Questions about the USMLE

What is the USMLE?

USMLE is the United States Medical Licensing Examination. Broken up into three parts, the first is taken between 2nd and 3rd year medical school, Part II is taken during your 4th year medical school, and Part III is taken later in your 1st year of internship. All three are needed to be passed to be a licensed US physician.

I heard Step II is pretty easy, and most people don't even study for Step III is that true?

Everyone's probably heard study time for Step I to III, is 3 weeks, 3 days, and 3 hours (or something to that effect). It may be that medical students get better taking standardized tests (we've been taking them most of our lives), but the passing rate is better with each Step. However, people do fail these tests, so adequate preparation should be given.

I have a choice when to take Step II, when is the best time?

The common thinking is it depends on how you did on Step I. If you scored well on Step I, most students feel they cannot do any better than that, and would rather take Step II later in the year (i.e. after interviews). If you scored marginal on Step I and think you can do better, than take Step II in the fall. And if the residency you are applying only care is if you pass, than it doesn't really matter.

What should I study for Step II?

There are a ton of preparation of books out there, but the first stop should be the official USMLE website . The First Aid for the Boards series are extremely popular, as well as the Blueprints series . Nothing beats your old notes you had in your 3rd year, however. You are familiar with the subjects, and they better emphasize the clinical aspects of Step II. Just make sure they correlate well with the recommended content matter and don't focus too much on minutiae.

How about Step III?

If you're like me, the most important thing during internship was SLEEP, not study! A well rounded curriculum during your intern year will serve you well in Step III. Swanson's Family Practice Review is an excellent choice as well as any inservice exams you may take during your intern year.