United States Medical Licensing Examination Explained

Image Alt:USMLE logo
Acronym:USMLE
Purpose:Medical licensure in the United States
Type:Computer-based, three-part sequence, standardized test
Test Admin:Federation of State Medical Boards, National Board of Medical Examiners
Skills Tested:STEP 1: Application of scientific principles basic to the practice of medicine
STEP 2: Application of medical knowledge, skills, and understanding of clinical science essential for supervised patient care
STEP 3: Application of medical knowledge and understanding of biomedical and clinical science essential for the unsupervised practice of medicine
Duration:STEP 1: 8 hours[1]
STEP 2: 9 hours[2]
STEP 3 (Day 1): 7 hours
STEP 3 (Day 2): 9 hours[3]
Score Range:STEP 1: pass/fail
STEP 2: 1-300 (214 to pass)[4]
STEP 3: 1-300 (198 to pass)
Offered:Year round
Regions:Globally at a Prometric centers for Step 1 and Step 2 CK; at a U.S. Prometric centers for Step 3
Language:English
Test Takers:More than 100,000 medical school students and graduates (2020)[5] [6]
Fee:STEP 1: US$645.00
STEP 2: US$645.00[7]
STEP 3: US$895.00[8]
Score Users:State medical boards in the U.S. and U.S. Territories

The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is a three-step examination program for medical licensure in the United States sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME).[9] Physicians with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree are required to pass the USMLE for medical licensure. However, those with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (DO) are required to take the COMLEX-USA (COMLEX) exams but may also sit for the USMLE as well.[10] [11]

States may enact additional testing and/or licensing requirements.[12]

History

The USMLE was created in the early 1990s.[13] The program replaced the multiple examinations, including the NBME Part Examination program and the FSMB's Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX) program, that offered paths to medical licensing in the medical profession.[14]

The examination was originally imparted using pencil and paper. In 1999, computerized examination delivery was included.

In 2004, an examination with standardized patients to assess clinical-skills was added to Step 2 of the USMLE (Step 2 Clinical Skills), and required for licensure beginning with the medical school graduating class of 2005.[15] During the COVID-19 pandemic, USMLE Step 2CS was initially suspended and later discontinued.[16]

A review of the program was enacted in 2009. USMLE claimed it was done with the intention of orienting the examination to support the licensing decisions made by medical boards, transitioning the exam to a competencies schema and emphasizing the importance of scientific foundations of medicine throughout the examination sequence. They also aimed to continue the assessment of clinical skill and interpretation of clinical information.

USMLE announced a move to a pass/fail model on February 12, 2020, along with other changes. They claimed this was done in an attempt by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) to balance focus between exams and actual coursework. The change became effective in 2022.[17]

Description and purpose

The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is required for medical licensure in the United States by all graduates of M.D.-granting American medical schools as well as all graduates of international medical schools. It consists of three examinations:[18]

Previously, USMLE included a clinical skills portion called USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills. It was discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic.[19]

Step 1 and 2 are typically completed by U.S. medical students during medical school, while Step 3 is usually taken by the end of the first year of residency.[20] While the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK exams can be taken at Prometric test centers worldwide, the Step 3 can only be taken in the United States.[21]

The USMLE is sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME).[22] They developed it originally to provide state medical boards in the United States with a common examination for all licensure applicants.[23] However, over time it has also been extensively used by residency programs to predict residency performance and screen residents for selection during the National Resident Matching Program.[24]

Even though it was estimated that at least 60% of osteopathic medical students took at least one USMLE exam in 2020, physicians with D.O. degree are not required to take the USMLE for licensure or graduation. They are licensed as physicians by passing Parts I, II, and III of the COMLEX examination from the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners.[25]

Eligibility

As of 2024, to be eligible for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), candidates must meet specific criteria based on the step of the exam they are applying for:

Step 1 and Step 2 CK:

Candidates must fall into one of the following categories at the time of application and on the day of the examination:

Step 3:

To be eligible for Step 3, candidates must:

The USMLE program also recommends that applicants for Step 3 have completed, or be near completion of, at least one year of postgraduate training in an accredited U.S. graduate medical education program that satisfies state board licensing requirements.[26]

Pass rates by exam

Overall pass rates for the individual Step exams that comprise the USMLE[27] !!Years of data!U.S. M.D. medical school examinees!(US 1st-time takers)!U.S. D.O. medical school examinees!(US DO 1st time)!Examinees from Non-US/Canadian Schools!(Int'l 1st time)
Step 1(2021)95%96%94%94%77%82%
Step 2 CK(2020-2021)98%99%98%98%88%91%
Step 3(2021)97%98%97%97%87%91%

Controversies

USMLE response to COVID-19

The USMLE was met with criticism for their lack of adaptability during the COVID-19 pandemic. The criticism was two-fold: First, for the mishandling and poor communication of exam cancellations by both USMLE program administrators and the third-party exam administrator, Prometric. Second, the pandemic crisis exacerbated existing resentment towards the high-stakes nature of the exam: namely, several students and physicians were upset that the USMLE refused to move up the 2022 deadline of making Step 1 into a pass or fail exam.[28] [29] [30] [31]

Racial differences in outcome associated with the use of USMLE Step 1 scores to grant residency interviews

A study conducted in 2020 showed differences in USMLE Step 1 scores attributable to race and ethnicity, with lower mean scores for self-identified Black, Asian, and Hispanic examinees when compared with self-identified White examinees. The mean effect was larger when comparing Caucasian applicants (223) with Black and Hispanic applicants (216).[32] Depending on the threshold score, an African American was 3–6x less likely to be offered an interview."[33] "61% of minority applicants were accepted into an orthopaedic residency versus 73% of White applicants. White and Asian applicants and residents had higher USMLE Step 1. White applicants and matriculated candidates had higher odds of Alpha Omega Alpha membership compared with Black, Hispanic, and other groups.[34] [35] [36] [37] In 2020, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Association of American Medical Colleges expressed their support for changing Step 1 to pass or fail, in part to reduce racial bias.[38] [39] [33]

Financial considerations

The US Medical Licensing Examinations have received criticism due to their high cost. As of 2023, the USMLE charges (in U.S. dollars):

As part of a broader public plea for systemic changes to the improper use of USMLE exams, STAT wrote that this "multimillion-dollar industry has exploited the opportunity to extract thousands of dollars from already overly indebted students. Registering for STEP exams test cost $645–1300, while Step preparation materials and courses run much higher."[43]

Similar exams

In other countries

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External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Step 1 | USMLE .
  2. Web site: Step 2 CK | USMLE .
  3. Web site: Step 3 Exam Content | USMLE .
  4. Web site: Change to Step 2 CK Passing Standard Begins July 1, 2022 | USMLE .
  5. Web site: Overview | USMLE .
  6. Web site: Performance Data | USMLE .
  7. Web site: Taking the USMLE® | NBME .
  8. Web site: FSMB | Step 3 FAQ .
  9. Web site: Who is USMLE?. www.usmle.org. 2016-08-18.
  10. Web site: FSMB | State Specific Requirements for Initial Medical Licensure. www.fsmb.org.
  11. Roberts . William L. . Gross . Gretta A. . Gimpel . John R. . Smith . Larissa L. . Arnhart . Katie . Pei . Xiaomei . Young . Aaron . An Investigation of the Relationship Between COMLEX-USA Licensure Examination Performance and State Licensing Board Disciplinary Actions . Academic Medicine . June 2020 . 95 . 6 . 925–930 . 10.1097/ACM.0000000000003046 . 31626002 . 204775566 . free .
  12. Web site: FSMB | State Specific Requirements for Initial Medical Licensure. www.fsmb.org. Oct 16, 2022.
  13. Chaudhry . Humayun J. . Katsufrakis . Peter J. . Tallia . Alfred F. . 26 May 2020 . The USMLE Step 1 Decision: An Opportunity for Medical Education and Training . JAMA . 323 . 20 . 2017–2018 . 10.1001/jama.2020.3198 . 32142115 . 212565897.
  14. Haist . Steven A. . Katsufrakis . Peter J. . Dillon . Gerard F. . 4 December 2013 . The Evolution of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE): Enhancing Assessment of Practice-Related Competencies . JAMA . 310 . 21 . 2245–2246 . 10.1001/jama.2013.282328 . 24302081.
  15. 10.1056/NEJMp038246. The Step 2 Clinical-Skills Examination. 2004. Papadakis. Maxine A.. New England Journal of Medicine. 350. 17. 1703–1705. 15102993.
  16. Web site: Work to relaunch USMLE Step 2 CS discontinued | USMLE .
  17. Web site: USMLE Step 1 Is Now Pass/Fail - Who Benefits From This Big Change?. Kristen. Moon. Forbes.
  18. Cangialosi . Peter T. . Chung . Brian C. . Thielhelm . Torin P. . Camarda . Nicholas D. . Eiger . Dylan S. . March 2021 . Medical Students' Reflections on the Recent Changes to the USMLE Step Exams . Academic Medicine . 96 . 3 . 343–348 . 10.1097/ACM.0000000000003847 . 8081295 . 33208676.
  19. Rajesh . Aashish . Desai . Tej J. . Patnaik . Ronit . Asaad . Malke . September 2021 . Termination of the USMLE Step 2 CS: Perspectives of Surgical Residents with Diverse Medical Backgrounds . Journal of Surgical Research . 265 . 60–63 . 10.1016/j.jss.2021.03.031 . 33878577 . 233325795.
  20. DeZee . Kent J. . Artino . Anthony R. . Elnicki . D. Michael . Hemmer . Paul A. . Durning . Steven J. . July 2012 . Medical education in the United States of America . Medical Teacher . 34 . 7 . 521–525 . 10.3109/0142159X.2012.668248 . 22489971 . 30137802.
  21. Web site: Test Locations . 23 May 2021 . USMLE.org.
  22. Bernstein . Joseph . December 2016 . Not the Last Word: Ending The Residency Application Arms Race—Starting with the USMLE . Clinical Orthopaedics & Related Research . 474 . 12 . 2571–2576 . 10.1007/s11999-016-5108-5 . 5085960 . 27730419.
  23. McGaghie . William C. . Cohen . Elaine R. . Wayne . Diane B. . January 2011 . Are United States Medical Licensing Exam Step 1 and 2 Scores Valid Measures for Postgraduate Medical Residency Selection Decisions? . Academic Medicine . 86 . 1 . 48–52 . 10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181ffacdb . 21099388 . 10314481 . free.
  24. Thundiyil . Josef G. . Modica . Renee F. . Silvestri . Salvatore . Papa . Linda . January 2010 . Do United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Scores Predict In-Training Test Performance for Emergency Medicine Residents? . The Journal of Emergency Medicine . 38 . 1 . 65–69 . 10.1016/j.jemermed.2008.04.010 . 18950974.
  25. Ahmed . Harris . Carmody . J. Bryan . February 2022 . COMLEX-USA and USMLE for Osteopathic Medical Students: Should We Duplicate, Divide, or Unify? . Journal of Graduate Medical Education . 14 . 1 . 60–63 . 10.4300/JGME-D-21-01196.1 . 8848882 . 35222822.
  26. Web site: Bulletin of Information Eligibility . 2024-08-14 . www.usmle.org.
  27. Web site: 2019 Performance Data. www.usmle.org. 2021-04-17.
  28. Web site: Murphy . Brendan . Delays, miscommunications add even more stress to USMLE Step exams . American Medical Association . en . 2 June 2020.
  29. Web site: Step 1 in the Time of COVID. May 8, 2020. in-Training.
  30. Web site: Krupp . Lexi . USMLE Testing Chaos May Harm Current and Future Doctors . Medscape . Medscape LLC . 3 October 2020 . 15 June 2020.
  31. Web site: Frellick . Marcia . Students Upset by USMLE Response to COVID-19 Demand Changes . Medscape . Medscape LLC . 4 May 2020.
  32. 10.1002/hsr2.161. The impact of United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) step 1 cutoff scores on recruitment of underrepresented minorities in medicine: A retrospective cross-sectional study. 2020. Williams. Myia. Kim. Eun Ji. Pappas. Karalyn. Uwemedimo. Omolara. Marrast. Lyndonna. Pekmezaris. Renee. Martinez. Johanna. Health Science Reports. 3. 2. e2161. 32318628. 7170452.
  33. Edmond . Michael B. . Deschenes . Jennifer L. . Eckler . Maia . Wenzel . Richard P. . Racial Bias in Using USMLE Step 1 Scores to Grant Internal Medicine Residency Interviews . Academic Medicine . December 2001 . 76 . 12 . 1253–1256 . 10.1097/00001888-200112000-00021 . 11739053 . 7029050 . free .
  34. Poon . Selina . Nellans . Kate . Rothman . Alyssa . Crabb . Rocio A.L. . Wendolowski . Stephen F. . Kiridly . Daniel . Gecelter . Rachel . Gorroochurn . Prakash . Chahine . Nadeen O. . Underrepresented Minority Applicants Are Competitive for Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Programs, but Enter Residency at Lower Rates . Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons . November 2019 . 27 . 21 . e957–e968 . 10.5435/JAAOS-D-17-00811 . 30614894 . 58640209 .
  35. Web site: Should the USMLE be pass/fail?. AAMC.
  36. News: live scores . 6 April 2023.
  37. Web site: USMLE Step 1 moves to pass-fail: Answers to 7 key questions. American Medical Association.
  38. Web site: USMLE Step 1 Scoring Change Removes a Harmful Barrier to Holistic Specialty Selection. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20200416212943/https://www.aafp.org/media-center/releases-statements/all/2020/usmle-step-1-scoring-change-removes-a-harmful-barrier-to-holistic-specialty-selection.html. 2020-04-16.
  39. Web site: USMLE Change Benefits Students, Reflects AAFP Guidance. www.aafp.org.
  40. Web site: Exam Fees: United States Medical Licensing Examination . www.nbme.org . July 22, 2023.
  41. Web site: Fees Overview. ECFMG . July 22, 2023.
  42. Web site: Step 3 Application Fees . Federation of State Medical Boards . July 22, 2023.
  43. Web site: Step 1 test for medical students should be pass/fail. March 8, 2019.
  44. Web site: Saudi Medical Licensing Exam.
  45. Web site: Medical Examination - LMRA. 28 March 2021. 19 April 2021.
  46. Web site: Knowledge test for doctors.

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