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Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

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If You Delayed Step 1 Into the P/F Era: Navigating the Gray Zone
Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

If You Delayed Step 1 Into the P/F Era: Navigating the Gray Zone

Delayed Step 1 into the pass/fail era? Learn to focus on Step 2 CK, clinical grades, research, and strong letters to boost residency match chances.

Overcorrecting for Pass/Fail: CV Errors PDs See from Your Cohort
Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

Overcorrecting for Pass/Fail: CV Errors PDs See from Your Cohort

How to Use Clerkships to Replace the Signaling Power of Step 1
Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

How to Use Clerkships to Replace the Signaling Power of Step 1

Thinking Step 1 Doesn’t Matter Now? 7 Career-Limiting Assumptions
Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

Thinking Step 1 Doesn’t Matter Now? 7 Career-Limiting Assumptions

Clerkship Grades vs Step 2: What PDs Privately Say They Trust Most
Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

Clerkship Grades vs Step 2: What PDs Privately Say They Trust Most

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How Many More Applications Are Students Sending After Step 1 P/F?
Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

How Many More Applications Are Students Sending After Step 1 P/F?

Explore how Step 1 pass/fail increased residency applications ~15–30%, why students apply more, and tips to manage post-P/F application inflation.

How PDs Really Use Pass/Fail Step 1 to Sort Your Application
Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

How PDs Really Use Pass/Fail Step 1 to Sort Your Application

Discover how PDs use Step 1 pass/fail to screen residency applications - what replaced it (Step 2 CK, school, grades) and how to improve your chances.

The Backchannel Conversations About Step 1 Pass/Fail You Don’t Hear
Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

The Backchannel Conversations About Step 1 Pass/Fail You Don’t Hear

Reveals how residency PDs secretly replaced Step 1 with Step 2 CK, school reputation, clinical grades, and 'hooks' after pass/fail.

Gap Year Timing: When It Still Makes Sense After Step 1 P/F
Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

Gap Year Timing: When It Still Makes Sense After Step 1 P/F

Decide if and when a gap year still helps after Step 1 pass/fail: timing, Step 2 strategy, research boosts, and month-by-month action plan.

What Committees Now Scrutinize Instead of Step 1 Scores
Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

What Committees Now Scrutinize Instead of Step 1 Scores

Discover what residency committees now scrutinize instead of Step 1 scores — Step 2 CK, school reputation, clerkship grades, letters, research, professionalism.

Crafting LOR Requests That Compensate for Missing Step 1 Numbers
Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

Crafting LOR Requests That Compensate for Missing Step 1 Numbers

The New Red Flags: Missteps Schools Notice Instead of Step 1 Scores
Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

The New Red Flags: Missteps Schools Notice Instead of Step 1 Scores

Already Took Step 1 as Numeric, Now Everything Is P/F: What to Do
Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

Already Took Step 1 as Numeric, Now Everything Is P/F: What to Do

Building a ‘Safety Net’ Profile for Competitive Fields Without Step 1
Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

Building a ‘Safety Net’ Profile for Competitive Fields Without Step 1

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Latest

Will Step 1 P/F Hurt My Chances at Highly Competitive Residencies?

Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

Step 1 Pass/Fail Strategy: A Concrete Plan to Stand Out Anyway

Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

Residency Application Season: Key Deadlines in the New Testing Order

Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

Inside Ranking Meetings: What Matters More Than Step 1 Now

Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

Did Step 1 P/F Level the Playing Field? Winners and Losers Exposed

Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

If Your Step 1 Prep Burned You Out Before Clinical Year Starts

Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

Terrified My Pass Looks Weak Next to Prior Numeric Step 1 Scores

Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

Why Some PDs Secretly Miss Numeric Step 1 (and How They Adjusted)

Step 1 Pass/Fail Era

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Micro and Pharm Retention When Step 1 Is P/F but Step 2 Isn’t

Micro and Pharm Retention When Step 1 Is P/F but Step 2 Isn’t

Myth: Pass/Fail Step 1 Made Matching ‘Easier’ for Everyone

Myth: Pass/Fail Step 1 Made Matching ‘Easier’ for Everyone

Transferring Schools After Step 1 P/F: How Records Are Interpreted

Transferring Schools After Step 1 P/F: How Records Are Interpreted

Treating Preclinical as ‘Low Stakes’ After P/F: Silent GPA Traps

Treating Preclinical as ‘Low Stakes’ After P/F: Silent GPA Traps

How Basic Science Questions Changed After Step 1 Went Pass/Fail

How Basic Science Questions Changed After Step 1 Went Pass/Fail

How Do I Explain a Delayed Step 1 in My Residency Application?

How Do I Explain a Delayed Step 1 in My Residency Application?

What If My School Doesn’t Rank Students? P/F + No Rank Panic Guide

What If My School Doesn’t Rank Students? P/F + No Rank Panic Guide

Shadowing and Research Pitfalls in the Post–Step 1 Score World

Shadowing and Research Pitfalls in the Post–Step 1 Score World

Are Honors Grades Upgraded After P/F Step 1? Grade Inflation Data

Are Honors Grades Upgraded After P/F Step 1? Grade Inflation Data

Geographic Match Drift After Step 1 P/F: Who Still Matches Home?

Geographic Match Drift After Step 1 P/F: Who Still Matches Home?

Step 1 P/F Study Habits That Sabotage Step 2 CK Performance Later

Step 1 P/F Study Habits That Sabotage Step 2 CK Performance Later

How Research and Class Rank Quietly Became the New Step 1

How Research and Class Rank Quietly Became the New Step 1

No Score, No Problem? Why Some Applicants Still Get Screened Out

No Score, No Problem? Why Some Applicants Still Get Screened Out

Step 2 CK as a Filter: New Score Thresholds Emerging by Specialty

Step 2 CK as a Filter: New Score Thresholds Emerging by Specialty

Ignoring Class Rank in a Step 1 P/F Era: Why It’s a Costly Error

Ignoring Class Rank in a Step 1 P/F Era: Why It’s a Costly Error

Misusing Extra Free Time After P/F Step 1: Habits to Avoid Early

Misusing Extra Free Time After P/F Step 1: Habits to Avoid Early

Scared I Wasted My Preclinical Years After Step 1 Went P/F—Now What?

Scared I Wasted My Preclinical Years After Step 1 Went P/F—Now What?

If Your Class Is Mixed: Competing Against Peers With Step 1 Scores

If Your Class Is Mixed: Competing Against Peers With Step 1 Scores

How Hard Should I Study for a Pass/Fail Step 1 Without Burning Out?

How Hard Should I Study for a Pass/Fail Step 1 Without Burning Out?

Pass/Fail Step 1 Didn’t Kill ‘Gun-Gunners’—It Just Moved the Goalpost

Pass/Fail Step 1 Didn’t Kill ‘Gun-Gunners’—It Just Moved the Goalpost

Early USMLE-Style Clinical Reasoning Drills for the P/F Generation

Early USMLE-Style Clinical Reasoning Drills for the P/F Generation

Building Foundational Pathophysiology in a Low-Pressure Step 1 Era

Building Foundational Pathophysiology in a Low-Pressure Step 1 Era

Myth: Research Is Now Mandatory Because Step 1 Went P/F

Myth: Research Is Now Mandatory Because Step 1 Went P/F

Step 1 Pass/Fail Era Mistakes That Quietly Kill Competitive Dreams

Step 1 Pass/Fail Era Mistakes That Quietly Kill Competitive Dreams

From UWorld to Wards: Translating Step 1-Style Vignettes to MS3

From UWorld to Wards: Translating Step 1-Style Vignettes to MS3

If Your Preclinical GPA Is Mediocre in a P/F Step 1 Landscape

If Your Preclinical GPA Is Mediocre in a P/F Step 1 Landscape

MS3 Month-by-Month Plan to Replace the Old Step 1 ‘Signal’

MS3 Month-by-Month Plan to Replace the Old Step 1 ‘Signal’

No Step 1 Score? How to Build a Reassuring Academic Narrative

No Step 1 Score? How to Build a Reassuring Academic Narrative

Core Clerkship Grades vs Step 2: Predictors of Match in P/F Era

Core Clerkship Grades vs Step 2: Predictors of Match in P/F Era

Does Step 1 Still Matter Now That It’s Pass/Fail? A Clear Breakdown

Does Step 1 Still Matter Now That It’s Pass/Fail? A Clear Breakdown

Creating an Integrated Anki System That Survives Step 1 and Step 2

Creating an Integrated Anki System That Survives Step 1 and Step 2

Is Step 2 CK the New Step 1? What the Early Data Actually Shows

Is Step 2 CK the New Step 1? What the Early Data Actually Shows

Did Step 1 P/F Widen or Close Gaps Between Schools? Early Trends

Did Step 1 P/F Widen or Close Gaps Between Schools? Early Trends

Vertical Integration: Using Organ Systems to Future-Proof Step 2 CK

Vertical Integration: Using Organ Systems to Future-Proof Step 2 CK

Research Output vs Step Scores: What Matters More Post–Step 1 P/F?

Research Output vs Step Scores: What Matters More Post–Step 1 P/F?

How to Pivot Your Study Plan from Step 1 Scores to Step 2 Mastery

How to Pivot Your Study Plan from Step 1 Scores to Step 2 Mastery

What Do Programs Actually Use as ‘Cutoffs’ Without Step 1 Scores?

What Do Programs Actually Use as ‘Cutoffs’ Without Step 1 Scores?

Using Shelf Exams as Your Real Metric in the Step 1 P/F Landscape

Using Shelf Exams as Your Real Metric in the Step 1 P/F Landscape

When to Schedule Step 2 CK in a World Without Step 1 Numbers

When to Schedule Step 2 CK in a World Without Step 1 Numbers

Did Step 1 Pass/Fail Ruin My Chances at a Competitive Specialty?

Did Step 1 Pass/Fail Ruin My Chances at a Competitive Specialty?

Considering a Research Year Just Because of Step 1 P/F? Read This

Considering a Research Year Just Because of Step 1 P/F? Read This

MS1 Year: What to Front-Load Now That Step 1 Is Pass/Fail

MS1 Year: What to Front-Load Now That Step 1 Is Pass/Fail

What If I Barely Passed Step 1? How Much Do PDs Actually Care?

What If I Barely Passed Step 1? How Much Do PDs Actually Care?

Fourth-Year Milestones: Auditions and Research in the P/F Era

Fourth-Year Milestones: Auditions and Research in the P/F Era

Does Being the First Step 1 P/F Class Help or Hurt Me Overall?

Does Being the First Step 1 P/F Class Help or Hurt Me Overall?

Should I Take Step 1 Earlier or Later Now That It’s P/F?

Should I Take Step 1 Earlier or Later Now That It’s P/F?

MS2 Timeline: When to Pivot from Step 1 Content to Step 2 Strategy

MS2 Timeline: When to Pivot from Step 1 Content to Step 2 Strategy

Is School Name More Important After Step 1 P/F? Sorting Fact From Fear

Is School Name More Important After Step 1 P/F? Sorting Fact From Fear

Anxious About Being the First P/F Cohort: How Programs See You

Anxious About Being the First P/F Cohort: How Programs See You

Comparing Pre- and Post-P/F Match Rates in Competitive Fields

Comparing Pre- and Post-P/F Match Rates in Competitive Fields

Afraid Step 2 CK Is Now ‘All or Nothing’? Managing the Pressure

Afraid Step 2 CK Is Now ‘All or Nothing’? Managing the Pressure

Deep Dive: How Question Banks Quietly Shifted Post–Step 1 P/F

Deep Dive: How Question Banks Quietly Shifted Post–Step 1 P/F

Preclinical to Clinical: Bridging Knowledge in the P/F Step 1 Era

Preclinical to Clinical: Bridging Knowledge in the P/F Step 1 Era

The Six Months After Step 1: Maximizing the P/F Transition Window

The Six Months After Step 1: Maximizing the P/F Transition Window

Switching Specialties Post–Step 1 P/F: How to Reposition Yourself

Switching Specialties Post–Step 1 P/F: How to Reposition Yourself

Worried You Have No ‘Spike’ Without a Step 1 Score? Options Left

Worried You Have No ‘Spike’ Without a Step 1 Score? Options Left

Designing a High-Impact CV When Step 1 Is Off the Table

Designing a High-Impact CV When Step 1 Is Off the Table

MS1–MS4 Roadmap: Standing Out in the Step 1 Pass/Fail Generation

MS1–MS4 Roadmap: Standing Out in the Step 1 Pass/Fail Generation

Behind the Scenes: The New Unspoken Cutoffs in a Step 1 P/F World

Behind the Scenes: The New Unspoken Cutoffs in a Step 1 P/F World

Should I Prioritize Research or Shelf Honors After Step 1 P/F?

Should I Prioritize Research or Shelf Honors After Step 1 P/F?

I Didn’t ‘Grind’ for P/F Step 1—Will That Haunt My Step 2 CK?

I Didn’t ‘Grind’ for P/F Step 1—Will That Haunt My Step 2 CK?

Do PDs Now Ignore Preclinical Years? The Evidence Says Otherwise

Do PDs Now Ignore Preclinical Years? The Evidence Says Otherwise

Is It Smart to Schedule Step 2 CK Soon After a P/F Step 1?

Is It Smart to Schedule Step 2 CK Soon After a P/F Step 1?

How Match Outcomes Shifted in the First Years of Step 1 Pass/Fail

How Match Outcomes Shifted in the First Years of Step 1 Pass/Fail

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