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Table 4 USMLE 1 cutoff scores predictive of NBME subject examination scores below the 10th percentile for each core clerkship

From: Predictors of medical school clerkship performance: a multispecialty longitudinal analysis of standardized examination scores and clinical assessments

NBME subject examination

USMLE 1 cutoff scoreb

Sensitivity, %

Specificity, %

Clerkship

10th percentilea

Internal medicine

68

≤223

77.1

77.9

Neurology

65

≤222

77.8

79.7

OB/GYN

65

≤222

81.3

80.4

Pediatrics

65

≤222

80.0

79.9

Psychiatry

67

≤223

78.7

77.9

Surgery

63

≤220

82.6

83.0

  1. Abbreviations: NBME National board of medical examiners, OB/GYN Obstetrics and gynecology, USMLE 1 United States medical licensing examination step 1
  2. aTen percent of 435 students scored at or below this threshold
  3. bCutoff scores were selected to maximize sensitivity and specificity