USMLE?

Right, so I was talking to a friend who told me that her friend, going into year 3, plans to sit STEP 1 this Summer. (Supposedly his parents are forcing him to.)

I like to keep my options open and have flirted with the idea of working in America, but I honestly didn't think I would need to worry about the USMLE until later. It worries me that I perhaps haven't been on the ball in terms of thinking ahead.

I thought most people did STEP after they graduated? Or will most UK students have done it during their medical degree? Is there a large benefit to doing it around 4th, 5th year?

Any help will be much appreciated. :smile:

EDIT: Oh, I just finished 2nd year by the way, if that helps.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 1

Democracy

20

Step 1 tests you on the pre-clinical phase of a US medical degree (which might I add is more intensive than what is taught in the UK), so I wouldn't want to put it off for years and years after you've finished med school. Revising for Step 1 is a big task so you should ideally set aside an entire summer holiday for it - and get First Aid for Step 1, that book is amazing.

Search around the forums, there are lots of threads here to do with preparing for the USMLE - and if you're looking for advice from US students I'd suggest asking here: forums.studentdoctor.net

:smile:

Reply 2

Caponester

10

Original post by Mr Porter

-

Everyone I know planning on taking it is aiming for the 'summer' between 3rd and 4th year. It means that pre-clinical medicine should still be fresh in your memory but you've also had the additional benefit of being able to apply the knowledge to clinical situations in 3rd year.

Sounds like a horrible test though. Good luck!

Reply 3

Isometrix

11

I thought about working in America but the USMLE put me off big time. One of my friends told me about this loophole though. Apparently you can work in Canada first for a certain number of years and then move into America without doing the USMLE. Can anyone shed some light on this, and perhaps outline the specific pathway?

Reply 4

username1044510

12

Original post by Isometrix

I thought about working in America but the USMLE put me off big time. One of my friends told me about this loophole though. Apparently you can work in Canada first for a certain number of years and then move into America without doing the USMLE. Can anyone shed some light on this, and perhaps outline the specific pathway?

I wouldn't have thought so.

But you're faced with a different problem in Canada; immigration. Canada makes qualified professionals of all sorts jump through rings of fire smaller than a dime to practice their vocation there.

Furthermore, you have a similar application process. MCCEE and MCCQE.

And migration from Canada to America is not as easy as it sounds. Do your post graduate training where you want to practice.

Reply 5

Becca-Sarah

19

Original post by Isometrix

I thought about working in America but the USMLE put me off big time. One of my friends told me about this loophole though. Apparently you can work in Canada first for a certain number of years and then move into America without doing the USMLE. Can anyone shed some light on this, and perhaps outline the specific pathway?

I don't imagine that Canada can be that much easier to get into than America though - the only person I know who applied there was a Canadian citizen and she's got family med in the middle of nowhere.

Reply 6

Isometrix

11

Original post by Newtothis83

I wouldn't have thought so.

But you're faced with a different problem in Canada; immigration. Canada makes qualified professionals of all sorts jump through rings of fire smaller than a dime to practice their vocation there.

Furthermore, you have a similar application process. MCCEE and MCCQE.

And migration from Canada to America is not as easy as it sounds. Do your post graduate training where you want to practice.

Original post by Becca-Sarah

I don't imagine that Canada can be that much easier to get into than America though - the only person I know who applied there was a Canadian citizen and she's got family med in the middle of nowhere.

Fair enough, thanks for putting that to bed.

Reply 7

Mr Porter

OP

12

Got another follow up question guys. How long would you say you would need to revise for STEP 1?

It's just the summer holiday between 3rd and 4th year for us, as I imagine for a lot of people too, is really short - about a month or so. (Of course I guess since I'll have end of year exams I'll already be set on 'study mode' to an extent.)

Whereas because I'm intercalating I'll have at least 3 months or so next year. Obviously the downside of that is I won't have done clinical things.

So which option would be more useful considering the pros/cons etc...

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 8

ukmed108

7

Original post by Mr Porter

Got another follow up question guys. How long would you say you would need to revise for STEP 1?

It's just the summer holiday between 3rd and 4th year for us, as I imagine for a lot of people too, is really short - about a month or so.

Whereas because I'm intercalating I'll have at least 3 months or so next year. Obviously the downside of that is I won't have done clinical things.

So which option would be more useful considering the pros/cons etc...

Hmm thats tough i've never though of that before.. You definitely need much more than 1 month to review for Step 1. You can only take it once, and you really need to do well to have a shot in the US.

I recommend doing it between 3rd and 4th year and study a bit for it during your intercalated year. You'll definitely have to study for it even during the school year though.

Reply 9

raveen789

9

I heard that it is easier for uk trained doctors can transfer to Canada easier than America. By that I mean those who have completed speciality training here can practice their speciality more easily in Canada than America but I can't remember who told me :/

Reply 10

TTBA(v)JD

You asked "will most UK students have done it during their degree?"
I graduated last year, and I have literally only ever come across one person who even thought about doing it, and I'm not sure that he did.

So no, most UK students won't have, most will have never even thought about it!

I would love to work in the US (at one of the seriousfun camps - a charity set up by Paul Newman) but having to go through the ordeal if USMLE massively puts me off.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 11

cheshirec

if you do, make sure (almost essential to score highly) to get the usmle worldbank question - this is expensive and time limited, so plan wisely

if you're going to do it, do it right - you only get one shot (unless you tactical fail, but that's silly) and the score is the single most important discriminator by far, for internships (it was already competitive for IMG jobs - they give preferential allocation to americans, then you compete with the rest of the world; now there's even less jobs due to recession)

depending on how busy your days are, it's said you'll need 3-6m

if you're at imperial, i'd recommend leaving it until after path lectures - if you're elsewhere, perhaps do it at the start of final year, but seek out graduates from your school that did it and understand your curriculum better; at imperial, we don't get taught histopath, extensive data interpretation/microbio (which is heavily featured), or any specialties which also feature, until 5th year (path)

if you're thinking about it, why not do it? it's a good challenge, and the depth/breadth of preclinical knowledge it requires can only do good (it'll help on wards, in research and *apparently* in MRCP) - plus it's always nice to have that option open (I believe it's valid for around 5/10y); if not, it demonstrates considerable volition and time management

essay over. good luck! start with registering on ecfmg, buy the first aid usmle step 1 book (not cases, maybe Q&A also; pm me and i'll direct you to a place you might look, should you so happen to, where you may find a pdf copy - but the 2012 is now in colour and a lovely book to have imo)

edit. spelling

seems a popular post i'll add some other tidbits - once you register with ecfmg, you need your school to communicate with ecfmg; this whole process takes 1-2 months - finally you are deemed eligible. you may then choose a 3 month slot - then it's real. from that point, you may choose to sit the exam at any date, but within that slot.

it is an 8 hour exam, with 1 hour break, performed in a computer center (UKCAT style) in the UK. results take 1 month. the timeline is important, as some snazzy electives require a score.

step 2 cannot be performed in the UK, and requires travel to america, dubai, some other places; unlike the step1/preclinical, step 2 is clinical knowledge and skills (think OSCE and EMQ papers; apparently, much easier than step 1) - from here onwards i'm unsure of the details. in total, licensing will cost you $5-6000

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 12

ukmed108

7

Step 2 is actually divided into CK and CS. CK is a clinical knowledge test you can do in the UK, CS is a OSCE like test you have to do in the US.

From the research i've done, the London medical schools particularly Imperial and UCL tend to send people to the US each year.

USMLE?

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