Can an international undergraduate medical student do the USMLE STEP1 exam, taking into account that the administering organization is called "Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates"?
yes, as I know that you can ..But let me tell you about some issues,, First: Step 1 is for examining Basics in medicine (physiology , anatomy, biochemistry .. etc). for example, in my country we finish basic knowledge after the 4th year so, it is impossible to take this exam after the second year (I do not think that there is an university which finish all of basics knowledge in two years).Second: DO NOT TAKE THIS EXAM BEFORE OF TAKING NBME EXAM, which is similar to the USMLE exam to evaluate yourself before of taking of the real exam.. take it see if you get high score go to the real exam if you do not get a high score go study more.Third: you can not take the USMLE exam again if you pass with weak score. if you do not pass you can take it again but they will know that you pass USMLe with second attempt.SO, do not go to the exam if you are not ready. sorry for this long answering but I think it is good to notice you about these issues.
How should I prepare for the USMLE as a student in India?
If you only want to practice in the U.S. for a few years and then come back to India it will be a waste of your time. It will take you a few years just to study for and pass the licensing exam--USMLE. There is already a lot written about this topic, but basically you have to give Step 1 which is on the 1st and 2nd year subjects and is an MCQ exam with 250Qs. Then you will give Step 2a which is another MCQ exam. Then Step 2b which is an exam of your clinical abilities so you will have to work on your bedside manner and your clinical skills in terms of diagnosis and how you order tests. Then Step 3 will be our final interview in which you will have to show how good of a candidate you are. This means you should have good letters of recommendation from hospitals in which you have observed (this should be done before you receive your MBBS degree). Also, you should hopefully be at least bilingual (so you can easily communicate with foreign patients of which there are many in the U.S., especially in big cities). Then hopefully you should be good at some sport and have been playing an instrument. Most importantly you should do volunteer work and have research experience. Things that sort of round out you as a person so that you're not 2-dimensional to the interviewing committee. In this sense you are far behind American students, but you will have to do what you can to catch up since they are your main competition--the USMLE Step exams are graded on a curve.Here is a breakdown of the cost of the exam:http://scepticemia.com/2011/04/1...
What sources should I use for preparing the USMLE Step 1? I’m an international student and have studied the basic sciences in my native language, so I need to know the materials useful to start the exam preparation.
The resources for step 1 include1.kaplan or Becker2.pathoma3.first aid4.uworld5.NBMEAlso have a personal notes of a difficult concept you had a hard time with and keep revising it everyday.Read first aid everyday atleast 10 pages.For any more queries you can directly ask lot of professionals on this platform.Good luck :) keep smiling;)Happy studying:)
How many students from India crack the USMLE every year?
Actually the usmle people don't release data based on India , it gives you data in an IMG point of view . It doesn't differentiate between India's and other international student going to US for residency .So here I'm giving you in an IMG point of view .For the 14th consecutive year, the number of first-year (PGY-1) residency positions offered through the National Resident Matching Program increased.A total of 27,860 first-year positions were offered in the 2016 Match. This represents an increase of 567 positions compared to last year and an increase of more than 7,200 positions since 2002.Compared to 2015, the number of international medical graduates (IMGs) who participated in the Match increased by 403, and the number of IMGs who matched to first-year positions increased by 336. Of the 12,790 IMGs who participated in the 2016 Match, 6,638 (51.9%) matched. In the 2015 Match, 6,302 (50.9%) IMGs were matched to first-year positions. (The preceding data include a very small number of Fifth Pathway applicants who participated in the 2015 and 2016 Matches. For 2016, these data include seven Fifth Pathway participants who are not represented in the data below.)Of the 7,460 IMG participants who were not U.S. citizens, 3,769 (50.5%) obtained first-year positions. The number of non-U.S. citizen IMGs who obtained positions increased in 2016 for the fifth year in a row, this year by 128.Of the 5,323 U.S. citizen IMG participants, 2,869 (53.9%) were matched to first-year positions, an increase of 209 from last year. The number of U.S. citizen IMGs matching to first-year positions has increased in 12 of the last 13 Matches.Source : ERAS matching 2016
When should you start studying for USMLE if you are doing MBBS from India? And what is the exact procedure for applying for USMLE ?
I will tell you what i have seen students doing here in my college ….those who study for USMLE ,those who made it to USMLE….I know 6 of my seniors who were preparing for USMLE, a couple of them my good friends .4 out of them are doing internal medicine residency in US right now, 2 have cleared the step one( 248,251…their scores and believe me they are good scores).All of them started studying seriously for USMLE from 3rd year. And this is ,I believe, the best time to do so because by now majority of the students come to know what they want in their life in terms of studying abroad or continuing here.Yes many start from internship also,but some think it is too late.Dont confuse writing the exam with preparing it.U can write it in internship but better prepare from 3rd year.Procedure:The exam comes with multiple stages to be cleared.The first part, USMLE step 1, is a multiple choice exam consistingof about 300 questions taken over eight hours in one day at the testcenter. The step 1 covers all of the basic sciences - Anatomy ,Biochemistry , Physiology , statistics, Behavioural science,Microbiology , Pharmacology , Pathology , ethics .The percentage requiredto pass is determined based not on a population curve, but on therelative difficulty of the items as determined by the testcommittee.The second part is divided into two parts, USMLE step 2ck(clinical knowledge) and USMLE step 2cs (clinical skills). USMLE step 2ckconsists of a similar one day computer based examination, and coversall of the clinical sciences including medicine, surgery,Paediatrics , obstetrics and Gynaecology , Psychiatry , forensics,emergency care, ENT , Ophthalmology , tropical health, ethics.The USMLE step 2cs is an examination held in only America throughout theyear. It brings examinees face-to-face with ten simulated('standardized') patients - ie actors pretending to have specificcomplaints. You are tested on your ability to rapidly assess apatient, communicate your thoughts to them, and to write a noteabout your assessment and plansUSMLE step 3: International students only need to take the USMLE part 3 if theyplan to immigrate on a H-1B visa. This examis only given in the United States, requiring you to travel there totake it. It is largely similar in scope to the USMLE step 2 withmore emphasis on practical management.Thanks for A2A.
When is the best time to take USMLE step 1?
The best time for taking USMLE Step 1 is when you are absolutely prepared for the exam.You can assess your preparation by various assessment tests such as NBME forms, UWSA (U World Self Assessments).You should only take your 3 month slot when your scores are within 10 to 20 marks of your target goal and fix your exam date when your assessment scores are equal or in higher range of your target.Remember you can only postpone the 3 month slot once, for the next 3 consecutive months by giving an extension fee.If you've worked hard during your pre and para clinical years, 3rd professional year is the ideal time to take the examination.However, if you haven't done so or would like to enjoy your college years or you can't manage USMLE studies along with your medschool curriculum, you can start your preparation during internship at the cost of dropping a couple of years before your residency match.Keep in touch with your seniors for helpful advice.
What kinds of jobs can international medical graduates (IMGs) get while they are preparing for the USMLE (related to science, but not research)?
Realistically, it is very difficult for an IMG to get any job because most of us have visa restrictions. Plus as a medical student or graduate, you are qualified to do very little else. Any “science” related job requires specific skills. Want to work in a lab (not doing research)? You need to have worked in a lab before. Want to do analysis? You need to know statistics. Want to work in administration? Again, no prior experience.To make matters worse, there are tons of college graduates available to do these jobs. The employers doesn’t need to dip into the IMG pool for these jobs because there is no shortage of applicants. Plus most places have an understanding with universities where they hire their graduates preferentially. This means any entry level job is preferentially taken up by college graduates or people with prior experience.Let’s talk about what you are uniquely qualified to do. Be a doctor? Yeah but you can’t without a license which you won’t get without a residency.Clinical research? This one is closely aligned with your skill sets in theory. But not really. You (IMGs) in general have no idea how to collect data, do calculations in excel, IRB or other regulatory work etc. so really any college educated person can do that job.The thing that works in your favor is that most researchers prefer having someone with a background in medicine or healthcare because they are usually getting an over educated slave laborer who they know needs LORs and hence will pretty much do their bidding for no or little money.Supply and demand. That’s what determines whether or not you get a job. Any job.