USMLE exam scores, matching and your interview calls
What is the ideal USMLE step score?
This is a very common question by the aspirants; what is the ideal USMLE step score? There is no right answer for that, there is no single thing that defines if you are going to get speciality and residency of your choice. Many factors determine that. There is an individual role for every USMLE score, which I will be describing individually for every USMLE exam.
USMLE step 1 score
The ideal score is different for different specialities and by ideal, I mean the one with which you can apply for that speciality (there is no strict rule though). But you should give your 100% to get the highest score possible.
Internal Medicine: The ideal USMLE score should be more than 240, it doesn’t mean that if you have scores in 230s then you should not apply to medicine. I am mentioning again that it’s the overall profile that matters.
(Considering your rest of the profile is good)
If your score is in 260s: then you will get >15 interviews
If your score is in 250s: then you will get >8 interviews
If your score is in 240s: then you will get >5 interviews
In all the above scenarios, chances of you getting matched are very high, but again I have seen people with >250s going unmatched in Internal Medicine
Specialities less competitive than Internal Medicine: including paediatrics, psychiatry, family medicine.
The ideal score should be more than 230s, it doesn’t mean that if you have scores < 230s then you should not apply to such specialities, I am mentioning again that it’s the overall profile that matters. (Considering your rest of the profile is good) If your score is in 260s: then you will get >20interviews
If your score is in 250s: then you will get >15 interviews
If your score is in 240s: then you will get >10 interviews
If your score is in 230s: then you will get > 7 interviews
Specialities more competitive than Internal Medicine: General surgery, Urology, Neurosurgery, Pathology, Radiology
The ideal score varies a lot, but it should be more than 250s, it doesn’t mean that if you have scores < 250s then you should not apply to such specialities, I am mentioning again that it’s the overall profile that matters. (Considering your rest of the profile is good) If your score is in 260s: then you will get >10 interviews
If your score is in 250s: then you will get >7 interviews
If your score is in 240s: then you will get >3 interviews
But I have seen people with 230s getting matched in such specialities, so it’s a big gamble and nobody knows how it works.
In the end, i want to emphasize the importance of your USMLE step 1 score. It is the most important factor for you getting matched. No matter what you do, but do not compromise on your step 1 preparation. No matter how intelligent you are, your step 1 scores defines you if you are a good candidate or an average candidate, no matter how big your research is, how ideal your LOR is, once you have a bad step 1 score, you will be stuck with it. I can’t emphasize it further, you need to have a good step 1 score.This exam is important because during the interview call process, the programs are not even going to look at your CV at all (even if you made a novel therapy or discovered a new technique for a procedure). Your application gets screened out because of your low step 1 score. This is the only thing that they filter to screen out other applications. They get (4000-6000 for 5-10 positions). You need to have good step 1 score to get an interview call and to make them read your CV at all.
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USMLE step 2 CK score
Your USMLE step 2 CK score should resonate with your USMLE step 1 score, it means there should be an increment, an increment in your step 2 ck score from step 1 score means progress. Anything less than your usmle step 1 score, you might have to face the question: Why your USMLE Step 2 CK score was lower than your USMLE step 1 score?
The score range of different specialities are same as your USMLE step 1 score, but it should be at least 5-10 points higher, any but less than your USMLE step 1 score will work.
This score is a very good estimate about how you progressed along with your preparation. This is score is very important for competitive specialties like General surgery, Urology, Neurosurgery, Pathology, Radiology.
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USMLE step 3 score
You just need to pass this exam, score doesn’t matter for most people.
Some residents suggest to have good score in USMLE step 3, so that your fellowship application will be good enough but I seriously don’t know how much it affects that.
Surgery: For specialties where they give you prelim year first, and then you need to re apply again next year, then the score in your Step 3 matters. Only such that if you have a really good score, then your chances of getting categorical increases next year but if you have really bad scores (just passing score), then it might affect you.
Ideal Score: anything > 230s is really good for USMLE step 3
>240s is considered as excellent (which people rarely get)
passing score is 190 (even when you get 190, you are safe and can be board certified and still can be offered H1B visa)
In the end, I just want to mention that your scores give you a chance to present yourself, but it’s not only the scores that matter. I have seen people with 250s getting unmatched in Internal Medicine and people with 230s getting matched in Surgery.
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