USMLE Failure Rates – And How you can Beat Them

May 5, 2014

USMLE

You’ve rocked your studies and feel ready to take on your first medical residency. The only thing standing in your way – Part 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination, commonly referred to as the USMLE. It’s a multi-part professional exam that medical students must pass before being permitted to practices medicine in the Unites States. And it’s not easy.

Sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), the USMLE is designed to assess a future physician’s ability to effectively apply the medical knowledge, concepts, practices and principals learned in medical school to a real-world clinical situation. It’s a way of knowing if a medical student will prove proficient when an ill or injured patient’s survival or quality of life is at stake.

According to information posted on the official USMLE website, overall pass rates for first-time test takers in each step are:

  • Step 1: 94% for U.S. M.D. graduates
  • Step 1: 89% for U.S. D.O. graduates
  • Step 1: 73% for international medical school graduates
  • Step 2: 97% for U.S. M.D. graduates (98% for U.S. M.D. for clinical)
  • Step 2: 93% for U.S. D.O. graduates (88% for U.S. D.O for clinical)
  • Step 3: 97% for U.S. M.D. graduates 
  • Step 3: 94% for U.S. D.O. graduates
  • Step 3: 78% for international medical school graduates

While a few of those percentages are worrisome, there is a way you can boost your chances of success on your first try at each level of the USMLE. Based in St. Augustine, Florida, WOLFPACC, the Physician Achievement Concept Course series led by Dr. Hans Wolf has helped hundreds of medical students perfect their test-taking skills. Courses are designed to teach medicine through the understanding and application of basic concepts, rather than simply retention and recall tactics.

WOLFPAC C classes have a small number of students, allowing for optimal attention from instructors and staff. Students are scheduled to allow time each afternoon after lecture for studying with tutors, participating in drill sessions or working on their custom tailored study plan. And, you’re promised a beautiful view wherever you choose to study. WOLFPACC boasts campuses in Florida’s historic St. Augustine, plus Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

To help assure your USMLE success, call 904-209-3140 and talk with an enrollment specialist today.