A Concise Guide for USMLE 2023-24

The United States Medical Licensing Examination is referred to as the USMLE. It must be chosen by those who wish to practice medicine in the United States and is carried out in three phases. The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) and the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) provide funding for it.

Because they are connected to one another in assessing a person's abilities as a physician, each of the three phases of the exam must be passed. The first two steps have applicants who are still enrolled in medical schools. To become licensed in the United States, medical graduates must pass the third and final exam.

USMLE: Syllabus

Step 1

• Step 1 looks at a student's ability to apply medical science concepts to real-world problems and determines how well the student understands the practice of medicine. A strong emphasis is placed on the principles, concepts, and mechanisms involved in treating any health condition, as well as the recommended treatment options and other potential diseases and their causes.
• It ensures mastery of the scientific principles necessary to maintain competence through lifelong learning in addition to the science that serves as the foundation for current safe medical practice.
• The first step has two dimensions: system and process. It is constructed by integrating content that outlines fundamental concepts of varied science and medical theories.
• It is a one-day test that is broken up into seven blocks of one hour each and is given in eight-hour testing sessions. In any given test, there will be no more than 40 questions in each block. There should not be more than 280 questions all together.

Step-2 CK

• Step 2 CK looks at whether a person can put their skills, medical knowledge, and understanding of clinical science concepts to use in providing patient care under medical supervision, with a strong emphasis on health, disease prevention, and promotion.
• Step 2 CK ensures that consideration is given to the standards of clinical science and other essential patient-focused skills that are protected, capable and are viable.
• Step 2 CK is curated in accordance with a content outline that has been accumulated and organizes clinical science material into two main dimensions: physician duties and disease categories.
• Step 2 CK takes place over the course of one day. It is broken up into eight additional blocks of one hour each, which are carried out and supervised during a single 9-hour test session.

Step-3

• Step-3 assesses an alumni’s interpretation of clinical science, its application to genuine cases and is directed to conclude whether an individual is sufficiently qualified to be authorized and permitted to rehearse in the US.
• Experts in a variety of scientific disciplines, including medicine and physics, oversee and curate the examination.
• It mirrors a generalist thought of how clinical science works in the US.

What is focused on USMLE?

‘Step-1’ is divided into seven 1-hour segments and given as an 8-hour session test. It has processes connected with diverse subjects and therapies.

It incorporates the given items however isn't restricted to:

• Anatomy
• Pathology
• Micro-biology
• Bio-chemistry
• Biostatistics
• Pharmacology
• Physiology
• Behavioural science
• Nutrition
• Immunology
• Genetics
• Aging

Schedule for USMLE Step 2 CK incorporates however isn't restricted to:

• Proficiency in clinical science
• The fundamental concepts that are used
• Interacting with patients
• Abilities related to supervision
• Aptitude for patient care
• Ability to listen in order to comprehend the patient's health condition

The USMLE Step 3 syllabus includes, but is not limited to:

• Is the candidate able to practice on their own?
• skills for treating individuals
• Knowledge of clinical medicine
• Clinical professionalism

USMLE Exam Structure

• Each block in ‘Step-1’ contains a total of 40 questions, with a maximum of 280 multiple-choice questions.
• ‘Step-2’ has a maximum of 318 questions and is broken up into eight blocks of one-hour tests.
• A clinical skill test is also part of ‘Step-2’, which measures an applicant's ability to interpret and treat patients appropriately. Each patient is asked to talk about their problems for 15 minutes in one of 12 patient cases. The patient is given another 10 minutes to record any problems they have had.
• In ‘step-3’, 232 multiple-choice questions are divided up into six 1-hour blocks. The second day of the exam has 180 multiple-choice questions that are divided into 45-minute blocks. The applicant is required to complete 13 simulation cases in order to evaluate their practical expertise and knowledge. Each simulation lies in the scope of 10-20 minutes.

How do I sign up for USMLE?

Either the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) or the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) can be used to submit an application for Step 1.

• It can be processed by visiting the USMLE's official website.
• If you are a new user, you can register yourself or use your username and password to log in.
• Within one business day of registering, one can receive the new username and password details.
• Complete the required information to proceed.
• Get the payment done.

The procedure for submitting an application for Step 2 is the same. However, Step 3 has a different registration method. It can be applied for by registering on the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) portal.

Who is Qualified for USMLE?

A student can apply for the USMLE if they meet the following criteria:

• A student ought to be enrolled in a Canadian or American medical school.
• It ought to lead to an MD degree.
• It ought to have LCME accreditation.
• The applicant can also enroll in a program in the US that leads to a doctor of osteopathy (DO) degree and is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association.
• Students who are based and enrolled outside of the United States or Canada need to be part of the World Directory of Medical Schools.
• The student must fulfill ECFMG's requirements.

Exam Cost of USMLE

Fee for medical school graduates in the United States and Canada to take the exam:

This exam fee cannot be transferred between applications and is non-refundable. The fee for requesting a reevaluation of an applicant's sheets is $80, and your request must be made within 90 days of receiving your scorecard. Re-evaluation fees are also non-refundable.

One must also pay $70, which is nonrefundable, to extend eligibility.

Test Dates of USMLE

On major holidays, Step-1, Step-2 (Clinical Knowledge), and Step-3 are not tested. The first 14 days of January cannot be used to choose Step-3. Other given dates should be visible in the planning framework.

Results of the USMLE test

Within 4-weeks of taking the tests, the results for Step-1, Step-2 (Clinical Knowledge), and Step-3 are typically available. The scorecard notification should be available for at least 8-weeks, despite the fact that it may be delayed by a number of other factors. At the point when the scorecard will be prepared, applicants will get notice through mail and afterward they can sign into their record to get to the results. After its release, the scorecard can be viewed on the website for a full 365 days.