What USMLE Score Do I Need on Step 1 to Match into the Residency of My Choice?
By: MedSchoolCoach
Why the USMLE Exam Actually Matters
The series of USMLE exams, Step 1, Step 2 and Step 3, thoroughly assesses how well future physicians can apply their basic science knowledge and clinical skills to patient-centered scenarios. A student’s score can demonstrate to licensing authorities how they will operate on the job, both on and off the table. More importantly, USMLE Step 1 is an extremely important test in the residency match process.
A student’s score on USMLE Step 1 helps residency program directors differentiates many similar candidates for limited residency spots. This is especially true of the more selective medical specialties, such as orthopedics, dermatology, and interventional radiology, among many others. Even in “less competitive” specialties such as internal medicine, general surgery, and emergency medicine, Step 1 score is extremely important in the selection of a residency class.
The USMLE is a multi-step exam that is taken throughout medical school. Three of the exams are taken during medical school, and one is taken at the end of the first year of residency.
Three of the four exams are graded on a number scale, and that number will go onto your residency application. It’s important to excel at the USMLE so that your numbers don’t hold you back.
What to Expect When Taking the USMLE
The USMLE Step 1 emphasizes basic science principles, specifically anatomy, behavioral science, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology, and physiology. Interdisciplinary areas such as genetics, immunology, and nutrition are also tested.
The USMLE Step 1 is a one-day computer exam taken by most medical students at the end of their second year of medical school within the United States, as well as by international medical graduates (IMGs) who wish to practice medicine in the United States.
The Step 1 test includes up to 280 multiple-choice questions and takes 8 hours to complete, split into 7 one-hour blocks of 40 questions each.
If you do not receive a passing score on a USMLE exam, you can retake it. However, if you receive a passing score, you cannot retake it. In other words, if you pass by one point, that is the score you’re stuck with. Therefore, it is crucial that you receive a competitive score the first time you pass.
What USMLE Score Do I Need on Step 1 To Be Competitive?
Step 1 scores theoretically range from 1 to 300, and most examinees score in the range of 140 to 260. The passing score is 194, and the national mean is 229. However, being average is often not good enough to get you into the residency of your choice. According to MedSchoolCoach, 98% of residency directors say the USMLE Step 1 is the most important match criteria. Average Step 1 scores vary widely based on specialty.
To help you determine where you stand, Prospective Doctor, the content provider for MedSchoolCoach, created the USMLE Score Estimator. If you want to know what USMLE Step 1 score you need to match into the residency of your choice, use this USMLE calculator to find out.
Having an understanding of the score you need to aim for can help you plan your USMLE study scheduling, get the resources you need, and determine if you could benefit from USMLE tutoring.
Good luck!
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MedSchoolCoach:
MedSchoolCoach was founded in 2007 with a simple premise: physicians should help future physicians. Since that time, we’ve helped more than 12,000 students get into and through medical school.
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Great article! USMLE scores are very important for International Medical Graduates (IMG) looking forward to enter residency programs in the United States. They are part of the equivalency process of an international medical education, showing that the medical knowledge of the IMG meet the standards in the United States. It can also help students to expand their knowledge they obtained during med school.