What does the second number in a score represent?

[SaoTo]

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Percentile (searched for the answer and someone posted that it did not represent this), percent correct, or unknown?

 

[Blesbok]

nothing

75 = passing
236 or above = 99

 

[Pinkertinkle]

An arbitrary scale to meet some legal requirement that 75 be the passing score for the licensing exam.

My personal theory is that they did it to make it so that every doctor who passed the boards looks like he/she scored decently. They don't really want to give the percentile cause no one wants to find out their doctor was in the 10th percentile of licensing exam test takers.

 

[synapse lapse]

An arbitrary scale to meet some legal requirement that 75 be the passing score for the licensing exam.

My personal theory is that they did it to make it so that every doctor who passed the boards looks like he/she scored decently. They don't really want to give the percentile cause no one wants to find out their doctor was in the 10th percentile of licensing exam test takers.

Haha, most people wouldn't even know what the USMLE is, or ask their doctors about their grades. Reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where he comments that everyone says their doctor is the best, someone out there must say "don't go to my doctor, he's the absolute worst!" I guess you have to have seen it, sure is a lot funnier when he says it.

 

[tfom08]

Haha, most people wouldn't even know what the USMLE is, or ask their doctors about their grades. Reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where he comments that everyone says their doctor is the best, someone out there must say "don't go to my doctor, he's the absolute worst!" I guess you have to have seen it, sure is a lot funnier when he says it.

Oh yeah, that one is classic.

 

[hsans23]

is that true, 236+ is 99, i think that will be my goal as the 99 would be kind of cool. 🙂

when you get your real score back, does it look just like the nbme assessment, except a real score not their 800 point scale?

 

[Blesbok]

is that true, 236+ is 99, i think that will be my goal as the 99 would be kind of cool. 🙂

when you get your real score back, does it look just like the nbme assessment, except a real score not their 800 point scale?

Relatively. It looks more like it was printed from a dot matrix printer than the nice printout that the nbme gives you, but it has the same info.

 

[Terpskins99]

is that true, 236+ is 99, i think that will be my goal as the 99 would be kind of cool. 🙂

when you get your real score back, does it look just like the nbme assessment, except a real score not their 800 point scale?

The 236+ for 99 was true for the 2007 testing period. I believe the cutoff was 241+ for 2006. It changes every year.

The only scores you receive from the NBME is your 3 digit (out of 300... though technically speaking, I've never heard of anyone scoring higher than 282) and 2 digit (out of 100).

 

[Blesbok]

The 236+ for 99 was true for the 2007 testing period. I believe the cutoff was 241+ for 2006. It changes every year.

The only scores you receive from the NBME is your 3 digit (out of 300... though technically speaking, I've never heard of anyone scoring higher than 282) and 2 digit (out of 100).

I wonder if there is a 100. Lets say you get a perfect board score, I have always wondered what the score would be.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Haha, most people wouldn't even know what the USMLE is, or ask their doctors about their grades. Reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where he comments that everyone says their doctor is the best, someone out there must say "don't go to my doctor, he's the absolute worst!" I guess you have to have seen it, sure is a lot funnier when he says it.

So what's your theory on why they give out so many 99's?

 

[synapse lapse]

So what's your theory on why they give out so many 99's?

I think it's what you first said, "An arbitrary scale to meet some legal requirement that 75 be the passing score for the licensing exam." Some arbitrary bureaucratic reason.

 

[blz]

I've met quite a few FMGs who think they are badass because "they got a 90 on step 1". Also, they can brag to their family in india and it improves their chances at finding a wife. haha lol...

 

[DrFraud]

I've met quite a few FMGs who think they are badass because "they got a 90 on step 1". Also, they can brag to their family in india and it improves their chances at finding a wife. haha lol...

I've met quite a few U.S. med students with equally inflated egos after getting their 99.