Good morning,
In recent weeks, several of our class leaders in the CO 2024 have come forward seeking more guidance around the transition of STEP 1 to Pass-Fail. Specifically, "the unknown of when to take STEP 1 continues to be a major concern among many of [their] classmates".
Some students who have not struggled academically are even considering writing STEP 1 early (November/December) while still in the preclerkship courses to secure a number score, while others are struggling with the fact if they should wait and just post a "pass".
And we similarly have no idea what program directors will do with a number of residency applicants who post a score compared to those who do not. Is there an advantage to posting a score in this scenario?
I am interested in any discussions that have been occurring through the AAMC/USMLE about when schools might expect
black-out dates for testing due to the transition and I am interested in how any other schools with 18-month pre-clerkship curriculum are counseling students about when to write for STEP 1.
Thank you.
Mark Beard
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Mark Beard
Associate Dean of Medical Education
University of South Dakota
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