What Do You Consider Average, Good, Great, Outstanding Scores?

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Phallacious

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My bowling average is about 160. I consider that a good score.

Great is 200+.

To call one outstanding would probably take a perfect 300, or at least an 800+ series.

Oh crap wrong forum
 
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The general consensus, from what I can gather, is that a good board score = a good Scrabble score.
 
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Average: 218
Good: gets you into your specialty somewhere
Great: gets you into your #2 choice
Outstanding: gets you into your #1 choice
 
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Pinkertinkle said:
This one's easy.

220-230 AVERAGE
230-240 GOOD
240-250 GREAT
250+ OUTSTANDING
Click to expand...

Isn't the average more like 215-220 (nationally)?


To me, it seems something like this:
185-199 = Passing
200-219 = Average
220-229 = Good
230-239 = Great
240-249 = Outstanding
250+ = Derm
 
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tacrum43 said:
Isn't the average more like 215-220 (nationally)?


To me, it seems something like this:
185-199 = Passing
200-219 = Average
220-229 = Good
230-239 = Great
240-249 = Outstanding
250+ = Derm
Click to expand...

I agree with above except 250+- that should read "Stellar"
 
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tacrum43 said:
Isn't the average more like 215-220 (nationally)?


To me, it seems something like this:
185-199 = Passing
200-219 = Average
220-229 = Good
230-239 = Great
240-249 = Outstanding
250+ = Derm
Click to expand...

Not even. Did you see the new stats from the NRMP? Even a 260 isn't enough to guarantee derm.
 
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side question: The avg usmle score is a 218 and the avg 2 digit score is around 85-87 so if u got under a 218 but higher than a 85 did u do better than avg? a lot of programs use the 2 digit score as cutoffs so i was just wondering. I'm just a simple caveman your grading systems scares and confuses me.
 
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smq123 said:
Not even. Did you see the new stats from the NRMP? Even a 260 isn't enough to guarantee derm.
Click to expand...

All 11 people that scored between 191 and 200 didn't match... yet 2 out of the 7 scoring UNDER 191 did match for derm. Hmm... can you spell "n-e-p-o-t-i-s-m"??? 🙄

What blows me away is the Anesthesiology match.
All 7 people that scored under 180 MATCHED! Are you kidding me? Correct me if I'm wrong, but even based on the old standard I thought a 182 was required to pass. Its weird, but I had heard that anesthesiology was growing in popularity as a specialty, but you wouldn't know it by those numbers.
 
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jiy76 said:
side question: The avg usmle score is a 218 and the avg 2 digit score is around 85-87 so if u got under a 218 but higher than a 85 did u do better than avg? a lot of programs use the 2 digit score as cutoffs so i was just wondering. I'm just a simple caveman your grading systems scares and confuses me.
Click to expand...

which programs use two-digits as cut-off's?
 
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most use the 2 digit score some highly competitive ones use the 3 digit score but most use the 2 digit whether it be 80 85 or 90 as the cutoff. so the question still remains if a person got over the avg 2 digit score but under the 3 digit score avg is his score considered above average?
 
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jiy76 said:
most use the 2 digit score some highly competitive ones use the 3 digit score but most use the 2 digit whether it be 80 85 or 90 as the cutoff. so the question still remains if a person got over the avg 2 digit score but under the 3 digit score avg is his score considered above average?
Click to expand...

where are you making up this nonsense from? For some reason every FMG ive talked to keeps talking about the importance of the two digit score but i have yet to see anyone in the US acknowledge it.
 
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"where are you making up this nonsense from? For some reason every FMG ive talked to keeps talking about the importance of the two digit score but i have yet to see anyone in the US acknowledge it."

hey BLZ its not nonsense. Have you spoken to a residency director? usually most programs that FMG's apply to have a cut off of a TWO digit score of 80,85, 90 (depending on what the program and where it is). Program directors that want to attract FMG's or other applicants don't usually use the 3 digit score for some reason. Many solid IM programs at Big Ten universities require a 90 two digit score, not sure what that is for three digits.
 
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Thats because a 90 can be a 218 or a 222 just like a 212 and a 218 can both be an 88. the 2 digit score therefore has some meaning. Now the question still remains if i give u 2 applicants one with a 212/88 and one with a 218/88 which one did better? according to the 2 digit score they did the same since the first applicants exam was probably more difficult. The only programs who are using the 3 digit score are the super competitive ones and at that point they do so since anything over lets say a 240 is a 99 so they'd like to know who got more questions correct....i guess i am answering my own question here...if anyone has any input feel free to chime in.
 
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where are you getting this information from? i guess its safe to say you both are FMGs. i have an acquaintance from one of the caribbean schools who is adamant about the idea that the two digit score is all that matters. she actually told me that scoring a 99 whether its a 235 or a 260 is the same thing. lol...i dont know garbage those schools are feeding you.

also, why is it that all the NRMP data is in terms of the 3-digit score?
 
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hey BLZ, here is the garbage that is being fed to us
1)http://www.med.uiuc.edu/depts_programs/sciences/clinical/internal_med/residency/application.php

2)http://www.clevelandclinic.org/im/res/application.htm

Ill save you time from clicking on number 2
"What are the USMLE requirements?
We look at all scores, but prefer two-digit USMLE scores greater than 85."

Screening Criteria

All applications are screened. First preference for interviews is given to candidates who meet the following required criteria:
  • Scores of 85 and above on both Step 1 & Step 2 on the first attempt
    • The University of Illinois's average step score from 2006 was 90.
there is my garbage..university of illinois and cleveland clinic
 
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here are more I found

[COLOR="Black"]1)University of Pittsburgh-Internal Medicine Residency[/COLOR]International Medical Graduates
International Medical Graduate (IMG) applicants must be ECFMG certified, graduated from medical school within the past 5 years and have a complete ERAS file. Traditionally, applicants who have USMLE (Step 1 and 2) Two-Digit Scores over 95 with prior clinical training in the United States have been most successful. IMG applicants with these exceptional qualifications account for 1-3 interns per year. UPMC Medical Education Program sponsors the J-1 Visa if accepted.
If you have any questions about our application process, please contact the Residency Recruitment Office at [email protected].

2)University of Texas ( branch program) Internal Medicine
International Medical Graduates (IMGs): To be considered for an interview for these training tracks, an applicant must have passed both parts I and II of the USMLE with two-digit score of 90 (or greater), passed USMLE Step II CS, and have clinical experience (at least one month) at an accredited institution in the United States, Canada, or Europe.

3) East Tennessee State Psychiatry/Med ( combined)
Foreign Medical Graduates: In order to apply to our program, foreign medical graduates need to contact the ECFMG at http://www.ecfmg.org to obtain an ERAS Student Workstation packet. Graduates of foreign medical schools must have a minimum two digit score of 83 on both the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 examinations to be eligible for our program. In addition to board scores, our program requires that foreign medical graduates have a J-1 visa or be a permanent resident.

4)Children's Hospital ( university of kansas)
Foreign Medical Graduates: In order to apply to our program, foreign medical graduates need to contact the ECFMG at http://www.ecfmg.org to obtain an ERAS Student Workstation packet. Graduates of foreign medical schools must have a minimum two digit score of 83 on both the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 examinations to be eligible for our program. In addition to board scores, our program requires that foreign medical graduates have a J-1 visa or be a permanent resident.
 
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Blz a 235/99 and a 260/99 allows both applicants to apply to the most prestigious programs. Its not the same score thats why some super competitive programs have the 3 digit score as cutoffs. Obviously the 260 is more impressive. I am just saying the 2 digit score covers a range of scores.the nmrp lists 218 as the u.s avg but many residency programs don't list 218 as their cuttoff for interviews they list 85 or 90. thats cuz a 212 could be just as good as a 218 if they both scored an 88 on the 2 digit scale.i dunno maybe i am wrong this is just the trend i see in lookin at residency programs and wondering why a 212 and 218 can give u the same 2 digit score.
 
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what about criteria for non-FMGs who dont only care about internal medicine? you said your response as such a blanket statement across all residencies that I can't agree with it.

i guess your info explains why FMGs seem to only care about the two digit score since most are really only considering internal med.
 
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ya, i thought we are only talking about FMG's but yep BLZ, bingo, finally got it! no offense to INT MED, but most IMG's do fill IMG and family. Although I can go into the argument that there are a lot that match out of that, but generally yes, they shoot to meet Internal med criteria.
 
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The 2 digit cutoff is used for every specialty not just im and fam prac. and its for non imgs too. I was just wondering about the importance of the 2 digit score since i saw this on many residency applications as a cutoff (not just for im and FP) didnt want to start a whole argument over it.
 
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hey BLZ, this may be an isolated incident, but my brother went to Northwestern University-Feinberg school of medicine ( NON-FMG), and he is doing ENT residency in the chicago area at a major university. He told me his program wants a TWO digit cutoff score for non FMG and FMG, so i guess to solve this debate the answer is " IT DEPENDS". This isnt garbage information by the way- or nonsensical. What are your defensive replies?
 
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flumazenil said:
hey BLZ, this may be an isolated incident, but my brother went to Northwestern University-Feinberg school of medicine ( NON-FMG), and he is doing ENT residency in the chicago area at a major university. He told me his program wants a TWO digit cutoff score for non FMG and FMG, so i guess to solve this debate the answer is " IT DEPENDS". This isnt garbage information by the way- or nonsensical. What are your defensive replies?
Click to expand...

i dunno...i was just annoyed by that person i told you about from the caribbean school and when this whole discussion came up again it stirred up an old fight.
 
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I too am confused about the scoring. Is it safe to say that the 3-digit score is your actual score out of 300 (keeping in mind that the other 50 were experimental q's), and your 2-digit score is adjusted based on the difficulty of your test against other tests given that year?
 
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okay this is also confusing..according to my brothers friends sometimes they use three digit scores for ultra competitive residencies..lets just use our average bowling score and add a hundred to it and consider that a good score ( original question for this thread)
 
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How they come up with your 3 digit score is a little more complicated. It isn't the number of questions you got right. The 2 digit score when viewed in relation to the 3 digit score does seem to indicate level of exam difficulty. The 3 digit passing grade has changed over time the 2 digit has stayed constant at 75
 
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jiy76 said:
How they come up with your 3 digit score is a little more complicated. It isn't the number of questions you got right. The 2 digit score when viewed in relation to the 3 digit score does seem to indicate level of exam difficulty. The 3 digit passing grade has changed over time the 2 digit has stayed constant at 75
Click to expand...

This argument makes lot of sense.

In any case, what I'm seeing is that so many students believe getting into residency is all about USMLE scores. This is not really the case. After certain score many more things matter more than just the score.

And yes, I agree that many programs use the two-digit score for their cutoffs.
 
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