Which MD med school has the highest STEP 1 failure rate?

[Howard Roark]

anybody know??

just curious.

how about a guess?.

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[sherpagyrl]

Schools only tell they're failing rate if there isn't one. And if otherwise, they always give the excuse that there were mitigating circumstances for each case. I'll be curious to see if schools post this information anywhere....

 

[flighterdoc]

anybody know??

just curious.

how about a guess?.

A couple in the Carib have NEVER had a student successfully pass Step 1 or 2

No, I don't know why anyone would go there, either.

 

[smellycat]

i think when i was applying to med schools, i remember that the lowest pass rates were at
howard
meharry.
not sure how they are doing now.

 

[Cristagali]

I did a rotation last year at a University of....(school) and remember their students saying the administration was pissed because they had a 12% failure on the Step 1 that year. There were some other comments about why....

 

[mjl1717]

Smelleycat may be correct.
In general schools like to hide political info like that since it may affect their funding.

 

[azzarah]

When I was interviewing at UTMB some students told us that after the new curriculum the school's USMLE scores have gone way down. But they were making modifications back then to correct the problem.

I've also heard yale has extremely low scores, but I find that really hard to believe.

 

[Idiopathic]

I've also heard yale has extremely low scores, but I find that really hard to believe.

This was surprisingly true a few years back. Since then, I believe they have abandoned their 'no testing during years 1 and 2' policy, specifically because board scores were so poor. I think their basic science exams are still voluntary though.

 

[DrDre']

I visited with some UTMB student in April. Historically, scores were low. They have increased since they have provided free qbank among other things. I think last year their mean was 223?
Above was true about Yale. Have they abandoned their testing philo?

 

[Idiopathic]

Above was true about Yale. Have they abandoned their testing philo?

They modified it from 'no test' to 'voluntary test', and they discovered that almost everybody wanted to test. I think they were feeling as though the students were very knowledgeable, but wholly unprepared for the USMLE.

 

[Jalby]

I'd put money that it would be howard or meherry with the lowest %.

 

[medicine2006]

I'd put money that it would be howard or meherry with the lowest %.

How would you know? Like your school, USC, is so great. It's just a place for Californians that can't get into a UC or for legacy children.

 

[Idiopathic]

wow...he probably makes this statement because those two school typically have the lowest MCAT scores (average 21-22).

 

[sherpagyrl]

And we've seen with some of the Step 1 scores what a BIG predictor the MCATs are!

 

[Idiopathic]

Well, we also havent seen anyone with a 19 MCAT talking about their Step 1 score either.

 

[bigfrank]

This topic seems kind of silly. If you go to a school with piss poor scores and want to stay at that school for residency (in any specialty), it would behoove you to study hard, kick ass on the Step I, and be towers above your classmates. If you want to go to another place from a "lower tier" school, make honors in all of your rotations, so you will be statistically superior to your peers. Either way, it will just make you look better!

Let's not bash those meharry/howard people!

 

[Jalby]

And we've seen with some of the Step 1 scores what a BIG predictor the MCATs are!

Exactly. The vast majority of people who got high USMLE scores also got high MCAT scores.

 

[Jalby]

How would you know?
Because they have the lowest MCAT and GPA scores.

Like your school, USC, is so great. It's just a place for Californians that can't get into a UC or for legacy children.

Ahem. We have an incoming class that has a 33.1 MCAT and a 3.62 GPA. The vast majority of them turned down a UCI, UCD, or UCSD. Not to mention the fact that my class has a 225 board average (80% reporting) which is as good as UCSD which had a lot better incoming class than ours. If you had recieved an interview to UCI, UCD, USC, and UCSD there is no doubt which school (in my head, esp you being a minority) you would have picked.

 

[lowbudget]

Just to clarify for UTMB, for the 05 class (if I remember correctly), we had 6 people take it again, with 5/6 passing it on 2nd time, and 1/6 not making it the 2nd time. I think we had just a little less than 200 take the exam too. You can do the math on the 1st time pass rate. Not to be defensive, but at least for my class, we have nothing to do with UTMB being mentioned on this thread.

I think they're still waiting on the stats from the 3rd year class.

 

[the_equalizer]

Yale had a bad break a few years back. The testing (and Dean of Education) have changed since then. The final exams during the 1st and 2nd years are mandatory, but annonymous, and this is broken only in the case that you fail the test. The last I heard the avg was somewhere in the mid 230's, but frankly, I don't know how that compares to the other top schools.

 

[medicine2006]

How would you know?
Because they have the lowest MCAT and GPA scores.

Like your school, USC, is so great. It's just a place for Californians that can't get into a UC or for legacy children.

Ahem. We have an incoming class that has a 33.1 MCAT and a 3.62 GPA. The vast majority of them turned down a UCI, UCD, or UCSD. Not to mention the fact that my class has a 225 board average (80% reporting) which is as good as UCSD which had a lot better incoming class than ours. If you had recieved an interview to UCI, UCD, USC, and UCSD there is no doubt which school (in my head, esp you being a minority) you would have picked.

First of all, even as a minority I would NOT choose USC over any UC based on price alone. Secondly you can't spell suck without USC, I'm a UCLA alumnus! So your school has great numbers, great for you guys. But more people from my school, Howard, go and practice in underserved communities. I admit I would like for Howard to have better numbers but I believe it's mission is to produce more minority physicians. Point is wether your MD diploma is from Harvard, USC, Howard, or even Ross we all have to pass the same boards in order to gain licensure. Goodluck with your 260/99. I'll take my national average score. You won't necessarily be a better doctor or make more money because of it.

 

[Jalby]

I thought the point of this thread was to find out who had the lowest passing rate in the nation. But since you called out my school (for what reason I don't know) how about sharing some info from your school?? What exactly is the passing rate at Howard??

 

[superdood]

I remember Jalby posting somewhere that he thought his classmates at USC were dumb mofos.

I also remember hearing somewhere that UT Houston had some piss poor scores back in 2003.

 

[Axon]

I think that the bottom line here is that each individual medical student takes Step 1 as a person, not as a class. Thus, it doesn't matter where you go to school if you want to learn medicine. For instance, it doesn't matter if you go somewhere in the Caribbean or Harvard, you are the ultimate determinate of your own fate. Whether you are in Granada or Boston, you can choose to sit down and read Robbins Pathology like it should be read, or you can spoon feed yourself with less than adequete lecture notes. People need to realize that an education is what you make of it. Just because a certain level of detail or subject matter is not tested or taught at one's particular school, does not mean that its not worth knowing.

There are people that fail the boards at all schools, and, aside from mitagating circumstances, one has to realize what should be studied, and what shouldn't be studied. For example, we use a problem based learning approach in a case-study method to learn medicine at my medical school. Shortly after beginning my studies for the board, I realized (via Kaplan, FA, BRS, etc.) that I lacked significant knowledge in Embryology; thus, I took it upon myself to study this discipline.

At the risk of blaming the individual medical students for failing a national exam, we must realize what is realistic about the education that our own school provides. If our school lacks in an area, then we as students must take it upon ourselves to cover those areas.

I hope that I have not offended anyone by my comments; that was certainly not my intention. Failing the board exams are nothing to be embarrassed about; it happens to lots of people at lots of schools. Everyone in medical school works hard, and has worked hard to get there, but at some point we must not issue blame (or acclaim!) on our respective schools. It is no more my schools credit or fault for how I do on my board exams. We as individuals determine our own drive and abilities. An anology is having our parents take responsibilty or reward for our board scores; while they might have led us on the path, we are the sole people who determine the scores.

Please don't flame me...*Waits for the forest fire that shall ensue*....

Axon

 

[azzarah]

Guys, chill! We will all be MDs when this stupid med school thing is over. I have never asked my doctor what she got on her USMLEs or where she graduated from. It's hard getting into ANY med school. Now let's get back on topic.... 😀 👍 😛

 

[bigfrank]

Can't we all agree?

Howard/Meharry don't accept based soley on MCATs and
USC doesn't accept based solely on grammar/spelling.

OK? 😉

 

[Jalby]

I remember Jalby posting somewhere that he thought his classmates at USC were dumb mofos.
[\QUOTE]

WTF??? I think it's time to retire.

 

[Ceez]

Let's not bash those meharry/howard people!

Exactly. These anti-meharry/howard comments tend to show who the low self-esteem folks are.

 

[tega]

I think that the bottom line here is that each individual medical student takes Step 1 as a person, not as a class. Thus, it doesn't matter where you go to school if you want to learn medicine. For instance, it doesn't matter if you go somewhere in the Caribbean or Harvard, you are the ultimate determinate of your own fate. Whether you are in Granada or Boston, you can choose to sit down and read Robbins Pathology like it should be read, or you can spoon feed yourself with less than adequete lecture notes. People need to realize that an education is what you make of it. Just because a certain level of detail or subject matter is not tested or taught at one's particular school, does not mean that its not worth knowing.

There are people that fail the boards at all schools, and, aside from mitagating circumstances, one has to realize what should be studied, and what shouldn't be studied. For example, we use a problem based learning approach in a case-study method to learn medicine at my medical school. Shortly after beginning my studies for the board, I realized (via Kaplan, FA, BRS, etc.) that I lacked significant knowledge in Embryology; thus, I took it upon myself to study this discipline.

At the risk of blaming the individual medical students for failing a national exam, we must realize what is realistic about the education that our own school provides. If our school lacks in an area, then we as students must take it upon ourselves to cover those areas.

I hope that I have not offended anyone by my comments; that was certainly not my intention. Failing the board exams are nothing to be embarrassed about; it happens to lots of people at lots of schools. Everyone in medical school works hard, and has worked hard to get there, but at some point we must not issue blame (or acclaim!) on our respective schools. It is no more my schools credit or fault for how I do on my board exams. We as individuals determine our own drive and abilities. An anology is having our parents take responsibilty or reward for our board scores; while they might have led us on the path, we are the sole people who determine the scores.

Please don't flame me...*Waits for the forest fire that shall ensue*....

Axon

I agree??ur board score is really not a function of ur school. That Hopkins kids average a 140 (hahaha) on their boards is not because Hopkins imparts some kind of supreme knowledge on their students?its probably because they admit certain type of students.
So if u were going to bomb ur boards at MED SCH A?.chances are Harvard is really not going to save u.

 

[superdood]

Jalby is sooo lost. I was just trying to say that your friends are smart. I don't think my med school friends are that smart. Maybe, but I donno.

posted 7/10

nuff said

 

[skidmark]

17 people just failed step 1 in the class ahead of me. This is pretty scary considering the class size is only 100. I'm not too worried though considering that prior classes had been performing at the national average for pass rates.


I have a question.

Why does everyone argue on this website? I come here for good advice and all I read is garbage. Arguing gets nowhere ( I've tried it before), you can't change peoples minds. I'm sure one of you is gonna find something in this email to argue about. I just wish people would stick to the topics.

 

[bigfrank]

No, your post was great.

But, boy, your ID (skidmark) really does offend me! 😉

 

[skidmark]

Thanks Bigfrank, I welcome humor.

 

[barone ROCKS]

ok i just read this thread and i cant stop laughing...lol

i was so scared i wasnt gonna get into med school i was thinking of applying to howard or meharry, then i realized i wouldnt get in no matter what due to my "genes"

oh well, its all in the past now

have fun

 

[mountaindew2006]

What's up ppl


yes i'm back from my hiatus. I would have to agree w/ medicine2006 on many grounds. From the friends and people I know at Howard's College of Medicine (dont know Meharry's story). First of, it's not all AA. Actually, i know about 6 or 7 just indians in one of the classes. There are tons of whites, and asians. The med school is very diverse. I would say, however, the ugrad is predominantly AA.

Secondly, from all I have heard the school is really good. In fact, since GW and georgetown (also in DC) lost their trauma 1 centers, Howard is the only trauma 1 center in the DC area. As a result of DC general (their 'county' hosp) closing down, theyve had to take in more people then usual, in fact being very very very busy.

Thirdly, their board rates cant be shabby. I know several students that have had howard students at their rotational sites in DC and they said these kids knew their $hit. In fact, in many cases knowing a lot more than was just asked of. I like my friends could only assume as a result, that they must have some what a good grasp of the material, therefore they must have done well on their boards. Also, I know it can't be shabby because I know atleast 3 students and from what I have heard there were atleast 10 all together that were accepted to either a DO school (3 that I know were accepted to i think its called kirksville...lol something w/a 'ville') and/or decided to go to howard because of financial reasons. IN addition, I know that couple of kids that did post bac at georgetown, finch, and i think that other philly school (forgot the name) went to howard.

Bottom line......I would go to Howard, MeHarry, or whatever school is the USA. Yes the USA. not to make this a caribbean vs US thing, but it's the fact. The one thing differentiating all US schools from all others is the centrally governing educational body , LCME. Essentially, the 'quality control' of US schools, something which does not exist for those off shore schools. I believe its every seven years after inspections, etc each school is renewed their LCME accredition. If you don't believe me go to howard's website and see for yourself.

Just my two cents.

later