While it is reassuring to see that students with DO degrees and international medical graduates are now more likely to pass Step 1 with their first attempt, many students, both US and international, continue to fail Step 1. If you have failed Step 1, realize that you are not alone! Some simple calculations reveal that in over 3, students who attempted Step 1 for the first time failed.
Many students who have failed Step 1 on their first attempt will go on to repeat the exam after making some changes to their study strategy. If you are in this position, know that you will need to make some significant changes: students who are in the position of repeating a failed Step 1 exam are less likely to pass again than first-time examinees.
Thinking critically about how to study for a second or third, or fourth attempt at Step 1 is absolutely essential prior to attempting to take the exam again.
Perhaps most importantly in this process is recognizing what went wrong when the initial exam was taken. Ideally, students should begin studying for the exam during their first day of class in their first year of medical school. However, by the time that students are halfway through their pre-clinical time which can vary from 1 year into the program if your school has 2 years of pre-clinical class time; or down to 6 months if your school has just 1 year of pre-clinical class time , students should definitely be studying for USMLE Step 1.
This has become all the more important as more and more medical schools adopt a pass-fail grading criteria for the pre-clinical years. While this grading scheme can lower stress and anxiety, for students who do the minimum amount of work to pass their preclinical years will not be ready to pass USMLE Step 1 without a significant amount of work.
Students who try to cram all of their studying for the exam into their dedicated period of time which for some students is as short as 5 weeks is a recipe for disaster. The reason we fall down is so we can learn to stand up again. Learning from a repeat attempt and improving can be a sign of a strong character and is something program directors will value.
One mistake many applicants make is explaining repeat attempts on their personal statement. Unless Godzilla attacked on the day of your exam, there is no need to explain what happened. A stellar, rocking repeat score will speak for itself. But be warned, you will likely have to explain what happened in your interview. Keep it concise, positive, and honest. Work with your med-advisor to make sure that if you failed the first time, the second time you are working towards daily, weekly and monthly goals.
Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. But, we also recognize that you have to be focused and strategic in the work that you need to do. First, the technicalities. The average score in was with a standard deviation of You can take Step 1 a maximum of three times within a month period.
Your fourth and subsequent attempts must be at least 12 months after your first attempt. Also, they must be at least six months after your most recent attempt.
This means that after your first failed attempt, you may retake the exam twice within one year. Each program has different policies and next steps for students who need to retake Step 1. You might need to meet with an administrator at your medical school. You may also be required to retake and pass your exam by a certain date. We have had many students in this situation. Below is some general testing advice for your retake.
This advice comes straight from expert tutors who have helped students ace their USMLE Step 1 retake, with truly incredible success stories. But, this is not something that you should try to keep inside or hide from your family or friends. You should share the news with those close to you. Talking about your situation with loved ones will help you to feel emotionally lighter. Your family and friends will help you to keep things in perspective and provide encouragement for the long road ahead.
Evaluate the study materials that you used the last time around. Consider whether they fell short, or whether it was your use of them that fell short. Did you cover enough material? Did you go through all of UWorld? Also, did you conduct a thorough review of all the questions you got wrong during your prep? Do you understand exactly why you got them wrong? Do you think there was a problem in your test-taking skills? This is the most important part of your recovery because it helps you to understand where you may have gone wrong.
Success really is within your control — as long as you are honest, forthcoming, and willing to be vulnerable. This is the most critical step in getting study prep going again.
This assessment will help you to:. You will then see if there are any patterns that jump out at you.
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