The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is a three-step examination program for medical licensure in the United States sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). Physicians with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree are required to pass the USMLE for medical licensure. However, those with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (DO) are required to take the COMLEX-USA (COMLEX) exams.
States may enact additional testing and/or licensing requirements.
Description and Purpose
The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is a multistep assessment required for medical licensure in the United States by all graduates of M.D.-granting American medical schools as well as all graduates of international medical schools. It consists of three examinations: Step 1: Assesses foundational medical science typically obtained during the first two years of medical school Step 2CK: Evaluates the applicant's knowledge of clinical medicine Step 3: Assesses the application of clinical knowledge to patient management
Previously, USMLE included a clinical skills portion called USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills. It was discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Step 1 and 2 are typically completed by U.S. medical students during medical school, while Step 3 is usually taken by the end of the first year of residency. While the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK exams can be taken at Prometric test centers worldwide, the Step 3 can only be taken in the United States.
The USMLE is sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME).. They developed it originally to provide state medical boards in the United States with a common examination for all licensure applicants. However, over time it has also been extensively used by residency programs to predict residency performance and screen residents for selection during the National Resident Matching Program.
Even though it was estimated that at least 60% of osteopathic medical students took at least one USMLE exam in 2020, physicians with D.O. degree are not required to take the USMLE for licensure or graduation. They are licensed as physicians by passing Parts I, II, and III of the COMLEX examination from the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners.
History
The USMLE was created in the early 1990s. The program replaced the multiple examinations, including the NBME Part Examination program and the FSMB's Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX) program, that offered paths to medical licensing in the medical profession.
The examination was originally imparted using pencil and paper. In 1999, computerized examination delivery was included.
In 2004, an examination with standardized patients to assess clinical-skills was added to Step 2 of the USMLE (Step 2 Clinical Skills), and required for licensure beginning with the medical school graduating class of 2005. During the COVID-19 pandemic, USMLE Step 2CS was initially suspended and later discontinued.
A review of the program was enacted in 2009. USMLE claimed it was done with the intention of orienting the examination to support the licensing decisions made by medical boards, transitioning the exam to a competencies schema and emphasizing the importance of scientific foundations of medicine throughout the examination sequence. They also aimed to continue the assessment of clinical skill and interpretation of clinical information.
USMLE announced a move to a pass/fail model on February 12, 2020, along with other changes. They claimed this was done in an attempt by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) to balance focus between exams and actual coursework. The change became effective in 2022.
Pass rates by exam
Controversies
USMLE response to COVID-19
The USMLE was met with criticism for their lack of adaptability during the COVID-19 pandemic. The criticism was two-fold: First, for the mishandling and poor communication of exam cancellations by both USMLE program administrators and the third-party exam administrator, Prometric. Second, the pandemic crisis exacerbated existing resentment towards the high-stakes nature of the exam: namely, several students and physicians were upset that the USMLE refused to move up the 2022 deadline of making Step 1 into a pass or fail exam.