USMLE- Walked out feeling like Flunked, but did well?

[Kluver_Bucy]

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Has anyone walked out of a Step 1 exam and felt like they flunked the exam, yet still score above 220?

Couple trustworthy friends of mine are convinced they flunked the exam but they are top 25% students in medical school. Does the exam make even the sharpest students feel like they flunked when they walk out of the exam?

 

[bigfrank]

Does the exam make even the sharpest students feel like they flunked when they walk out of the exam?

Sometimes, but virtually everybody passes if you're from a US school and have passed your classes thus far.

 

[me454555]

One of my friends who took it last year said he definatly knew maybe 5 questions on each block and the rest were eh. He ended up doing fine so relax and get to drinkin if you just finished w/USMLE

 

[joshua_msu]

What percentage do you think you need to just pass? Anyone have any guesses?

 

[bigfrank]

What percentage do you think you need to just pass? Anyone have any guesses?

The percentiles passed around commonly are usually 55-65%.

 

[Idiopathic]

I left feeling like I had completely missed a block of questions, as in: "That's it?" and I had to ask the Prometrics lady for the number to call. But nobody was there so I had to sweat it out. My score is public knowledge, so I guess that if I did that with only 300 questions, imagine the possibilities... 😉

 

[Oana]

Has anyone walked out of a Step 1 exam and felt like they flunked the exam, yet still score above 220?

Yup. It happend to me, it happened to my boyfriend, it happened to a lot of my friends. I ended up doing 226/92, while he got a 229/93 (dammit ). Frankly, I thought the exam was specifically designed to make you feel that way! Granted, I'm an IGM, and already a physician in my home country, so going back, relearning and being tested on pre-clinical data was already a taunting experience in itself.

(On a side note, and totally the opposite of Idiopathic's experience -- although I can't really imagine how one could skip a block -- here I was, just finishing my last block, waiting to see the end of it all, and the software asks me to enter my identification number! I thought that I was going to have a MI right there. Of course, it was just the silly survey, it's just that I wasn't expecting it 😉).

So, just relax. I'm sure you did just fine!

 

[samyjay]

What about the other way? Did anyone walk outside the test feeling ok (like fairly confident on 30 of the 50 questions per block) and end up doing subpar to their standards? Just wondering

 

[joshua_msu]

I felt confident on about 30 of the 50 give or take per section, and I feel like I had a subpar performance. That is why I asked about what percent you need to pass. I had high hopes after Qbank and the two NBME tests, lets just hope it turns out that way.

 

[bigfrank]

I left feeling like I had completely missed a block of questions, as in: "That's it?" and I had to ask the Prometrics lady for the number to call. But nobody was there so I had to sweat it out. My score is public knowledge, so I guess that if I did that with only 300 questions, imagine the possibilities... 😉

Believe me, your score (1548/6 😉 ) will get you into ANY field you choose. Again, congrats!

 

[Back34]

I left the test center in Philly, watched the traffic for 5 minutes, searching for a bus to walk in front of, but wound up with a 224 which I was kind of happy about.

 

[mupirocin]

i walked out feeling an absolute no good flunky. felt myself on razor's edge the entire 3wks thereafter. and guess what?...................243/98!
all the sweat for nothing!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[kaos]

Must say I really felt pretty scared even after walking out. Can't wait to find out how I really did, because I sure don't feel like I passed! And even if I did pass, I'm worried that my score will be really low. 🙁