USMLE Step 1 Advice needed! Low score UW2 (2024)

Hii so I am scheduled to take step 1 next friday and am looking for a little bit of advice.
I definitely had a rocky road with studying - I'm a DO student who does relatively well in school however on NBMEs I definitely was struggling.
I started out receiving relatively low scores (190-200 range) and then I made the decision to post pone my exam
After I post-poned and fixed some of my studying I had a jump in my NBME scores (207-216 range) which I was relatively proud of- I accepted the fact that I won't get a crazy competitive score but I also thought there has been worse scores out there.
I took UW2 today and completely bombed, we're talking lowest score I got out of all of the NBMEs. My exam is NEXT FRIDAY and I am baffled at what to do. Before this I was feeling relatively confident that I would at least pass the test but I am so unsure now. (NBME 18 was 211- not the highest score but also not the lowest)

Any advice? Should I drop taking step 1 all together and just focus on COMLEX?
First time around UW I was scoring 50-60s and second time I was in 70s-80% on Comquest I score high 70s% on each block.

For what I would like to go into - I'm honestly not sure. I was playing around with the idea of IM or psychiatry but I really wanted to keep my doors open in case there was something in clinical year that really stood out to me.

Thank you in advance for your advice

I scored 230. My UWSA2 was 230 and my NBME 18 was 229. Those were very predictive for me.

I'm not you, I don't know anything about residency chances, but your scores are too close to 194 for my taste. DO residency programs are still around and you seem to be doing good with COMLEX.

My UWSA 2 (2 days out) was 241 and my real was 224.

My NBMEs were (15) 196 (5 weeks out), (17) 215 (3.5 weeks out), (19) 217 (2 weeks out).

Do with that what you will.

I’m of the opinion you might need a stay of execution here.

The test is like Free120 or UW. It doesn't feel like an NBME at all, which personally was very happy about. But might actually be a negative for you.
Since you have done poorly on UW2, the advice is NOT to take it.
Have you taken Free120?

You may be able to do pretty solid (550+) on COMLEX though considering you've done decent on NBME's.
Put your eggs in that basket.

Isoval said:

My UWSA 2 (2 days out) was 241 and my real was 224.

My NBMEs were (15) 196 (5 weeks out), (17) 215 (3.5 weeks out), (19) 217 (2 weeks out).

Do with that what you will.

I’m of the opinion you might need a stay of execution here.

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I got around a 230 on UWSA2 and got a 211 on the real deal. My NBMEs were similar to your’s.

Isoval said:

My UWSA 2 (2 days out) was 241 and my real was 224.

My NBMEs were (15) 196 (5 weeks out), (17) 215 (3.5 weeks out), (19) 217 (2 weeks out).

Do with that what you will.

I’m of the opinion you might need a stay of execution here.

Click to expand...

What made you buy 17 instead of taking 16? Was 19 as bad as its reputation? I've taken 13, 15, and 16 and Ive got a few weeks left to kill until my test and need to figure out which ones I'm going to take.

Kr#36 said:

What made you buy 17 instead of taking 16? Was 19 as bad as its reputation? I've taken 13, 15, and 16 and Ive got a few weeks left to kill until my test and need to figure out which ones I'm going to take.

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17 was one of the free ones provided by NBME a few months ago.

19 was ridiculous. I took it several weeks after 17, scored two points higher, got pissed off, then took UWSA1 out of spite (243). I’m not sure that the questions are particularly bad, but the curve definitively feels borked.

hungrydoc710 said:

The test is like Free120 or UW. It doesn't feel like an NBME at all, which personally was very happy about. But might actually be a negative for you.
Since you have done poorly on UW2, the advice is NOT to take it.
Have you taken Free120?

You may be able to do pretty solid (550+) on COMLEX though considering you've done decent on NBME's.
Put your eggs in that basket.

Click to expand...

Hey if you wouldn’t mind some insight would be appreciated! I’m about 4 days from step1, I scored 77% on free 120 a couple days ago. UWSA1: 232 and UWSA2: 217 (both about a week ago). My NBMEs are not where I want them to be but I feel confident and I thought the free 120 was a lot more straight forward than these weird NBMEs. You think I can break 230? If you’re saying the test is a lot like free120 and UW that gives me tremendous hope.

DocLevi said:

Hey if you wouldn’t mind some insight would be appreciated! I’m about 4 days from step1, I scored 77% on free 120 a couple days ago. UWSA1: 232 and UWSA2: 217 (both about a week ago). My NBMEs are not where I want them to be but I feel confident and I thought the free 120 was a lot more straight forward than these weird NBMEs. You think I can break 230? If you’re saying the test is a lot like free120 and UW that gives me tremendous hope.

Click to expand...

Best predictor of real score is average of NBME 18 and UW2. I got right smack in the middle.

UW1 overpredicted me by 15. UW2 overpredicted me by 9.
To be frank, with a UW2 of 217, I don't think you'll break 230. I think 220 should be your goal at this stage.

Good luck.

DocLevi said:

Hey if you wouldn’t mind some insight would be appreciated! I’m about 4 days from step1, I scored 77% on free 120 a couple days ago. UWSA1: 232 and UWSA2: 217 (both about a week ago). My NBMEs are not where I want them to be but I feel confident and I thought the free 120 was a lot more straight forward than these weird NBMEs. You think I can break 230? If you’re saying the test is a lot like free120 and UW that gives me tremendous hope.

Click to expand...

If it helps you, I received:
UWSA1 - 243
UWSA2 - 241
Real - between 223 and 233

hungrydoc710 said:

Best predictor of real score is average of NBME 18 and UW2. I got right smack in the middle.

UW1 overpredicted me by 15. UW2 overpredicted me by 9.
To be frank, with a UW2 of 217, I don't think you'll break 230. I think 220 should be your goal at this stage.

Good luck.

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yea this sounds pretty accurate. i was aiming for the moon (still am) but i realized 220-230 sits well with me considering i am most likely applying to psych

Isoval said:

If it helps you, I received:
UWSA1 - 243
UWSA2 - 241
Real - between 223 and 233

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this kinda gives me hope lol i think i will hit this range. gonna absolutely hammer my weak points!!!!

DocLevi said:

yea this sounds pretty accurate. i was aiming for the moon (still am) but i realized 220-230 sits well with me considering i am most likely applying to psych

Click to expand...

Lol everone on SDN seems to be applying to psych these days I swear !

hungrydoc710 said:

Lol everone on SDN seems to be applying to psych these days I swear !

Click to expand...

really i didn't know lol not sure if thats a good or bad thing