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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 but may also sit for the USMLE as well.
Residency or postgraduate training is a stage of graduate medical education. It refers to a qualified physician, veterinarian, dentist, podiatrist (DPM) or pharmacist (PharmD) who practices medicine or surgery, veterinary medicine, dentistry, podiatry, or clinical pharmacy, respectively, usually in a hospital or clinic, under the direct or indirect supervision of a senior medical clinician registered in that specialty such as an attending physician or consultant.
Step 2 Clinical Skills of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) was an exam administered to medical students/graduates who wish to become licensed physicians in the U.S. It is similar to the COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE exam, taken by osteopathic medical students/graduates who seek licensure as physicians in the U.S. For US medical students, the exam fee is $1,300. For medical students at non-US medical schools, the tests cost is higher—currently $1,535. These fees do not include costs associated with travel and lodging to take the test. Historically, US students have taken Step 2 CS late in their senior year, prior to graduation. However, now that more residency programs require students to record a passing score, many US medical schools recommend students take Step 2 CS in the fall of their senior year.
The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 is a standardized test that assesses a medical student's knowledge of basic science concepts and their application to clinical medicine. The exam is one of three components required for medical licensure in the United States and is typically taken by students after their second year of medical school.
USMLE Step 2 CK is a nine-hour-long exam that represents the second part of the United States Medical Licensure Examination. It assesses clinical knowledge through a traditional, multiple-choice examination divided into eight 60-minute blocks, each containing up to 40 questions, as well as an hour of break time. In contrast to USMLE Step 1, which prioritizes knowledge of basic sciences, the focus of Step 2 is on clinical application of medical knowledge, and requires the examinee to apply medical knowledge, skills, and understanding of clinical science essential for the provision of patient care under supervision. The USMLE Step 2 is generally taken during the third or fourth year of medical school by U.S. medical students. Step 2 results are reported numerically on a scale between 1 and 300; this is in contrast to Step 1, which is pass/fail only.
The Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to "support the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) as it promotes international health professions education through programmatic and research activities." These activities include:
Medical University of the Americas (MUA) is a private for-profit offshore medical school in Charlestown, Nevis. It is owned by R3 Education, Inc. which also owns St. Matthew's University and Saba University School of Medicine MUA confers upon its graduates the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree.
An international medical graduate (IMG), earlier known as a foreign medical graduate (FMG), is a physician who has graduated from a medical school outside of the country where he or she intends to practice. The term non-local medical graduate may be similarly used in countries with distinct licensing regions within them. Generally, the medical school of graduation is one listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOM) as accredited by the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research or the World Health Organization.
Medical school in the United States is a graduate program with the purpose of educating physicians in the undifferentiated field of medicine. Such schools provide a major part of the medical education in the United States. Most medical schools in the US confer upon graduates a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree, while some confer a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree. Most schools follow a similar pattern of education, with two years of classroom and laboratory based education, followed by two years of clinical rotations in a teaching hospital where students see patients in a variety of specialties. After completion, graduates must complete a residency before becoming licensed to practice medicine.
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The American Medical Association (AMA) Physician Masterfile includes current and historical data on all physicians, including AMA members and nonmembers, and graduates of foreign medical schools who reside in the United States and who have met the educational and credentialing requirements necessary for recognition as physicians. A Masterfile record is created and ME number assigned when entering medical school or through the ECFMG. For medical students, there are two primary methods to create the initial record - the Student Outreach Program and the annual freshman matriculation file received from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) is a private, for-profit medical school. Its main campus is in Barbados, and its administrative offices are in Miramar, Florida. Until 2019, the university's main campus was in Portsmouth, Dominica. RUSM is owned by Adtalem Global Education Inc.
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The American University of Integrative Sciences (AUIS), is a private for-profit offshore medical school with a single campus located in Barbados. Founded in 1999, it was formerly known as the University of Sint Eustatius School of Medicine (USESOM). For a period, the school was based in Sint Maarten, where it was taken over by IEMR LLC, a US-based company. Since October 2017, AUIS has operated in Barbados, and it is currently a candidate for accreditation by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP).
The UCLA International Medical Graduate (IMG) Program is a non-profit educational program for Hispanic International Medical Graduates who are residing in the US legally. Housed in the Dept of Family Medicine of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in Los Angeles, California the IMG Program was created to train immigrant physicians who could address the linguistic and cultural barriers to care faced by California's largely underserved Hispanic population.
The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), also called The Match, is a United States-based private non-profit non-governmental organization created in 1952 to place U.S. medical school students into residency training programs located in United States teaching hospitals. Its mission has since expanded to include the placement of U.S. citizen and non-U.S. citizen international medical school students and graduates into residency and fellowship training programs. In addition to the annual Main Residency Match that in 2021 encompassed more than 48,000 applicants and 38,000 positions, the NRMP conducts Fellowship Matches for more than 60 subspecialties through its Specialties Matching Service (SMS). The NRMP is sponsored by a board of directors that includes medical school deans, teaching hospital executives, graduate medical education program directors, medical students and residents, and one public member.
The Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP) is an accrediting body for the education programmes and schools of medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, nursing and other health professions in the 15 member nations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). CAAM-HP was established in 2003 and is headquartered in Kingston, Jamaica.
Avalon University School of Medicine (AUSOM) is a private medical school located in Willemstad, Curaçao, in the Caribbean. AUSOM confers upon its graduates the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. Administrative offices for the university are located in Youngstown, Ohio.
An offshore medical school is a medical school that caters "primarily to foreign students, wishing to practice medicine in the US and Canada" according to the World Bank, compared to local schools that focus on their home nation. Such schools are chiefly located in the Caribbean basin, but also includes schools in other locations, such as Mexico and Australia, which run programs that target American students.
World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) is a non-governmental organisation concerned with education and training of medical doctors worldwide. WFME's main objective is to "enhance the quality of medical education worldwide, with promotion of the highest scientific and ethical standards in medical education". The organisation develops standards for medical education and promotes accreditation of medical schools. It also co-manages the World Directory of Medical Schools.
References
- ↑ "Recognition of Foreign Qualifications: Professional Recognition". ed.gov. Internal Affairs Office, US Department of Education . Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ↑ "ECFMG Celebrates 50th Anniversary". Archived from the original on 2007-07-02. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
- ↑ "Home > About ECFMG > History". ECFMG.org. ECFMG . Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ↑ nrmp.org > Independent Applicants Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine Updated 09/08/2010.
- ↑ nrmp.org > 2012 Main Match Schedule Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine Updated 05/19/2011
- ↑ ecfmg.org > Medical Education Credentials Last update: 25 April 2021
- 1 2 "Requirements for ECFMG Certification for 2022 Match". ecfmg.org. ECFMG . Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ↑ nrmp.org > U.S. Seniors > Registering with the NRMP Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine Updated August 2010
- ↑ Stacy Weiner (9 February 2021). "What the elimination of a major medical licensing exam — Step 2 CS — means for students and schools". AAMC.org. AAMC . Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ↑ "Requirements for ECFMG Certification for 2022 Match". ecfmg.org. ECFMG . Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ↑ ECFMG press release: ECFMG Launches Electronic Verification of Medical Credentials. February 28, 2012
- ↑ "Electronic Credentials Verification". ECFMG . Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ↑ "2024 Medical School Accreditation Requirement". ecfmg.org. ECFMG . Retrieved March 2, 2024.
- ↑ "Agencies with recognition status" (PDF). wfme.org. World Federation for Medical Education. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- ↑ "ERAS: Supporting Documents".
