Should I go for Step 1?

[JustPass]

Hello there,
so essential my question is, should I take Step 1 that in a week?

My practice exam scores:
NBME 13 - 180/161 (4/22)
NBME 17 - 350/196 (5/31)
UWSA 1 - 540/237 (69%) (6/11)
NBME 18 - 390/205 (6/12)

So obviously I know my scores aren't good and I only have a week to cram.
I'm not looking to working at a top or even middle level academic hospital.
I don't mind applying broadly and work at some rural/suburban places either.
However, I do want to specialize in something and I want to open up more doors.
I feel like I could theoretically break 215 on the real thing but who knows.

1. Should I risk taking Step 1?
Or
2. Should I just take Comlex (in 2 weeks)?
Or
3. Take Comlex for now (in 2 weeks) and study more during rotations and take Step 1 in Sep/Oct?
or
4. Take Comlex for now and run with it to get an AOA residency (that will be acgme accredited of course)?

ANY thoughts and opinions would be appreciated.

And I feel like that UWSA was a fluke and they overestimated.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[trs88]

your grades are pretty close to mine and while it looks like we both take comlex in 2 weeks, I don't have great answers for you. My rotations start right at the end of July and I plan to take step 4 days before rotations start. I suggest to push step back as far as you can and take it before rotations start. Because I really don't think you'll be able to get as much studying for step as you think you will be able to while being on rotations. AKA, long hours, having to study cases, having to study for COMAT (if required), or just being too drained to study.

From the step threads, it seems like UWSA 1 overestimates while UWSA2 is highly accurate.

 

[cluelessmedstudent411]

If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't take USMLE. I think you need to have consistent 210+ scores to go into the exam with a good chance of PASSING the exam. These practice tests have +/- 10 score range. If you were to go in with at least 210s, you can walk out with good chance to passing even with a -10 score.

You should go ahead and take COMLEX. No reason to keep pushing that off. Trying to take it while on rotation will make it even harder.

IF you wanted to continue studying, you could for STEP 1. Take a practice test a month into rotations and see how you're doing and if you want to take it or not. But I'll be honest, if you push the exam into rotation, there is VERY HIGH chance of you not taking it. I know of multiple people who did this. It gets too hard to focus on STEP 1 while trying to do well on your rotations and studying for shelfs. But you can try...

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

What are you going to do your last week? Can you take another one before your usmle? At an average of 200 between those two you're either going to get a low score or potentially fail neither of which are going to wow anyone in residencies that would have distinguished much between a usmle score or a comlex score.

 

[JustPass]

I'm going to decide after taking another nbme over the weekend.
I have to cram drugs and other pathology as much as possible.
I'm leaning towards not taking it though.
I do have an easier schedule in beginning of rotation (from what I can tell) and a break for 3 weeks fairly early on so I'll see if I can get myself to study for it.

Final questions is,
Is a decent comlex (550+) good enough for an "ordinary/ok" residency? (anything is good in my book but)
(also, not saying I'll score 550+)

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I'm going to decide after taking another nbme over the weekend.
I have to cram drugs and other pathology as much as possible.
I'm leaning towards not taking it though.
I do have an easier schedule in beginning of rotation (from what I can tell) and a break for 3 weeks fairly early on so I'll see if I can get myself to study for it.

Final questions is,
Is a decent comlex (550+) good enough for an "ordinary/ok" residency? (anything is good in my book but)
(also, not saying I'll score 550+)

With a 550 you'll minimally have options in most fields as long as you don't mind location. Hence why it's probably better to just throw into COMLEX if you're going to be in the 190-210 range.

 

[Hakuna Matata]

I'm going to decide after taking another nbme over the weekend.
I have to cram drugs and other pathology as much as possible.
I'm leaning towards not taking it though.
I do have an easier schedule in beginning of rotation (from what I can tell) and a break for 3 weeks fairly early on so I'll see if I can get myself to study for it.

Final questions is,
Is a decent comlex (550+) good enough for an "ordinary/ok" residency? (anything is good in my book but)
(also, not saying I'll score 550+)

For your final question- yes. Tell us the specialty that you're interested in- it will help us give you better advice. Big difference in IM vs EM vs gen surg, etc.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[W19]

I would not take it... a 215 is not even a good score.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I would not take it... a 215 is not even a good score, so why would someone put him/herself in jeopardy for a 210+ is beyond me.

For a MD, a 215 is a ticket to probably everything outside of surgical subspecialties. And even then if you know the right people.
For a DO a 215 is gonna open some doors and expand some low tier programs to mid tier programs in many fields that don't necessarily like COMLEX.

 

[kenjixshadow]

I would not take it... a 215 is not even a good score, so why would someone put him/herself in jeopardy for a 210+ is beyond me.

A 215 open some doors to MD programs that a 600 on COMLEX can't.

Edit: @Drrrrrr. Celty I can't believe that we wrote the same thing and you beat me by seconds!

 

[JustPass]

For your final question- yes. Tell us the specialty that you're interested in- it will help us give you better advice. Big difference in IM vs EM vs gen surg, etc.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I'm looking into EM mostly i guess (anywhere besides major cities, Harlem/Detroit-ish areas, or completely rural like middle of nowhere where there is population of <1000).
General surgery would be awesome but I guess you'll have to push 600ish.

 

[W19]

For a MD, a 215 is a ticket to probably everything outside of surgical subspecialties. And even then if you know the right people.
For a DO a 215 is gonna open some doors and expand some low tier programs to mid tier programs in many fields that don't necessarily like COMLEX.

Well, I'll let you know in March of 2018... I probably would agree if that 215 was combined with a high tier MD school

 

[JustPass]

A 215 open some doors to MD programs that a 600 on COMLEX can't.

Edit: @Drrrrrr. Celty I can't believe that we wrote the same thing and you beat me by seconds!

will do (maybe..)

 

[W19]

Lol... What wrong with Detroit? I have two aways scheduled at Wayne State. Should I back down?

 

[acapnial]

Lol... What wrong with Detroit? I have two aways scheduled at Wayne State. Should I back down?

Nah. See if you like it. People do get attached.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

How do you get 237 on UWSA-1 and then less than 210 on everything?

From my experience, USMLE is closer to UWorld style of questions than NBME tests. That said, I wouldn't take USMLE if I were scoring less than 210 on NBME since it somehow manages to be predictive despite the question style.

 

[JustPass]

 

[s5260205]

How do you get 237 on UWSA-1 and then less than 210 on everything?

From my experience, USMLE is closer to UWorld style of questions than NBME tests. That said, I wouldn't take USMLE if I were scoring less than 210 on NBME since it somehow manages to be predictive despite the question style.

UWSA-1 overpredicts the score by a large margin. I also got 20 points higher in UWSA-1 than any NBME or UWSA-2.

 

[Brorthopedic]

I wouldn't, not unless you're scoring 210+ consistently

 

[firstaidforever]

Not yet. Maybe consider copying the new trend among MD schools and take step 1 after third year.

But get feel for it to make sure it's not overwhelming your step 2 study time.

 

[JustPass]

Decided not to take it and focus now on comlex (2 weeks).
Will think about taking step 1 based on comlex score and how much time I have in beginning of my rotations (like I've said, I do have a easy rotation startup and a break at the end of the easy rotations).

Thank you guys for you input.

 

[DO2015CA]

I'm looking into EM mostly i guess (anywhere besides major cities, Harlem/Detroit-ish areas, or completely rural like middle of nowhere where there is population of <1000).
General surgery would be awesome but I guess you'll have to push 600ish.

The EM club at my school sent reps to an EM conference this year and even the AOA residencies were saying to take USMLE. Allopathic in EM want both step 1 and 2.

It's crazy the historically AOA programs were telling students to take the USMLE

 

[JustPass]

The EM club at my school sent reps to an EM conference this year and even the AOA residencies were saying to take USMLE. Allopathic in EM want both step 1 and 2.

It's crazy the historically AOA programs were telling students to take the USMLE

Yea, I know the value of step 1 and 2.
But, I would rather save the chance to do better later (for w/e that's worth) than bombing it now be stuck with the score.

 

[jw3600]

The EM club at my school sent reps to an EM conference this year and even the AOA residencies were saying to take USMLE. Allopathic in EM want both step 1 and 2.

It's crazy the historically AOA programs were telling students to take the USMLE

It's not crazy. It makes perfect sense. Allows for standardized comparison. It also allows people who have no financial ties to the bull**** organization that is NBOME actually use logic. The entire comlex series is pathetic. Horrible validly, reproducibility, and literally tests pseudoscience.

 

[firstaidforever]

It's not crazy. It makes perfect sense. Allows for standardized comparison. It also allows people who have no financial ties to the bull**** organization that is NBOME actually use logic. The entire comlex series is pathetic. Horrible validly, reproducibility, and literally tests pseudoscience.

Yeah. Comlex was all one-liners. If you sit and do rote memorization of First Aid (forever) you will do VERY well. Usmle needed a solid grasp of physio and path to figure out processes.

 

[jw3600]

Yeah. Comlex was all one-liners. If you sit and do rote memorization of First Aid (forever) you will do VERY well. Usmle needed a solid grasp of physio and path to figure out processes.

And *gasp* critical thinking...

 

[firstaidforever]

And *gasp* critical thinking...

Can't encourage critical thinking. It might make the students wake up and smell Omm for what it really is, a big stinking pile p**p.

 

[ortnakas]

Decided not to take it and focus now on comlex (2 weeks).
Will think about taking step 1 based on comlex score and how much time I have in beginning of my rotations (like I've said, I do have a easy rotation startup and a break at the end of the easy rotations).

Thank you guys for you input.

I think you're making the right choice. The population of SDN skews toward high scorers who are likely to benefit from taking the USMLE, but if you're likely to score <215, you can find yourself on the wrong side of some program's cut-offs and find you would've been better off focusing on the COMLEX. Do lots of Combank/Comquest for a few days-- the explanations are inferior to UWorld but the question style is far more similar to COMLEX.

I agree with posters saying COMLEX is a crap test in comparison, but it's not always a good idea for literally everyone to take the USMLE (it's also not as terrible of an idea for most of us TO take it as most schools' fear-mongering administrations might lead you to believe, but that's a separate debate).

 

[jw3600]

I think you're making the right choice. The population of SDN skews toward high scorers who are likely to benefit from taking the USMLE, but if you're likely to score <215, you can find yourself on the wrong side of some program's cut-offs and find you would've been better off focusing on the COMLEX. Do lots of Combank/Comquest for a few days-- the explanations are inferior to UWorld but the question style is far more similar to COMLEX.

I agree with posters saying COMLEX is a crap test in comparison, but it's not always a good idea for literally everyone to take the USMLE (it's also not as terrible of an idea for most of us TO take it as most schools' fear-mongering administrations might lead you to believe, but that's a separate debate).

So I guess I just assumed this. But if programs have a cutoff for the USMLE don't you think people WITHOUT one would be auto screened out just like the ones who are below the cutoff?

 

[Lexdiamondz]

The EM club at my school sent reps to an EM conference this year and even the AOA residencies were saying to take USMLE. Allopathic in EM want both step 1 and 2.

It's crazy the historically AOA programs were telling students to take the USMLE

It makes sense to me. Going ACGME means they're gonna get flooded with MD applicants who only have USMLE scores, and it makes it easier for PDs to compare USMLE to USMLE than it is to try and figure out what COMLEX score compares to what USMLE score.

So I guess I just assumed this. But if programs have a cutoff for the USMLE don't you think people WITHOUT one would be auto screened out just like the ones who are below the cutoff?

It's less likely for former AOA programs to auto-screen people with only a COMLEX score IMO, but overall it's likely a real issue.

 

[ortnakas]

So I guess I just assumed this. But if programs have a cutoff for the USMLE don't you think people WITHOUT one would be auto screened out just like the ones who are below the cutoff?

Sometimes, but not always-- some programs (I won't venture to guess how many, plus it's geographically-dependent) will take COMLEX-only applicants. So for example if a program fell into that category, and had cutoffs of 215 and 550 (they're often not proportional), a 212/560 student might be in trouble where the 560-only student would at least not get cut in the initial screening.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

UWSA-1 overpredicts the score by a large margin. I also got 20 points higher in UWSA-1 than any NBME or UWSA-2.

I think I got 20 points lower in UWSA-1 compared to any NBME/UWSA-2 lol