United States Medical Licensing Examination

United States Medical Licensing Examination
AcronymUSMLE
TypeComputer-based, three-part sequence, standardized test
AdministratorFederation of State Medical Boards, National Board of Medical Examiners
Skills testedSTEP 1: Application of scientific principles basic to the practice of medicine
STEP 2: Application of medical knowledge, skills, and understanding of clinical science essential for supervised patient care
STEP 3: Application of medical knowledge and understanding of biomedical and clinical science essential for the unsupervised practice of medicine
PurposeMedical licensure in the United States
Year started1992; 32 years ago (1992)
DurationSTEP 1: 8 hours[1]
STEP 2: 9 hours[2]
STEP 3 (Day 1): 7 hours
STEP 3 (Day 2): 9 hours[3]
Score rangeSTEP 1: pass/fail
STEP 2: 1-300 (214 to pass)[4]
STEP 3: 1-300 (198 to pass)
OfferedYear round
RegionsGlobally at a Prometric centers for Step 1 and Step 2 CK; at a U.S. Prometric centers for Step 3
LanguagesEnglish
Annual number of test takersMore than 100,000 medical school students and graduates (2020)[5][6]
FeeSTEP 1: US$645.00
STEP 2: US$645.00[7]
STEP 3: US$895.00[8]
Used byState medical boards in the U.S. and U.S. Territories
Websitewww.usmle.org

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).[9] 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 but may also sit for the USMLE as well.[10][11]

States may enact additional testing and/or licensing requirements.[12]

  1. ^ "Step 1 | USMLE".
  2. ^ "Step 2 CK | USMLE".
  3. ^ "Step 3 Exam Content | USMLE".
  4. ^ "Change to Step 2 CK Passing Standard Begins July 1, 2022 | USMLE".
  5. ^ "Overview | USMLE".
  6. ^ "Performance Data | USMLE".
  7. ^ "Taking the USMLE® | NBME".
  8. ^ "FSMB | Step 3 FAQ".
  9. ^ "Who is USMLE?". www.usmle.org. Retrieved 2016-08-18.
  10. ^ "FSMB | State Specific Requirements for Initial Medical Licensure". www.fsmb.org.
  11. ^ Roberts, William L.; Gross, Gretta A.; Gimpel, John R.; Smith, Larissa L.; Arnhart, Katie; Pei, Xiaomei; Young, Aaron (June 2020). "An Investigation of the Relationship Between COMLEX-USA Licensure Examination Performance and State Licensing Board Disciplinary Actions". Academic Medicine. 95 (6): 925–930. doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000003046. PMID 31626002. S2CID 204775566.
  12. ^ "FSMB | State Specific Requirements for Initial Medical Licensure". www.fsmb.org. Retrieved Oct 16, 2022.