What is a good USMLE score?
A good score is one that is (a) passing and (b) passing, a fact that the USMLE apparently realized because rumor has it they are going to make the exams pass/fail in the near future. For now, keep in mind that the national average (which has been rising, probably through artificial means) has been around 215 in 1997-98. The cut-off for a “good” score once was 200 (when 200 was set as the statistical mean, or 50th percentile score). Now, though, “good” scores start around 215 and go up from there. And yes, it is sad but true that some residency programs use USMLE Step I scores as a preliminary cut-off point for sending out secondary applications and/or interview requests. Generally the programs that do this tend to be the more competitive ones – surgery, orthopedics, ENT, neurosurgery, etc.
