USMLE compared to MCAT

[Auricae]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hi all,

People keep tossing around USMLE scores but I don't really know what a "good" or "bad" score is since I lack a point of reference. Although this is probably a very rough generalization, what would a USMLE score of 200 compare to on the MCAT. How about a score of 230?

As an example of what I am asking, I will compare the SAT to the MCAT. I would suggest that an SAT score of about a 1300 would translate into an MCAT of a 30, a 1400 would be about a 33, 1500 a 36 and 1600 a 40+.

Can someone offer a similar comparison so I have a better grasp of the USMLE? Thanks!

 

[coldsteel]

There is no good way to compare the tests, but the best would be to look at it in terms of standard deviations. If I recall correctly (and it's been a while now), the mean on the MCAT sections were about 8 with a standard deviation of 1.5. On the USMLE it was apparently 217 and 24. So a 230 would be roughly (and this is very roughly estimated) like getting 9's on the MCAT (cum=27). Keep in mind that these two tests assess two completely different sets of subject matter and two very different populations.

 

[ChiaPet312]

what's the highest you can score on the usmle? what's the point range?

 

[oldtimer]

Really, an SAT 1500 corresponds to a MCAT 36? Damn, I knew I should have studied harder for my SAT's. 😀

 

[Auricae]

Originally posted by coldsteel
There is no good way to compare the tests, but the best would be to look at it in terms of standard deviations. If I recall correctly (and it's been a while now), the mean on the MCAT sections were about 8 with a standard deviation of 1.5. On the USMLE it was apparently 217 and 24. So a 230 would be roughly (and this is very roughly estimated) like getting 9's on the MCAT (cum=27). Keep in mind that these two tests assess two completely different sets of subject matter and two very different populations.

I guess this only makes sense when we take into account the more competitive nature of the medical school population vs. the undergraduate pre-medical population, since the average matriculant into an optho residency gets a 227, and I know it's really competitive.

 

[ek6]

what's the general format of the USMLE? for instance, are the questions maybe a few sentences of a situation followed by 4-8 answer choices?

 

[coldsteel]

If I recall correctly, most of the questions were fairly long case vignettes with a variable number of answer options. I think most had somewhere between 4 and 8 options. Every now and then there were short questions, but most were case vignettes.

coldsteel