getting the national average, that would suggest to me that they are in fact teaching the material necessary to do well on the boards... and they are doing so in a manner similar to every other medical school in the country... hence national average.

 

[Law2Doc]

I think it's a chicken and egg thing -- are they not teaching for the boards and thus not scoring that well, or are they not scoring that well and then claiming that they are not teaching for the boards. In fact Step 1 has less to do with targeted teaching and more to do with individual preparation. Most med school courses cover all the basics, some spend more time on some details than others. But all med students study from the same First Aid, Q-bank etc. If you have gotten through those two (or other comparable) resources, you have studied for the boards comparably to 90% of the folks who take it. If you look at some of the truest focused just "teach for the boards" type schools -- some of those in the caribbean, you will see that the board pass rates tend not to be particularly good, reinforcing the notion that it is a matter of individual effort and ability, not anything the school can manage for you.

 

[Doctor~Detroit]

I think it's a chicken and egg thing -- are they not teaching for the boards and thus not scoring that well, or are they not scoring that well and then claiming that they are not teaching for the boards. In fact Step 1 has less to do with targeted teaching and more to do with individual preparation. Most med school courses cover all the basics, some spend more time on some details than others. But all med students study from the same First Aid, Q-bank etc. If you have gotten through those two (or other comparable) resources, you have studied for the boards comparably to 90% of the folks who take it. If you look at some of the truest focused just "teach for the boards" type schools -- some of those in the caribbean, you will see that the board pass rates tend not to be particularly good, reinforcing the notion that it is a matter of individual effort and ability, not anything the school can manage for you.

i think pritzker's average mcat is a tiny bit on the low side for a top 20 (maybe 32?) which would give some support to this.

 

[AmoryBlaine]

Your med school cirriculum with have minimal impact on your board score. Trust me, when you are trying to rememorize all the little tid-bits of info it won't matter how well you were taught them the first time.

 

[Towelie]

I agree totally with UCLAman, Law2Doc, and everyone else. The school cannot take the boards for you. Think about how stupid it would sound for someone to choose their undergraduate institution based on the average MCAT score of students there.

I'm sure, like every other standardized test, your board scores will come down to how well you prepare and how good of a standardized test taker you are.