Program Step 1 Scores

There was an old thread about step one cut offs here: , but many of these cut offs are probably outdated. The true data really isn't out there and it seems that what most of us have to do is talk with residents to figure out which programs are really competitive to get into and assume that they go after the AOA folks. And of course that assumption is just that...who knows whether some folks got in with a 215 on step one but rotated at the program and really killed it.

I am from a west coast school and our cut off is 230. I would think that many big programs (if they even had a cut off) would have the cut off somewhere between 220-230, but that is just guess based on my own program.

Thanks for the heads up. How do you find out the level of programs? I have seen some people say a program was low, middle, upper tier orthopedic programs?

Some folks rank them by NIH funding, some my reputation, and some just make crap up. There is no gold standard. I would say its better to trust what your attendings say when it comes to that topic.