USMLE 1 pass rates, last 3 years anybody?

[Coloradoman]

It is very cofusing on these threads to figure out accurate graduation rates per class and step 1 pass rates (80%). I know every semester there are 60-90 per entering class and some get eliminated every semester for many reasons.
How can I predict my chances of passing step 1 and graduating from SMU, if I am an average competitive entering student and only have few numbers to look at from these SMU threads?

Based on what I read, I feel a bit scared entering MS1 next may about how well I will be prepared for the step 1, if only following the smu curriculum. Many caribbean schools incorporate the kaplan Qbank program.
I noticed several american medical schools are changing their MD curriculi to excel better on STEP1.

Any directions or advice?

[SMU-Info]

Unfortunately some of your information is incorrect. Please contact me directly and I will be happy to get you contact names and information for the proper individuals who will be able to answer your questions.

[acetre]

I don't know about the step 1 pass rate for tha last 3 years, but I know of about 5 to 7 students who just failed from the last 5th semester class. These student admitted this to me personally, so it's not up for debate. Just though you should know.

[Knight007]

I don't know about the step 1 pass rate for tha last 3 years, but I know of about 5 to 7 students who just failed from the last 5th semester class. These student admitted this to me personally, so it's not up for debate. Just though you should know.

and I'll give you names of dozens of students from the other big carib schools who failed Step 1... how do I know? cuz they were all taking Kaplan Prep this spring with one of my friends. numbers by themselves mean nothing...
People fail in US med schools... its all about the individual.

[ES21]

At the white coat Dr. T (VP of SMU) stated the USMLE pass rate is 86% for 1st time test takers. He said these stats were their most current stats (last years students).

[MD999]

Unfortunately some of your information is incorrect. Please contact me directly and I will be happy to get you contact names and information for the proper individuals who will be able to answer your questions.

SMU-Info,
Can you get that information (the USMLE pass rates for the previous 3 years) and post them on here for everybody?
Thanks

[AUCMD2006]

don't trust any schools stated step one pass rate...they all play with the numbers....they can blatantly lie, or they can take a selected snapshot of a class, you know right around when some people have taken it and most have passed and report a 100% pass rate, or they can lump test takers by taking only the ones who voluntarily sent in scores, or by region.....bottom line don't trust statistics......

a more direct question would be how many people per class pass step one on the fisrt try. or better yet how many people in ech class finish and graduate on time.....i agree that the individual has most of the input on how they do but a US trained prof will help guide you thorigh the already volumes of info and narrow it down a bit....probably the people who are borderline benefit the most from profs the super bright ones will do well no matter what but most of us fall somewhere in between and hit a subject that nails us...that is when the prof can make or break you so don't underestimate the profs role in preparing you for step one but it shouldn't be exaggerated either.....

[MD999]

don't trust any schools stated step one pass rate...they all play with the numbers....they can blatantly lie, or they can take a selected snapshot of a class, you know right around when some people have taken it and most have passed and report a 100% pass rate, or they can lump test takers by taking only the ones who voluntarily sent in scores, or by region.....bottom line don't trust statistics......

a more direct question would be how many people per class pass step one on the fisrt try. or better yet how many people in ech class finish and graduate on time.....i agree that the individual has most of the input on how they do but a US trained prof will help guide you thorigh the already volumes of info and narrow it down a bit....probably the people who are borderline benefit the most from profs the super bright ones will do well no matter what but most of us fall somewhere in between and hit a subject that nails us...that is when the prof can make or break you so don't underestimate the profs role in preparing you for step one but it shouldn't be exaggerated either.....

Very True.

SMU-Info,
If the info is available... How many people per SMU class pass Step 1 the first try?

[SMU-Info]

It is extremely difficult to say the number of students per class that pass as the students from different classes easily get mixed. The following rates are what have been recorded for SMU since 2002.



2002 – 78%

2003 – 79%

2004 – 85.6%

[charger5001]

I bet now that Kaplan Medical is in the mix of SMU's currciulum the numbers will jump even higher!!

I would say 90% by the end of 2005...

[ES21]

I agree Kaplan books are very helpful for each basic science course.

In addition the videos are invaluable, let alone the Q bank. I really think the SMU association with Kaplan medical will benefit the school in the long run.

It seems at times like we have too many resources and too little time to utilize them. I guess your all going to respond "welcome to medical school."

Good luck with exams everyone!!

[AUCMD2006]

like i guessed. i always said that the better carib schools are probably between 70 and 90 depending on the semester...

i disagree on the "difficulty" of putting these numbers together though...you all keep a roster of each class right? take the roster from the week after teh drop date and compare it with the 5th semester roster at the same time, that will give you how many students finish on time then take the fifth semester roster for that class and see who passed first time...shouldn't take more than a day and a half for all classes all the way back to Belize....

even better to get a good sample and keep it simple go back to when the school started and take every other semester or one random semester per year...

this is powerful info that the schools can provide for students as well as a gauge of their teaching ability and acceptance guidelines but most schools don't do it publicaly. i am 100% certain that internal memos are full of this info because they are businesses and the administrators and accountants have nothing better to do than pull up every kind of report imaginable and hold useless meetings all day about the reports...hehe

good job smu pulling the numbers up by the way