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What MCAT Score to Match Into Pathology?

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by Yousmle Staff in MCAT, Plan

Curious to know what your MCAT score would translate to on the USMLEs? If you had to apply TODAY to match into pathology, would your MCAT score make the cut?

As an undergrad, maybe you did well on standardized testing and often excelled when compared to your peers. As a med student, maybe you’ve experienced imposter syndrome and often feel you are underperforming. In a sense, that is true. However, your “underperformance” is simply because you are surrounded by people who on average did much better on standardized tests during undergrad.

We can use the percentile score for matriculants to US med schools to help make a comparison with USMLE matching scores for pathology. 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.

You can find your equivalent USMLE scores by using our MCAT to Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3 converter here.

Is Pathology Competitive?

First, let’s look at the general competitiveness of pathology. 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 2.6%, making it less competitive among US residencies. The match rate for pathology is considerably better than the most competitive specialties like plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, or otolaryngology. However, pathology is considerably more competitive than pediatrics, emergency medicine, child neurology, or even family medicine in the 2022 match.

Pathology - Unmatched % for US Seniors by NRMP Specialty (2022)

USMLE Scores for Pathology

Now let’s look at Step 1 scores for matched US seniors in pathology. We will use this to find the correlating MCAT score in the next step. You can also see how pathology compares to other specialties below.

Pathology Step 1 Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):

  • 25%ile: 221
  • Median: 234
  • 75%ile: 246

Pathology Step 1 US Seniors, 25%ile, Median and 75%ile for Matched Applicants 2022 Match

Similarly, Step 2 CK scores for Pathology for matched US seniors reflect its moderate competitiveness.

Pathology Step 2 CK Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):

  • 25%ile: 234
  • Median: 247
  • 75%ile: 256

Pathology Step 2 CK US Seniors, 25%ile, Median and 75%ile for Matched Applicants 2022 Match

What MCAT Score to Match Into Pathology?

The MCAT score equivalent to the same %ile of students who matched into pathology for Step 1 would be ~513, which would rank in the 58%ile of MCAT matriculants.

For Step 2 CK, the equivalent score would be ~ 512, which would rank in the 50%ile of MCAT matriculants.

Will This Predict My USMLE Scores and Matching Chances?!

Certainly not. Instead, this is a simplified approach to consider the USMLE scores equivalent to your MCAT percentile among those admitted to medical school and how that compares to those who successfully matched into pathology.

While Step scores are an important factor, specialty competitiveness, interpersonal skills, and interactions during interviews can all play a role in the chances of matching. Your MCAT tells you where you started, but your USMLE shows where you ended up

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

Remember: your percentile on the MCAT is NOT likely to be the percentile on the USMLEs. Why? Because many of the people who take the MCAT don’t end up in med school. Instead, your score is ranked in comparison to the scores of the people who made higher scores on the MCAT.

Use this MCAT to USMLE calculator to estimate what sort of Step performance you might expect if you performed the same as when you were a pre-med.

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

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.

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Want FREE Cardiology Flashcards?

Cardiology is key for impressive USMLE scores. Master cardiology from a Harvard-trained anesthesiologist who scored USMLE 270 with these 130+ high-yield flash cards. You’ll be begging for cardio questions - even if vitals make you queasy.

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