olive
Forum Newbie
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Hi!!!
I've been looking through the usmle forum. It's great that you guys with experience share what made you get those high scores.....What do those scores mean though? I mean the fraction which represents your scores mean what? I couldnt find the meaning of those scores on the website...
By the way, how hard is it to enter into a residency training program? I heard that one has to be in the first 33% of his class to get in one...If that's the case, where do the rest of the med graduates end up? I don't get it, not all who are good theoretically are good with regards to skills....
Thanks!!!
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| Malaysian
Forum Guru
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I haven't come across the top 33% thing but it basically all depends on your USMLE scores......the higher it is the better for you.In regards to score....the 3 digits remain a mystery however the 2 digit ones are the percentile.
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| olive
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
Posts: 17
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Malaysian,
Thanks !!!! It did enlighten me on some things.
By the way, are you still taking the usmle exams? Taken any Kaplan review? How was it and how much did it cost? .......
Thanks!
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| adeelmd
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the two digit score is not a percentile.... it is just a number where the passing score is always 75. Just think about it, if it were a percentile would soo many people be getting in the nineties??? have you ever heard of someone getting in the 50's?? maybe people do, but not half the people who take the test!!! (80% pass, hence 80% above 75)... the entire point of this scoring is that you can't correlate them with % right or % wrong; cause according to nbme that would make it impossible to compare two students who took the exams years apart....
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| Malaysian
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This is what has been told by others so I'm just repeating what I've been told numerous times all over.However the highest achievable score is 99(in the 2 digit recording)......and since this exam already has an internal standard scoring scheme it does make sense that it may be percentile.You're right that the score isn't reported in percentage though.
As to why so many people are scoring a high percentile.....I guess that can either mean the original scores are distorted or it means only top scorers are repoting their marks whereas folks who have good scores but feel uncomfortable of giving out their sans 99percentile score don't do so.
Coming back to Olive's query....yes I have already sat for step 1 awaiting results.....will post my exam expereince once I receive my score.....don't wish to mislead anyone otherwise.
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| adeelmd
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go to the site... it says it is not a percentile....
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| collins
Forum Senior
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that was meant for olive.
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| olive
Forum Newbie
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Thanks very much for the reply guys!!! Learned a lot from you.
Collins, I'm still a medical student entering clerkship next year. However, most of my relatives there tell me what they hear, and most of my teachers have been trained and had years of practice there and so they give us advice on things they've learned . I haven't taken the usmle yet, but I am planning to take step 1 most likely after clerkship. Any adevise foer a foreign educated medical student?....thanks!!!
Malaysian, Thanks!!! Hope you'll make it through the step 1...
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| collins
Forum Senior
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already done with my exams..interviewing for residencies now..graduated from philippines last year..
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| rhonda
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Hi collins! Thanks for enlightening this forum. I graduated this year. I've just finished my steps 1 & 2ck, now awaiting results. I am hoping to take the CS first quarter next year if I'm lucky to get a schedule. What do I need to study for it? I suppose you have a US clinical experience? How does an IMG get one? Would I still be able to get accepted to a residency program even if I don't have one? Thanks! 
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| collins
Forum Senior
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yes, you can still get into a residency program without us clinical experience, but some programs require it..i know one program requires at least 1 year of it..some only 6mos. and some none at all, although it helps a lot..
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| olive
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
Posts: 17
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Collins,
Thanks a lot!!!
Nice to hear you're doing good. I'll try to look into that externship thing. I'm getting married most likely next year to my fiance who is an American. Don't know if that changes anything but I'll still try to look into it...Thanks!!! By the way what school did you graduate from?
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| Malaysian
Forum Guru
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Posts: 778
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Hi Collins,
All the best to you.You had mentioned that USMLE scores aren't as important as class ranking??Are you sure because almost everyone I know says the scores are one of the biggest factor in getting a residency.Also in regards to US clinical expereince.........whats the minimum the programmes are usually looking for????
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| CruiseMissile
Forum Junior
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Posts: 67
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Lots of confusion regarding the score. The 3-digit score is NOT the amount of correct answers, and the 2-digit score is NOT a percentile. This information is available somewhere on the USMLE website. On the other hand, noone really knows what the 3 or 2 digit scores mean, nor why they don't decide to stick with just one and get rid of all the confusion.
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| olive
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
Posts: 17
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Character does matter....good liuck...hope you get into the program...
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| adeelmd
Forum Elite
Topics: 40
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the three digit is what everyone looks at (at least in residency interviews)... the two digit is sort of just a remnant of an archaic law that required 75 to be a passing score... but I think i can simplify this a little bit...
When a lot of people are giving the test, there is a lot of competition; and so people start studying harder and get better scores; hence it would be very hard to get into the 99th percentile. Similairly when there isn't that much competition people don't do as good so it is a lot easier to get into a 99th percentile.. a 99 percentile in 1980 would NOT be equal to a 99 percentile in 2004 because the competition is much tougher now, so there would be no way to compare two graduates.
Also, different step ones have differing levels of difficulty. While noone knows how many different step one's are out there, nbme does tell us that some of them are easier and some of them are harder (i called them). Say if you got 80% right on an easy test, but someone else got 65% right on a hard version of the test. It wouldn't be fair to give the easy test student higher marks.
This is why the test is reported the way it is. It takes all these variable into consideration and gives you a number that is not a percentage, percentile, or number right/wrong; it just gives you a number that assures a 200 from ten years ago means the same as a 200 today. So that residency directors can compare two students and know which did better and by how much; even if they took two completely different tests, and even if they took the tests ten years apart. I wish it were a little more transparent; but they do put in a good effort into trying to make it as fair as possible.
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| friscan2b
Forum Guru
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One can be a better test taker than his or her peers, and not have other good traits... A very bright and knowledgeable person might or might not score very high.
To all of you out there who worry about scores and residencies, it is not only the scores, and only high scores for that matter, it is a lot more than that, that program directors look at. So, do not lose hope, do not give up, believe in yourselves and try to do everything that you can to better your chances, and go for it!
Best of luck to us all, and
Happy New Year!
A.
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| olive
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
Posts: 17
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Thanks!!! It always helps to hear that....There always is a way to work things out...Happy New Year!!
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