1 IN 4 NON-US MEDICAL STUDENTS ARE GOING TO FAIL STEP 1 THIS YEAR…

Some troubling data was recently released from the USMLE about non-US medical students and falling USMLE Step 1 pass rates…

The USMLE recently released its full report on the 2022 performance data for the Step 1 examination, which shows the passing rate in 2022 dropped significantly compared to 2021. 

FIRST-TIME TEST-TAKERS:

➡️ IMG students’ passing rate dropped from 82% in 2021 to 74% in 2022  

REPEAT TEST-TAKERS:

➡️ IMG students’ passing rate were steady at 45% in 2021 and 2022  

WHY ARE THESE NUMBERS FALLING?

While it’s early to know exactly what’s causing this drastic fall in pass rates, based on The USMLE Guys’ daily interaction with students who have sought our help after a failed Step 1 exam, here’s our hypothesis:

✅ Diminished efforts due to the pass/fail nature of the exam

Students, especially non-US medical students, used to aim for top 3-digit scores in order to boost their residency competitiveness against US grads…

Now, with no objective differentiator for the Step 1 exam, the efforts have dwindled.

✅ Increased exam difficulty

The exam’s passing threshold was increased last year, making it more difficult to cross the passing score threshold.

Combine a tougher exam with significantly diminished efforts and it would fully explain the reason why ONE IN FOUR IS FAILING!

Again… Those are our thoughts on this… Perhaps the USMLE will give us some hard evidence in the coming year, perhaps not. But we’re betting on this 2-punch combination as the main cause.

WHY THIS MATTERS…

Failing the Step 1 exam puts you at a significant disadvantage right from the start…

You’re now falling behind and need to more than make up for this in every other aspect of your residency application. 

Unfortunately, this just isn’t possible for many students…

The ability to score in the upper 10% of all Step 2 CK test-takers, despite your best efforts, is not a guarantee… Especially if your Step 1 foundation isn’t rock-solid.

If you’re unable to get US clinical experience, that’s another negative that you can’t overcome.

These factors should make it abundantly clear that going above and beyond in your USMLE Step 1 preparation efforts is not only recommended, but necessary.

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?

The solution to this problem is very simple…

If you know what you’ve got to do but you’re not doing it – just do it.

If you don’t know what to do or how to prepare in a way that gives you the best chance of passing your exam – get help.

That’s it… 

FINAL THOUGHTS…

We unfortunately know medical students and their mindsets all to well, and we saw this one coming.

If there’s one thing that medical students do well, it’s rationalization (hey, we used to do it too!).

“There’s no need to study too hard for a pass/fail exam” or “Why would I study like I’m aiming for a 240 when it’s just pass/fail?”…

Unfortunately, it’s this cavalier attitude that’s responsible for the plummeting numbers the USMLE has just released.

So… Ask yourself this… 

“Is taking the Step 1 too lightly worth the risks and potential consequences of that decision?”

Only you can answer this question.

If you need help, reach out to us HERE

If you’re taking the exam too lightly, stop.