USMLE passing rates (Percentage) per school

[TWeSMed]

I have been accepted to a couple of schools (class of 2014) and ONE of the factors that will help me decide on one or the other is their average passing rate on the USMLE (1,2,3). Is there a website or book that lists the passing rate according to schools in a very simple format?
For Ex:
NYU = 97%
Emory = 96%
USF = 96%..etc


Thanks a lot

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[searun]

I have been accepted to a couple of schools (class of 2014) and ONE of the factors that will help me decide on one or the other is their average passing rate on the USMLE (1,2,3). Is there a website or book that lists the passing rate according to schools in a very simple format?
For Ex:
NYU = 97%
Emory = 96%
USF = 96%..etc


Thanks a lot

I do not think that this is a good criteria for selecting the med school that you will attend. The overwhelming majority of students at all accredited US med schools pass the USMLE. The few students who do fail do so for reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of education provided by the school - 1.e. physical or mental health issues, family problems, etc. The failure rate between schools will be pretty insignificant.

Also, performance on the USMLE is largely a function of individual effort and preparation, plus the individual's ability to perform under pressure. Med School curriculums are pretty standardized and similar so it bascially comes down to individual performance.

Find a school that is a good fit for your personality in a location that you will enjoy. I would not worry at all about USMLE scores.

 

[boaz]

I do not think that this is a good criteria for selecting the med school that you will attend. The overwhelming majority of students at all accredited US med schools pass the USMLE. The few students who do fail do so for reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of education provided by the school - 1.e. physical or mental health issues, family problems, etc. The failure rate between schools will be pretty insignificant.

Also, performance on the USMLE is largely a function of individual effort and preparation, plus the individual's ability to perform under pressure. Med School curriculums are pretty standardized and similar so it bascially comes down to individual performance.

Find a school that is a good fit for your personality in a location that you will enjoy. I would not worry at all about USMLE scores.

I would just add that if you really really feel a compulsion to take USMLE into account, look at the average scores rather than pass rates.

 

[Mandiblespeaks]

I too have been using the USMLE as a guide for selecting schools. But the average scores and pass rates are always pretty much the same.

The criteria I suggest using, much more relevant to how you will do:

1. Amount of time given to study before Step 1. eg, BU is 4-6, Gtown only 4, Buffalo is 8-10.

2. Does the school provide/require students to take "Shelf Exams," which are USMLE style exams that you will take at the end of each coarse. The score can be translated into a board score but is a bad indicator of future performance because its course specific and doesnt take in the memory and time factor. But they do a GREAT job of prepping you during year 1 and 2 for taking USMLE style questions.

These are what I have determined to be the most imortant factors.

Cheers.

 

[Old Grunt]

I too have been using the USMLE as a guide for selecting schools. But the average scores and pass rates are always pretty much the same.

The criteria I suggest using, much more relevant to how you will do:

1. Amount of time given to study before Step 1. eg, BU is 4-6, Gtown only 4, Buffalo is 8-10.

2. Does the school provide/require students to take "Shelf Exams," which are USMLE style exams that you will take at the end of each coarse. The score can be translated into a board score but is a bad indicator of future performance because its course specific and doesnt take in the memory and time factor. But they do a GREAT job of prepping you during year 1 and 2 for taking USMLE style questions.

These are what I have determined to be the most imortant factors.

Cheers.

As for #2, you can effectively get that on your own (and a much better look at the USMLE) by purchasing a qbank from Kaplan or World since you get explanations for the answers and can personalize your tests.

I'd wait until your second year when you start doing pathology though (since it's the bulk of the step 1 material).

In fact, I wish I would have started with Kaplan (easier questions) during path, made notes in First Aid (kaplan provides page references for each question) and then saved World for step 1 crunch time. The downside is that would have been pricey.

Note, I loath Kaplan's customer service so I am not trying to sell their product.

 

[tremulousNeedle]

I do not think that this is a good criteria for selecting the med school that you will attend. The overwhelming majority of students at all accredited US med schools pass the USMLE. The few students who do fail do so for reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of education provided by the school - 1.e. physical or mental health issues, family problems, etc. The failure rate between schools will be pretty insignificant.

Also, performance on the USMLE is largely a function of individual effort and preparation, plus the individual's ability to perform under pressure. Med School curriculums are pretty standardized and similar so it bascially comes down to individual performance.

Find a school that is a good fit for your personality in a location that you will enjoy. I would not worry at all about USMLE scores.

Searun hit the nail on the head. For most medical students, their success, or lack thereof, is largely unrelated to the individual medical school.

 

[Antibodies]

Those numbers aren't released.

What you really should look for:

No mandatory attendance (a few classes is okay however)
Webcasting of lectures
Time spent in class
How many exams after each system
How much time to prep for boards

 

[MilkmanAl]

I would just add that if you really really feel a compulsion to take USMLE into account, look at the average scores rather than pass rates.

Agreed. Last year, we had a 95% pass rate but averaged a 219 or something. In any event, Step scores should be nowhere near your radar when choosing a school, assuming you can even get accurate averages for each school you're considering.