Transcript United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)

United States Medical
Licensing Examination
(USMLE)
Dr. Muhammad Asim
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral
Sciences, Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad
USMLE

Step 1
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Step 2
CK (clinical knowledge)
 CS (clinical skills)
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Step 3
USMLE Step 1
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Subjects
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Avg. time required to prepare
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8- 12H/day, 6 days a week for 5-12M, try to be consistent
Fee
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Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology,
Behavioral sciences, Pathology, Microbiology.
740$+140$ (International Test Delivery surcharges) =880$
Test centers

Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi
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Date of exam
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Every Wednesday, Thursday throughout the year
Exam format
Computer based exam
 Total exam time
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Tutorial
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8H (1 day exam)
15 min
Total no. of MCQs
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336
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Total no of blocks
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7 (each block contains 48 MCQs and lasts 1H. Beginning
May 15, 2010 total no of questions in each block will be
reduced to 46)
Time for break
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45 min, you can take breaks between any 2 blocks but not
within a block.
USMLE Step 2 CK
(Clinical Knowledge)
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Subjects
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Avg. time required to prepare
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8-12H/day, 6 days a week for 4-8M
Fee
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Medicine, Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics,
Pediatrics, Psychiatry
740$+155$=895$
Test centers
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Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi

Date of exam
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
Every Wednesday, Thursday throughout the year
Exam format
Computer based exam
 Total exam time

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
Total no of MCQs
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9H (1 day exam)
352
Total no of blocks
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8 (each lasts 1H and contains 44 MCQs)
USMLE Step 2 CS
(Clinical Skills)
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Subjects tested


Avg. time required to prepare
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6-8H/day for about 1 Month
Fee
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Same as step 2 CK
1295$
Test centers
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Philadelphia, PA. Houston, TX. Chicago, IL.
Atlanta, GA. Los Angeles, CA.
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Date of exam
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Every day except Saturday and Sunday throughout
the year
Exam Format
Involves direct patient encounters
 Total exam time


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Total no of stations
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8H (1 day exam)
12
Time available at each station
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25 min, you are required to take history, do physical
examination, determine differential diagnosis and then
write down notes of 12 Simulated patients (SPs)
USMLE Step 3:
(Be clear that this exam is not necessary to apply for residencies)
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Subjects
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Avg. time required to prepare
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705$
Test centers
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16 H (2 day exam)
Fee
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6-8 H/day for 1-2M
Total exam time
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Same to Step 2 CK
all over USA and only in USA
Date of exam
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Everyday including Saturday and Sunday
Frequently Asked
Questions about USMLE
How should I prepare for USMLE step
1 exam?
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Take decision before graduation
Start preparation after the result of final
professional
Buy books
Dictionaries
 Kaplan Lecture notes
 MCQs books like “USMLE World for step 1” and
“Q bank for step 1”
 First Aid for step 1
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First reading;
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Just read and try to understand Kaplan Lecture notes, don’t
try to memorize
Use dictionaries aggressively
Start with physiology
Listen to Kaplan lecture notes DVDs specially Genetics and
Behavioral sciences.
Second reading;
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Try to memorize Kaplan lecture notes now
Add MCQs books like USMLE WORLD (UW) series and Q
BANK series (Boosters).
Read pathology immediately after physiology
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Third reading;
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Read Kaplan lecture notes again and add First Aid
(you would start making your own questions).
Take practice tests
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Kaplan test (available on CD)
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NBME practice test (Buy on the internet)
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excellent test to check your speed
correlates very strongly with USMLE score
It’s time to go for exam….
When should I take USMLE step 1
exam?
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Before graduation or after graduation!
Before house job, after house job or along With
house job!
I want to get experience certificate
 The Knowledge I gain will help me in USMLE
 I am not that strong financially

How and when should I
apply for visa?
Which subject is more
important and which one is
less or can I skip some less
important topics?
What if I go for step
2CK before step 1?
What specialties can I go
to after doing USMLE?
What are electives and when
should I do electives?
How can I enhance my memory and
learning skills?

Use multiple ways to learn knowledge (read
books, use dictionaries, listen to class lectures,
write down notes, listen to Kaplan DVDs, put
notes on the walls)
What is match process and
how should I plan myself
according to it?
What are other important things that matter
in getting residency in USA?
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Duration from graduation (less than 5 years)
US Clinical Experience (electives, research and
observer ship)
Letter of Recommendations (LORs) preferably
from American teachers
Time of USMLE certification
Others (how did you utilize your time between
graduation and application, performance at the
day of interview)
Who is the best person over here to do
USMLE?
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We all have brains; we just need to use our
brains in the right way.
Links
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http://ecfmg.org/

http://www.usmle.org/