Key result
Orthopedic surgery residency applicants who included a Step 2 CK score on their application had significantly lower Step 1 scores (244.3) compared to those who did not include a Step 2 CK score (250.7).
Why the study?
Orthopedic surgery applicants do not universally include Step 2 CK scores on applications and current inclusion rates are not yet reported, especially as Step 1 transitions to pass/fail scoring.
Cross-Sectional (n=1,688)
No
Absolute Event Rate: 244.3% vs 250.7%
p-value: p=<0.0001
Orthopedic surgery applicants who do not report Step 2 CK scores have higher Step 1 scores on average, and those with lower Step 1 scores are more likely to improve their percentile on Step 2 CK.
May reflect selective reporting by applicants; leaves open effects on orthopedic residency selection.
At present, orthopedic surgery applicants do not universally include Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (Step 2 CK) scores on their applications and current inclusion rates are not yet reported. As Step 1 transitions to pass/fail scoring, we suspect more applicants will include Step 2 CK scores. We sought to identify what percentage of applications currently include Step 2 CK, if applicants who include Step 2 CK (Step 1+CK) score lower on Step 1 than those not including Step 2 CK (Step 1-CK), and what correlations exist between Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores among those who include the scores on their applications.
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Bigach et al. (2021) conducted a cross-sectional in Orthopedic surgery residency applicants (n=1,688). Inclusion of USMLE Step 2 CK score on application vs. Non-inclusion of USMLE Step 2 CK score was evaluated on Mean USMLE Step 1 score (p=<0.0001). Orthopedic surgery residency applicants who included a Step 2 CK score on their application had significantly lower Step 1 scores (244.3) compared to those who did not include a Step 2 CK score (250.7).
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