With what score does Step 1 become a real strength of your app?

[Perforin]

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At what point does Step 1 become a real strength of your application?

I know the average is around 221 or 224, and I know the standard deviations. But at about what score do people really start to get impressed?

This sounds like a weird question, I know. I just had a buddy tell me, who had a 255, that when he mentioned his score to some people in the field he was looking at (Radiology), the advisors and faculty at our school seemed excited at his score. He said that wouldn't have happened with a 235.

Just to reiterate, this isn't to make a 235 sound bad. It's a great score. I am just wondering what score would be considered I guess you could call it a "head turner" score?

I think 250+ (for the "competitive specialties at least).

 

[vicinihil]

I think it depends heavily on the program. At MGH, a 250+ is more of a prereq than a head turner versus at a less powerful academic center, a 230+ may even be a head turner.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Wouldn't this depend on what the other people who are applying to the same program had?

 

[SGuttenberg]

http://www.nrmp.org/data/chartingoutcomes2009v3.pdf

Look at that and find the mean score for your speciality. Next add 20-25 points (around 1 SD) to that mean. If you hit that, its a plus.

 

[C5toC9]

250+

 

[2012mdc]

250+

And probably 260+ for the most competitive programs. I feel like 250+ is simply a requirement for a top Derm program.