USMLE Exam 2022

The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is considered to be one of the toughest exams in the world qualifying you will be entitled to practice the esteemed profession of medicine in the United States of America. Jointly sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Board (FSMB) and National Board for Medical Examiners (NBME), USMLE is a 3 step examination.  If you aspire to enter the reputable profession of Medicine or pursue MD in the USA, the USMLE exam is the only gateway to your career aspirations. For those willing to explore the insights of this test, here is a blog that aims to elucidate the essential elements regarding it.

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Highlights

Name of the Exam	USMLE
Sponsored By	FSMB and NBME
Total Stages	3
Maximum Number of Attempts	6

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What is USMLE Exam?

Being one of the top medical entrance exams, there are three stages in this USMLE such as stage, stage 2, and stage 3 wherein stage 2 is further subdivided into 2 phases namely, stage 2 CK (Clinical Knowledge) and stage 2 CS (Clinical Skills). It is mandatory to clear all three steps to become a medical practitioner in the states. Candidates meeting the eligibility will be given the flexibility to choose the order of steps. However, step 3 can only be taken once you clear the first 2 steps. USMLE exam is a computer-based test except for the step CS test which will be conducted in offline mode. 

USMLE Exam Eligibility Criteria

After understanding what the USMLE examination is composed of, we must now have a look at what are the necessary requirements one must abide by for appearing in the examination. It is compulsory to fulfil each and every mentioned eligibility criteria, failing which the candidates will be exempted from taking the test. Following are some important stepwise prerequisites of the USMLE exam:

For Step 1, Step 2 CS and CK 

• Candidates must be a graduate or enrolled in a medical school outside the US or Canada which are mentioned in the World Directory of Medical School 
• Must meet the requirements under ECFMG criteria 
• Those who are dismissed or withdrawn from any medical school are not allowed to appear for the exam 

For Step 3

• Applicants must possess an MD degree or its equivalent from a medical institution out of the US and Canada registered under the World Directory of Medical Schools 
• It is necessary to qualify Step 1 and both parts of step 2
• Candidates must possess an ECFMG certificate

Note: The above-mentioned conditions are for indicative purposes, applicants must check the entire eligibility on the official website.

Exam Pattern for USMLE Exam

It is vital to carefully study the exam pattern before you go on with the preparation. Observing the exam format will help you get a better understanding of what will be the face of the question paper on the final day. Now let us take a detailed look at stepwise inclusions of the USMLE exam:

Step 1

Candidates’ skills regarding the usage of various principles and mechanisms related to health, disease, and modes of therapy along with basic sciences which will be required to practice the medicine:

Step	Format	Duration
Step 1	On Average 280  MCQs	One-day test session (approximately 8 hours)

Step 2 

The Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) examination will gauge the candidate’s knowledge regarding how the candidate will gather information about patients, perform physical examinations and other concepts.

Whereas Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) will assess how efficiently the examiners will use their skills, knowledge and understanding of the clinical science required for the provision of patient care:

Step	Format	Duration
Step 2 CS	12 patient cases in which 15 minutes to encounter patient whereas 10 minutes to draft records for each patient will be given	One-day test (8 Hours)
Step 2 CK	Around 318 MCQs	One-day test (9 hours)

Step 3

Abilities regarding the various application of medical knowledge about the understanding of biomedical and clinical science with an emphasis on patient management:

Step	Format	Duration
Step 3 Day 1 Foundation of Independent Practice (FIP)	Approximately 232 MCQs	Approximately 7 hours
Step 3 Day 2 Advanced Clinical Medicine (ACM)	Thirteen computer-based case simulation	Approximately 9 hours

Test Centres for USMLE Exam Across the Globe

Testing Region	Prometric Testing Centres Location	Surcharge
Canada	Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan	$0	$0
The United States and & its territories	All U.S. states and Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands	$0	$0
Asia	Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, the People’s Republic of China, the Philippines, and Singapore	$150(INR-11,123.36)	$170(INR-12606.48)
Australia	Australia and New Zealand	$150(INR-11,123.36)	$170(INR-12606.48)
Africa	Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda	$150(INR-11,123.36)	$170(INR-12606.48)
China	People’s Republic of China	$150(INR-11,123.36)	$170(INR-12606.48)
India	India	$150(INR-11,123.36)	$170(INR-12606.48)
Indonesia	Indonesia	$150(INR-11,123.36)	$170(INR-12606.48)
Latin America	Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela	$150(INR-11,123.36)	$170(INR-12606.48)
Middle East	Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates	$150(INR-11,123.36)	$170(INR-12606.48)
Thailand	Thailand	$150(INR-11,123.36)	$170(INR-12606.48)
Taiwan	Taiwan	$185(INR-13718.81)	$210(INR-15572.71)
Europe	Armenia, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and the UK	$185(INR-13718.81)	$210(INR-15572.71)
Korea	Korea	$185(INR-13718.81)	$210(INR-15572.71)
Japan	Japan	$365(INR-27066.85)	$410(INR-30403.06)

For Clinical Science

A total of 6 centres are available across the USA for Step 2 Clinical Science. The centres are subject to availability:

• Atlanta
• Chicago
• Houston,
• Los Angeles 
• Philadelphia. 

Anyone can apply through ECFMG (Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates).

USMLE 2023 Step 1 Dates

There are no set dates for the USMLE 2023 Step 1 exam. Instead, the candidate must select a time window during which they are eligible to take the test. However, the qualified period cannot include major holidays or the first week of January.

Eligibility Period

Step Component	Eligibility period and scheduling test date
Step 1	During registration, the applicant must select a 3-month eligibility period to take the test. A scheduling permit and eligibility period will be generated and sent to the candidate upon registration. To schedule the test, go to the Prometric website.

Number of Attempts for the USMLE Exam

• Assuming that you have endeavoured a Step at least multiple times, including fragmented endeavours, and have not passed, you are ineligible to apply for any Step in the USMLE test grouping.
• The number of attempts is controlled at Step 2 CS count toward the cutoff.
• The number of attempts at a Step is figured in with the cutoff, paying little mind to when the assessments were taken.
• Many state clinical studies state that all Steps of the USMLE test grouping be effectively finished inside a specific time span.
• You may not take the same Step more than three times within a 12-month period. 
• Your fourth attempt must be at least 12 months after your first attempt at that examination and at least six months after your most recent attempt at that examination.

Reference Books

Given below are some of the best books that can be considered to get a great score in the USMLE exam 2022:

Books	Links
USMLE Step 1 Qbook: 850 Exam-Like Practice Questions to Boost Your Score (USMLE Prep)	Click Here to Buy!
Crush Step 1: The Ultimate USMLE Step 1	Click Here to Buy!
First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 2022, Thirty-First Edition	Click Here to Buy!
USMLE Step 2 Secrets	Click Here to Buy!
Brochert’s Crush Step 3: The Ultimate USMLE Step 3	Click Here to Buy!

FAQs

These were all the essentials of the USMLE exam! If you want to pursue medicine from abroad or looking for overseas education amid the outbreak of coronavirus, register at Leverage Edu for an e-meeting with our world-class mentors.