USMLE Step 1 Scores and MCAT

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futuredoctor10

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This thread is just for fun! If you have taken your USMLE Step I exam, and don't mind sharing, post the score and the MCAT score. It'd be fun to see the correlation, if any, which exists. :)
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There has already been a significant amount of effort into predicting step 1 scores from many many different other factors.

Doing well on the MCAT suggests some aptitude to standardized test, so you are right to anticipate some degree of positive correlation.

However, Step 1 is a completely different beast than the MCAT. Though some general test taking strategy might help you out, it truly comes down to knowing the answers to more questions than other people taking the test. You reading comprehension skills are pretty much worthless.

Even combining UWORLD percentages, MCAT scores, practice NBME exams etc into large databases such as the Med friends database, the standard deviation of the prediction is still very large.

And lastly, the willingness of people to post their MCAT and Step 1 scores on this website would create a bias strong enough to make any results absolutely worthless.

Best of luck!
 
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There is very very little correlation. I want to say like .2 or something according my school's statistics. NMBE scores and first year performance are more accurate predictors.

The highest USMLE score at my school was by someone with a 24 on the MCAT. She had one of those ridiculous scores that you think people are making up.
 
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MossPoh said:
There is very very little correlation. I want to say like .2 or something according my school's statistics. NMBE scores and first year performance are more accurate predictors.

The highest USMLE score at my school was by someone with a 24 on the MCAT. She had one of those ridiculous scores that you think people are making up.
Click to expand...

Is 2nd yr's performance better correlated than 1st year's... if not i'm effed..lol
 
futuredoctor10 said:
This thread is just for fun! If you have taken your USMLE Step I exam, and don't mind sharing, post the score and the MCAT score. It'd be fun to see the correlation, if any, which exists. :)
Click to expand...

33 MCAT. 260 Step 1
 
My MCAT score was pathetic, so bad that I was lucky to get into medical school. My Step I score, on the other hand was not pathetic. The MCAT means nothing (assuming you get in), while Step I is almost everything. The scores may correlate only if you let them. I was determined not to let them and worked my butt off first two years of med school. Hard work, that's all it takes.
 
Awesome glad to hear that! The MCAT was fine for me, so I was just wondering how the Step 1 was in comparison, but I know they are two totally different exams (with the Step 1 being much more difficult)!
 
MCAT upper 30's, Step I upper 240's. But...CS - Pass...how's that for correlation?

In all seriousness, MCAT was studying integrated into my normal life. Studying for Step I was a good three month change in how I lived my life. Have fun!
 
MCAT guy said:
Wow, nice Step 1 scores up in here.
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Be very cautious when accepting advice in this forum. Most people who post do so to either inflate their own ego, or inflate their scores to assume that anonyminity will some how make themselves feel better.

There has been absolutely no correlation between anything and Step scores. There are publications that say sometimes its the MCAT, sometimes its the Reading Section, sometimes its the Biological Sciences. Unforunately, it is far more likely to be dedication to studying, a measure that has no objective value. How many hours does not correlate to how "hard" one studies, for example.

I got a 34 on MCAT and a 248 on step 1 (almost exactly what Med Friends said I should). For me, that was 90th percentile for MCAT and 90th percentile for Usmle Step 1. Literally a direct correlation. I also took time off after college, so had plenty of time to read the kaplan books, just as I had some time off to do Kaplan for Step 1. By study strategy was the same (albeit longer and more hours for Step) but my scores correlated very well.

On a final note, what I personally believe is that if you tried as hard as you could on your MCAT, you have a pretty good idea of what your upper limit is. You will likely study just as hard for Step, and, as there is more information and harder questions, are unlikely to perform better than on your MCAT. Whatever percentile you were in for MCAT you will likely find yourself for Step 1.

Congratulations to people who do better.
 
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It depends - two completely different tests. 23 on MCAT, ~225 give or take on Step 1 and Step 2. I didn't kill myself for the USMLE either.
 
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Friendly said:
It depends - two completely different tests. 23 on MCAT, ~225 give or take on Step 1 and Step 2. I didn't kill myself for the USMLE either.
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MCAT was easier, but Steps weren't that bad either... unless you want over 250 or something :cool:
 
MCAT: 34
Step 1: 242
Step 2: 252
Step 3: 215 (somebody already had their residency position and hardly studied) :)
 
OveractiveBrain said:
Be very cautious when accepting advice in this forum. Most people who post do so to either inflate their own ego, or inflate their scores to assume that anonyminity will some how make themselves feel better.

There has been absolutely no correlation between anything and Step scores. There are publications that say sometimes its the MCAT, sometimes its the Reading Section, sometimes its the Biological Sciences. Unforunately, it is far more likely to be dedication to studying, a measure that has no objective value. How many hours does not correlate to how "hard" one studies, for example.

I got a 34 on MCAT and a 248 on step 1 (almost exactly what Med Friends said I should). For me, that was 90th percentile for MCAT and 90th percentile for Usmle Step 1. Literally a direct correlation. I also took time off after college, so had plenty of time to read the kaplan books, just as I had some time off to do Kaplan for Step 1. By study strategy was the same (albeit longer and more hours for Step) but my scores correlated very well.

On a final note, what I personally believe is that if you tried as hard as you could on your MCAT, you have a pretty good idea of what your upper limit is. You will likely study just as hard for Step, and, as there is more information and harder questions, are unlikely to perform better than on your MCAT. Whatever percentile you were in for MCAT you will likely find yourself for Step 1.

Congratulations to people who do better.
Click to expand...

I disagree with the bolded statement. From my personal experience and what I've seen from classmates and read on SDN it seems many people study much harder for Step 1. Step 1 has more information but the stuff is more relevant to the curriculum. IMO the MCAT puts more of a ceiling on your score than Step 1 does.

It's a small sample size but preclinical GPA has correlated strongly with Step 1 performance at my school, much more than MCAT. A large number of people outperform their MCAT
 
2012mdc said:
I disagree with the bolded statement. From my personal experience and what I've seen from classmates and read on SDN it seems many people study much harder for Step 1. Step 1 has more information but the stuff is more relevant to the curriculum. IMO the MCAT puts more of a ceiling on your score than Step 1 does.

It's a small sample size but preclinical GPA has correlated strongly with Step 1 performance at my school, much more than MCAT. A large number of people outperform their MCAT
Click to expand...

This is what I've heard too, that alot of people do really well on the Step 1 and outperform what one might've predicted based on prior scores (MCAT or GPA but esp MCAT... it makes sense that MCAT has more of a ceiling on your score since alot of Step 1 relates to what we learn in the curriculum which is not necessarily true for the MCAT exam).
 
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