What is the USMLE?
The USMLE is the United States Medical Licensing Exam. It is a three-step national standardized test for medical licensing in each of the 50 states and outlaying territories. All MDs are required to take the test to become licensed and practice medicine in the United States. DOs take a similar test known as the COMLEX. View FAQ describing the difference between the COMLEX and USMLE.
Who administers the test?
The USMLE is sponsored by a committee consisting of representatives of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMGSM), the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) of the United States, the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), and the public. The Composite Committee establishes policies and procedures for the USMLE program. The USMLE website is at http://www.usmle.org.
Can I bypass the USMLE and still become a physician?
Some medical schools require that you take and pass the USMLE in order to graduate. Technically if your school does not have that requirement, you can become a physician without taking the USMLE. However, you will not be licensed to practice anywhere.
Why do residency programs require the USMLE?
Medical schools have different grading standards which cannot easily be compared, so program rely on the USMLE to compare the academic strengths of each applicant.
The USMLE is not the only factor in selection. Obviously grades, letters of recommendation and where you went to school are key factors in granting interviews.
Which USMLE is the most important for residency?
The most important USMLE score is the first one. When you’re applying for residency, you will often not have the results of your second USMLE test. However, if you apply for fellowships after residency, they will want to see all 3 steps of the USMLE. Generally you will want to put a lot of effort into the first two steps of the USMLE to maximize your score.
How can I do well on the USMLE?
Most medical students have mastered the skill of taking multiple-choice tests, which is how they got into medical school in the first place! So you can be assured that scoring high on the USMLE will be harder than it was even for the MCAT.
We recommend studying the same way you did for the MCAT:
- Starting half-way through your MS-II year, get a solid review book or take a USMLE review course
- Study daily, make it a routine
- Take a sample test a few months before the actual USMLE to find the areas that you need to focus on the most
- Participate in the popular USMLE and COMLEX Forums on SDN
- Do as many sample questions as possible
- Do as many sample questions as possible
- Repeat a sample test every month prior to the USMLE to ensure you are not missing any areas.
- The day before, test, exercise, eat well. Get a good night’s sleep the day before the test.
