Recent USMLE Step 1 scores

[pierrefonteau99]

I just wanted to spread news to doubters and people that worry about Ross Step 1 scores. I was a 2.4 GPA undergrad, MCAT 27, and basic sciences 3.4 GPA on the island. Just got my score back for step 1 and it was a 250. I studied Kaplan lecture notes for around 2mos with Qbank and Goljan Path after 5th semester, took test 3wks ago. Through my friends at Ross I have heard the following scores from people who are now starting to get their reports, a 265, another 250 besides me, and a 222. In addition everyone I have spoke to has passed but most won't say a score. So this is very good news and should make all current Rossies feel hopeful for the future.

[Floater]

Congratulations on your score!

Can you tell us a bit more about how you prepared for Step 1?

Thanks!

[pierrefonteau99]

I studied Goljan Rapid Review Pathology during 5th semester and listened to his audio lectures, only got about half way through it during 5th. I started really studying Jan.3 and continued until March 13th. I studied from 4 to 8 hours a day sometimes a little more or less depending on how I felt. I completed all but 200 of Kaplan Qbank questions, didnt do the Bank IV questions. My Qbank score increased slowly from low 60s to mid 70s towards the last month. I did form 1 and 2 of NBME online exams and made 240(600) exactly on both. I took the second one about 3wks until my exam. Dont do them until you have studied for awhile or you will waste them. They are the most accurate predictors for how you will do on the real thing. So starting Jan 3rd I finished Goljan Rapid Review Path, then did Kaplan Lecture Notes 2002 edition (Behavioral, Micro, Physio, Biochem, Pharm). I honestly barely looked at anatomy, neuroscience, embryo, and genetics (First Aid only for me). Genetics would have been good to look at more. Most of my questions were pathophysio based. Micro and Pharm was pretty basic for my test. Few anatomy, embryo, and neuro questions luckily for me, its different for everyone. I did the videos with the books for the subjects i mentioned, they are not that helpful but aid in retention of the material. I did a few hundred questions a week. Qbank in my opinion was harder than my step 1 exam. Everyone this test is doable, my roommate and I stayed in Miami instead of going home and pushed each other to study and not slack off, go somewhere you wont be distracted for a couple months and knock this test out.

[Floater]

Thanks for your insights and reply!

It's always good to hear from someone like you who has successfully (VERY successfully!) made it through this hurdle!

It gets a bit un-nerving reading all those "I failed again" posts in the Step 1 Forum. I'm going to have to quit doing that.

Congratulations again on your score!

[pierrefonteau99]

thanks for the congrats

[tno77]

Congratulations, that's an excellent score

The point I tried to make in other threads re: USMLE is that the score you get is much more a product of your own hard work and ability than it is the school you went to. You could have went to Harvard, Ross or SGU, they will all teach you the same medicine. It's up to you to put it together and work your butt off to score well.

this is why all those threads regarding Ross' Step 1 scores are mostly irrelevent.

however, knowing that you did well proves that hard work pays off! hope you put that score to good use and get into a nice residency

[johnny k]

you are such an inspiration. my homeboy too had 217. this guy got 11 in his mcat, total 3yr ago. I remembered my undergrad. advicer told him to give up in med sch chase, couple of sch in the state told my not to even send an application to them. i encourage him to come to ross and he did, thx ross. he left the island with 2.78 and a 217 in his board. when i spoke to him, he was crying tears of joy like a baby (laugh). at least people like these makes one never to give up. congrats men:drinkbud:

[desai29]

Super... You need it! Congratulations.

[rooroobears]

congrats! thank you for the enlightenment, i've heard so much negativity about previous posts regarding the USMLE and it felt very good reading your post ^_^ thanks very much for the 'revamped' inspiration and again..congrats~

[phisigman03]

If you start at Ross in sept 06 when should you take the USMLE 1 inorder to transfer?????

[Floater]

Transfer where?

[phisigman03]

transfer back into the US

[Floater]

VERY difficult to do.

The people I've talked to that have done this have had:
1) Undergrad college GPA's and MCAT scores that would've made them competitive for U.S. schools in the first place, so GPA's at around 3.4 and above, and MCAT's of better than 26-27 (and 3.4 and 26 won't get you into most M.D. programs, but would be competitive for D.O. programs)
2) High med school GPA's
3) Step 1 scores of better than 230, and usually above 240

Now, some idiot is going to come along and argue with me on this, and there may be an exception or two to these criteria. The mistake is in thinking that the probabilities favor you (or anyone else) being that exception.

The transfer application period for most U.S. M.D. programs is Jan-May, and depends upon whether there are spaces, whether they take non-LCME transfers (many do not, even if there are available spaces), AND your stats.

I wouldn't count on this if I were you (or anyone else).

[phisigman03]

You are right the chances are slim to none but it is not impossible. It's kind of like asking the hottest girl at your high school out on a date. The guy who gets that chance is the one who knows that the worse that could happen is her saying NO. I have talked to Dartmouth's Dean and he told me that for the last decade they have not received any acceptance from Foreign Medical Schools but he didn't say that they don't take you if you are qualified. The chances are still slim to none but at least I will sleep better at night knowing that I have tried so it must not be meant for me. Didn't mean to get off track but the original question is still If I start at Ross this sept 06 when is the best time to take step 1 to have enough time to transfer???

Thanx folks

[Floater]

To answer the original question, if you start in Sept 2006, you will most likely be taking Step 1 in the Spring, Summer, or Fall of 2008.

This means if you want to try and transfer, you'll be doing so during the Jan-May 2009 period. IF you can get Step 1 done (and score well) prior to the end of the Jan-May period of 2008, you might be able to try transferring as an incoming 3rd year for June of 2008, but you'll still have Ross' 5th semester AICM to complete. IF you could do that in Jan of 2008, then maybe, but I'm not sure that starting in Sept 2006 gets you to AICM by Jan 2008.

You could check with the school to see if you'd be doing AICM in Jan of 2008, then try to get through Step 1 during the Jan-May 2008 timeframe.

[phisigman03]

awesome thanx for all of your help

[diphylobrothum]

ross must be that good, everyone I talk to has got a 250 or better too


b12

[Skydiver]

According to someone that transferred to Drexel (I forget his screen name) said that those that start in May are best placed for US transfer.
I know nothing though

[ravaldo]

there has been much debate regarding a coralation bt MCAT scores and USMLA scores, the AAMC, who produces the exam, will say that a higher MCAAT means higher step scores, I do not agree with them, the verbal reasoning is 1/3 of your mcat score, and it has nothing to do with med school, esp if english is not your first lang. some may disagree with me

[Floater]

I disagree.

The USMLE has a LOT of questions where you try and ferret out info from the clinical scenerios presented. Even med school involves a lot of reading stuff you've never heard of, and trying to sort out what's important,and what's not - and doing under tremendous time constraints.

I'd say, having finished my first two years, and now stdying for Step 1, that the Verbal Reasoning and Biological Sciences sections of the MCAT are fairly good predictors of Step 1 success, and there are good studies to back this up.

This is, of course, an unpopular opinion on this forum.

[razorback831]

I disagree.

The USMLE has a LOT of questions where you try and ferret out info from the clinical scenerios presented. Even med school involves a lot of reading stuff you've never heard of, and trying to sort out what's important,and what's not - and doing under tremendous time constraints.

I'd say, having finished my first two years, and now stdying for Step 1, that the Verbal Reasoning and Biological Sciences sections of the MCAT are fairly good predictors of Step 1 success, and there are good studies to back this up.

This is, of course, an unpopular opinion on this forum.

Maybe every person I know is an outlier, but 5 of my friends and my self got these scores:

MCAT 25, USMLE 187
MCAT 16, USMLE 226
MCAT 21, USMLE 226
MCAT 30, USMLE 226
MCAT 24, USMLE 243
MCAT 20, USMLE 245

if there is a correlation, it is not a good one. Granted this is a small population, I think that the population at Ross will tend to skew the curve one way or another....

[Floater]

You're right, this is a very small sample size. Too small to have any statistical validity. You can't make the statement that the overall correlation is "not a good one" based on the data you present.

Go to MedLine, look up the studies that have been done.. There are MANY, spannng more than a decade.

[lilac8797]

Floater: Razorback may not be able to present a large enough sample for provability, but a professor from Harvard did a 10 year study on the MCAT as a predictor and found that the MCAT score has nothing to do with how well a person does in medical school. What determines how well a student does is the amount of time devoted to studying the material. Maybe many students who did well on the MCAT also did well in school because of dedication not because of their score. This same professor also found that students with lower MCAT scores who were given the change to prove themselves did very well in medical school BECAUSE despite a low MCAT score (or maybe because of a low MCAT score they wanted to prove themselves.) So I believe that a MCAT score is NOT an indication of now well a student performs; devotion to education is a better predictor.

[booksale]

if you want to count on mcat-step1 "correlation", go ahead.
there are so many confounding factors to begin with. it's like the correlation between going to harvard med school and getting a residency. "well duh" right?

[razorback831]

devotion to education is a better predictor.

I agree with that....

[Floater]

As I said, this is always an unpopular topic here on ValueMD, and always generates arguements despite the data that exists.

Believe whatever you want LOL!

[Gforce007]

I disagree.

The USMLE has a LOT of questions where you try and ferret out info from the clinical scenerios presented. Even med school involves a lot of reading stuff you've never heard of, and trying to sort out what's important,and what's not - and doing under tremendous time constraints.

I'd say, having finished my first two years, and now stdying for Step 1, that the Verbal Reasoning and Biological Sciences sections of the MCAT are fairly good predictors of Step 1 success, and there are good studies to back this up.

This is, of course, an unpopular opinion on this forum.

Strange b/c my brother got in New Jersey med with 3.2 24 MCAT in 1998. had V6 P10 B8 and scored 252 on USMLE's and just finish at top Aneasthesiology Program in US. So how would u correlate that.

MCATS are a of a way to add seperation between applicants vs how you will do on USMLE. Give me a break.

MCATS can measure your determination and perserverance. Again I guess its what data you look at. I mean the AAMC wrote the test of course they are gonna claim the correlation.

[db3cool]

If you claim that a good correlation is your devotion to education, then those that score higher on MCAT are more likely to be devoted to it also, wouldnt that be logical?

[Gforce007]

If you claim that a good correlation is your devotion to education, then those that score higher on MCAT are more likely to be devoted to it also, wouldnt that be logical?

Yes in the mathmatical world, but in the real world where not everyone has access to same learning opportunities,(1000 dollar MCAT reviews courses/100 dollar review books/buying extra tests) has the same social economic responsibilities , (caring for a sick parent, working to help support a household), or overcoming personal hardships (some type of learning disability). vs a app who has daddy supporting everything so one can stay buried in a room and study.

So if droping your responsibility to care for a parent, stealing MCAT books you cant afford, and not trying to manage a disablilty to "devote" yourself to a high MCAT score, let me know who you are b/c I would never see you as physician vs someone who has the humanistic value mentioned above.

Believe me I thought the same way and luckily have opened my eye's when looking in the mirror to see something greater then oneself.

Just like being president, they say anyone can be/run president. Of course not b/c the rules of the game exclude so many people.

While I agree maybe for most part there suggests to be a correlation. It is full of cracks that keep good people from being doctors.

Devotion is simply a function of your current circumstances and responsibilties in your life that allow your to be devoted at a particular time.

Anyhow I am just being a devils advocate to hopefully open your mind to people in these types of life situations who you will be treating.

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