zrf80
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Interesting debate I came across from another forum. Maybe BBB can clear up some things for us.
Obviously, your USMLE scores come off as 2-digit and 3-diigt scores. Which do they use as a cutoff ? I was reading the debate amongst students in another thread. Some said the programs use the 3-DIGIT SCORE as a cutoff. Other said that 3-DIGIT score is irrelevant, because depending on the season, a 216-220 can equal the SAME SCORE. Therefore, programs will always use 2-digits as cutoffs.
Can someone clear this up ? BBB ? 
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| p53
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p53 wrote:
conclusion - I think 3-digit score is much more reliable indicator of proficiency than 2-digit score.
http://www.prep4usmle.com/forum/thread/56148
also, some highly competitive residency programs use percentiles as a cutoff -
'Students scoring below the 80th percentile on the USMLE Step 1 exam should seriously consider applying in another field in addition to ENT as a contingency.'
"First Aid for the MATCH"
- and it's impossible to determine your percentile from your 2-digit score -
http://www.prep4usmle.com/forum/thread/32973
Edited by p53 on 09/09/07 - 12:23 AM
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| young_doc
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does it really make a difference to you whether they use the 2-digit score or the 3-digit score???
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| bbb
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Every program is going to use a different way of doing things. Impossible for a BBB to answer this. For the purpose of making a filter? It's the three digit score (but I'll double check tomorrow when I have ERAS open)
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| zrf80
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young_doc wrote:
does it really make a difference to you whether they use the 2-digit score or the 3-digit score???
I think it can. For example, a program might state that the cutoff is 80. So if you received an 80 on your exam, the filter would not knock you out as a candidate. 80 is a nice rounded number.
However, if that same program decided to use a 200 as a cutoff, now your application would be dismissed. "Wait", you say. A 200 and 80 are not equivalent on the test scale format. You are correct. But what program will use a 3-giit equivalence of 80 (probably 195-198) as a cutoff, when you can use a nice rounded figure like 200 as one ?
BBB will check the stats tomorrow, and hopefully give us a report. It was an interesting piece, and I kinda agreed with those that defended that teh 2-point cutoff was more widely used. Their main reasoning:
1) most programs cite the 2-digit cutoff on their websites. eg "We accept applicants that have scored higher than 80 on their exams."
2) the three point scale varies depending on what time of year you take the exam. For example, I received a 221 on Step 2, which was equivalent to a 90 on the 2-digit scale. If you check on scores taken by examinees more recently, you'll note that a 222 in now equivalent to a 92. Too much discrepancy in the 3-digit format; therefore, the 2-digit score will suffice.
Just an interesting debate I found. 
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| p53
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zrf80
exactly the opposite, actually - it's the 3-digit score which is always fixed and it's the 2-digit score which varies over it time to time -
http://www.prep4usmle.com/forum/thread/56148
also, after the lowest 99 the 2-digit score is 'frozen', which makes it even less reliable indicator of proficiency for higher scores -
http://www.prep4usmle.com/forum/thread/32973
P.S. you should click on those links and read those posts in order to understand what do I mean.
Edited by p53 on 09/09/07 - 10:24 AM
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| zrf80
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You are right p53. Actually, after I posted my above statement, I kinda reassessed my statement. Personally, it wouldnt make sense to count the 2-digit score, cause it varies so much depending on the season. For example, I received a 90 with a 221. People taking the exam right now are receiving 92 with a score of 222. If the 2-digit score was in play, the discrepancy is too great to give a fair evaluation. Therefore, the 3-digit score is more fair. Of course, your mathematical analysis kinda backs this point up.
The question, however, is what do PROGRAMS use as a cutoff ?
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| p53
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"The Step 2 Committee decided to raise the three-digit score recommended to pass Step 2 CK from 182 to 184."
but -
"On the two-digit scale, the minimum passing score is always a 75."
this means that 2-digit score 75 has "jumped" from 182 to 184 and this means that the whole range of 2-digit scores was shifted above.
in this case it's strange why after this the lowest 99 has decreased (from 244 to 236 or even below it) - actually, it had to be increased, not - decreased!
only explanation is that the USMLE has changed the correlation between 2-digit and 3-digit scores - i.e. increments on 2-digit scale which correspond to increments on 3-digit scale are now different.
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| bbb
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Filters can be run on the three digit score only......
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| goodluck usmle
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