Ever wondered how your MCAT score measures up for a future in vascular surgery? If you were applying for a match today, would your MCAT score open the doors you’re aiming for in the USMLEs?
In your undergraduate years, you might have consistently outperformed your peers on standardized tests. However, as a medical student, you may have encountered imposter syndrome and felt like you were falling short. It’s essential to recognize that this ‘underperformance’ perception arises because you’re now surrounded by individuals who, on average, excelled on standardized tests during their undergraduate studies.
We can use the percentile score for matriculants to US med schools to help make a comparison with USMLE matching scores for vascular surgery. For example, the average MCAT score for all test-takers between 2019-2021 was 501.6 (SD 10.8). However, the average MCAT for matriculants to US med schools was 511.9 (SD 6.6).
In other words, the 50%ile MCAT score for matriculants was at roughly 84%ile of all MCAT test-takers.
Is Vascular Surgery Competitive?
First, let’s look at the general competitiveness of vascular surgery. One way to assess the competitiveness of a specialty is to look at the match rate – the % of people who apply who end up matching into their preferred specialty.
Among US Seniors, the unmatched percentage was 24.2%, making it considerably highly competitive among US residencies. The match rate for vascular surgery is considerably better than the most competitive specialties like plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, or otolaryngology. However, vascular surgery is considerably more competitive than anesthesiology, psychiatry, pathology, or even radiation oncology in the 2022 match.
USMLE Scores for Vascular Surgery
Now let’s look at Step 1 scores for matched US seniors in vascular surgery. We will use this to find the correlating MCAT score in the next step. You can also see how vascular surgery compares to other specialties below.
Vascular Surgery Step 1 Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):
- 25%ile: 233
- Median: 240
- 75%ile: 249
Similarly, Step 2 CK scores for vascular surgery for matched US seniors reflect its moderate competitiveness.
Vascular Surgery Step 2 CK Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):
- 25%ile: 242
- Median: 253
- 75%ile: 257
What MCAT Score to Match Into Vascular Surgery?
The MCAT score equivalent to the same %ile of students who matched into vascular surgery for Step 1 would be ~515, which would rank in the 69%ile of MCAT matriculants.
For Step 2 CK, the equivalent score would be ~ 515, which would rank in the 69%ile of MCAT matriculants.
Will This Predict My USMLE Scores and Matching Chances?!
Absolutely not, let’s simplify it. Think of your MCAT percentile among matriculants as a gauge for your potential USMLE equivalent score and how it stacks up against successful candidates in vascular surgery matches.
Step scores certainly matter, but the competitiveness of your chosen specialty, your interpersonal skills, and your performance during interviews all contribute to your likelihood of matching. Think of your MCAT as a starting point and your USMLE as a reflection of where you’ve ended up in this challenging journey.
MCAT to USMLE Converter: Best Uses?
So what is the best use of knowing? We might use it to set “stretch” goals for ourselves. Let’s say our equivalent Step 2 CK performance might be a 250 – we might know that 260 would be a good goal, and 230 might be selling ourselves short.
Or maybe we killed ourselves to do well on the MCAT, but we still didn’t do as well as we hoped. In this case, you should start NOW to figure out where you are lacking in your learning ability and how you can become a better learner and test taker to match into your dream residency. Sign up for a free consultation TODAY to discuss how Yousmle can help you score higher, study less, and never forget what you’ve learned.
Concluding Thoughts
Keep in mind that your MCAT percentile is unlikely to directly translate to your percentile on the USMLEs. The reason is that many MCAT takers don’t ultimately enter medical school. Your MCAT score is essentially ranked in comparison to those who scored higher on the MCAT, but it doesn’t reflect your medical school peers.
To estimate how your MCAT performance might correlate with your potential Step performance, you can use an MCAT to USMLE calculator.
Also, while MCAT scores correlate with USMLE scores, they are not deterministic. Many people “overperform” or “underperform” their MCAT. A lot will depend on how you prepare in the months years leading up to your USMLEs.
References
- AAMC. MCAT Scores and GPAs for Applicants and Matriculants to U.S. MD-Granting Medical Schools, 2018-2019 through 2021-2022.
- Percentiles for Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3.
- AAMC. Using MCAT® Data in 2023 Medical Student Selection.
Note on calculations: These are based on normalized distributions based on the means and standard deviations for the populations of interest (all MCAT test-takers, all MD school applicants, and all MD school matriculants; as well as Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3 test-takers). Percentiles for each MCAT/USMLE score were calculated. Then, MCAT scores for matriculants were graphed, and a linear regression was performed to find a best-fit line whose equation was used in the calculator for USMLE score equivalents.
