# how much usmle %age is needed for green card holder



## shb (Mar 14, 2009)

i am a green card holder & doing mbbs in pakistan.do i still need to get above 90% in usmle to get residency.or even less %age will suffice for me?


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## MastahRiz (Jan 26, 2006)

Actually, there really isn't a percentage score for the USMLE. People who say they got "99" are just talking about an arbitrary 2 digit score that is *not* the percentage but rather just a form of a scaled score which really doesn't mean anything these days. What you need to do is focus on the 3 digit score for the USMLE step 1, and that is graded out of 300. You should really hope to get something that is at least 235 or better.

If you get a 99, that could mean that you got 230, or 240, or higher, but to most residency program directors in the US, the 2 digit score is completely meaningless.


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## drmk90 (Sep 11, 2009)

i want to know that does green card help any in getting a residency?


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## MastahRiz (Jan 26, 2006)

Yes, it does.


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## Sam212 (Apr 3, 2006)

MastahRiz said:


> Actually, there really isn't a percentage score for the USMLE. People who say they got "99" are just talking about an arbitrary 2 digit score that is *not* the percentage but rather just a form of a scaled score which really doesn't mean anything these days. What you need to do is focus on the 3 digit score for the USMLE step 1, and that is graded out of 300. You should really hope to get something that is at least 235 or better.
> 
> If you get a 99, that could mean that you got 230, or 240, or higher, but to most residency program directors in the US, the 2 digit score is completely meaningless.



Actually, I was under the same impression that no one cared about the two digit score until a program director at our residency fair dropped a bomb on us. According to him, the program directors are well aware that a 2 digit score is an arbitrary number and does not represent the percentile score. However there are some old school docs on residency committees who vote for incoming residents based on 2 digit score because that's what they had in old days. At least that's what the case was at his university based IM program. A program director however can override any one's vote if he wants to though.


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