The USMLE, or “United States Medical Licensing Examination”, is a 3-stage exam that everyone who wants to practice medicine in the USA (including those who have graduated from medical schools in the United States) must take.
The USMLE is owned by two organizations: the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME).
The “United States Medical Licensing Examination” is the general name for a series of exams required to apply for state licenses to practice medicine in the United States. Passing the USMLE Step 1, USMLE Step 2 CK and USMLE Step 2 CS exams can be entered on the path to specialization in the USA. The USMLE Step 3 exam, on the other hand, is required to apply for a “full” license, not to enter the specialty path. Fully licensed physicians can apply for an H-1 visa in some states.
Who is preparing the USMLE Exam Questions?
Members of USMLE Examination committees include biomedical scientists, educators, and clinicians serving in various regions of the United States. Nearly all LCME accredited medical schools in the United States have been represented on USMLE testing committees. USMLE Examination committee members represent a “national medical school” drawn from medical schools, state health boards, and clinical practice settings throughout the United States. You can view the list of 2020 volunteers here*.
What are the USMLE Stages?
Step 1
The USMLE Step 1 Exam is an exam consisting of questions provided by faculty members of medical schools located in the United States of America, where basic medical sciences are tested. The USMLE Level 1 exam is the first of all USMLE exams and is one of the requirements of the ECFMG certification, and the NBME organization is responsible for its content.
Step 2 CK
The USMLE Step 2 CK (Clinical Knowledge) exam is an exam in which clinical sciences are tested and the content is prepared by faculty members of medical schools in the United States. The USMLE Step 2 CK exam is the second of all USMLE exams and is divided into two parts in itself. While the first part of the Step 2 exam is only a theoretical exam that tests clinical knowledge, Step Two CS (Clinical Skills) is an exam that tests the practical application of clinical knowledge (such as patient examination) and tests theoretical and practical knowledge together. This part covers the theoretical examination, the mechanisms of diseases, etiology, pathophysiology and treatment modalities in the most general sense.
Step Two (2) CS
Step 2 (Clinical Skills) exam is the second step of the second level USMLE exams described as Step 2. This exam is an exam in which practical applications are tested in addition to the first step, the Step 2 CK exam. This exam is administered in 5 different centers in the United States: Los Angeles (CA), Chicago (IL), Philadelphia (PA), Atlanta (GA) and Houston (TX).
USMLE Step 3
Step 3 assesses whether you can apply medical knowledge and understanding of biomedical and clinical science essential for the unsupervised practice of medicine, with emphasis on patient management in ambulatory settings. However; It is the final examination in the USMLE sequence leading to a license to practice medicine without supervision.
Eligibility for the Steps
STEP
REQUIREMENTS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
STEP 1
and STEP 2
Clinical Knowledge (CK)
- Officially enrolled in, or a graduate of, a US or Canadian medical school leading to the MD degree (LCME accredited), OR
- Officially enrolled in, or a graduate of, a US medical school leading to the DO degree (COCA accredited), OR
- Officially enrolled in, or a graduate of, a medical school outside the US and Canada listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools as meeting ECFMG eligibility requirements, and meet other ECFMG criteria
- Must meet eligibility requirements at time of application AND on test day
- If you are dismissed or withdraw(n) from medical school, you are not eligible for the USMLE, even if you are appealing the school’s decision or are otherwise contesting your status
STEP 3
- Possess the MD degree (or its equivalent) or the DO degree from an LCME- or COCA-accredited US or Canadian medical school or from a medical school outside the US and Canada listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools as meeting ECFMG eligibility requirements, AND
- Pass Step 1 and Step 2 CK, AND
- Possess ECFMG Certification if you are a graduate of a medical school outside the US and Canada
- Must meet eligibility requirements at time of application AND on test day
