Issue Twenty-Nine - September 2, 2003
Graduates Must Submit the Final Medical School Transcript to Receive a Standard ECFMG Certificate Effective February 1, 2004
As announced in Issue 19 of The ECFMG Reporter, an additional medical education credential requirement for a medical school graduate to receive a Standard ECFMG Certificate will take effect on February 1, 2004. In addition to submitting the final medical diploma, which is a current requirement to receive a Standard ECFMG Certificate, medical school graduates will be required to submit their final medical school transcript. As with the medical diploma, ECFMG will verify the final medical school transcript directly with the medical school that issued the transcript.
The additional requirement will apply to applicants who, as of January 31, 2004, have not met all requirements to receive a Standard ECFMG Certificate, including verification of their medical diploma received directly from the medical school and accepted by ECFMG. When this additional requirement becomes effective on February 1, 2004, a medical school graduate's medical education credentials will not be considered complete, and the medical school graduate will not be eligible to receive a Standard ECFMG Certificate, until ECFMG has received and verified both the final medical diploma and final medical school transcript with the medical school that issued these documents.
For detailed information, refer to the ECFMG 2004 Information Booklet on the Publications Page of this website.
Transition to USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills (Step 2 CS)
Overview
As announced in Issue 26 of The ECFMG Reporter, a clinical skills examination will become part of the United States Medical Licensing Examination™ (USMLE) in mid-2004. When this exam is implemented, USMLE Step 2 will consist of two separate components. The new clinical skills examination will be referred to as Step 2 Clinical Skills, or Step 2 CS. The current Step 2 will be referred to as Step 2 Clinical Knowledge, or Step 2 CK. Students and graduates of both U.S./Canadian and international medical schools will take Step 2 CS.
Currently, international medical students and graduates (IMGs) must pass the ECFMG Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA®) to fulfill the clinical skills requirement for ECFMG Certification. When Step 2 CS is implemented, it will replace the ECFMG CSA as the exam that satisfies the clinical skills requirement for ECFMG Certification. Although the ECFMG CSA will not be administered after implementation of Step 2 CS, passing performance on the CSA will continue to be accepted by ECFMG for the purpose of ECFMG Certification. Passing Step 2 CS will be required in order to apply for Step 3 of the USMLE. IMGs should closely monitor the Step 2 CS information on this website and on the USMLE website at www.usmle.org for the effective date of this requirement. Passing performance on the ECFMG CSA will also satisfy this requirement.
The ECFMG CSA will be administered until spring 2004. There may be a brief period immediately prior to the implementation of Step 2 CS when the ECFMG CSA will not be administered. It is possible that all available CSA testing slots will be filled before all applicants registered for the CSA have scheduled their CSA test dates. Applicants who have not passed the ECFMG CSA prior to implementation of Step 2 CS can satisfy the clinical skills requirement for ECFMG Certification by passing Step 2 CS, provided that they meet the Step 2 CS eligibility requirements.
The transition from the ECFMG CSA to USMLE Step 2 CS will result in significant changes to some policies and procedures related to ECFMG Certification. IMGs who are certified by ECFMG or pursuing ECFMG Certification should be familiar with these changes. A table comparing selected policies, as they relate to the ECFMG CSA and USMLE Step 2 CS, with which IMGs should be familiar is available on this website. As additional information regarding Step 2 CS becomes available, details will be provided on this website and on the USMLE website.
It is essential that IMGs interested in ECFMG Certification, including those who have already passed or plan to take the ECFMG CSA, have an accurate understanding of the policies and procedures related to the transition to Step 2 CS. If you are interested in ECFMG Certification, refer to Resources on Step 2 CS below for important resources that you should monitor closely as the transition to Step 2 CS approaches.
Description of Step 2 CS
Step 2 CS will assess the clinical and communication skills that are essential to diagnosing and treating patients and communicating with other health care professionals. The new exam will complement the current USMLE Steps, which measure medical knowledge and analytical skills.
Step 2 CS will be a one-day exam that mirrors a physician's typical workday in a clinic. Examinees will examine "standardized patients," people trained to portray real patients. Examinees are expected to establish rapport with the standardized patients, elicit pertinent historical information from them, perform focused physical examinations, answer questions, and provide counseling where appropriate. After each exam, examinees will record pertinent history and physical examination findings, list diagnostic impressions, and outline plans for further evaluation if necessary. The cases will cover common and important situations that a physician is likely to encounter in a general ambulatory clinic. Standardized patients are selected to represent a broad range of age, racial, and ethnic backgrounds.
Comparison of Selected Policies Relating to the ECFMG CSA & USMLE Step 2 CS: Important Information for IMGs
A table comparing selected policies associated with the ECFMG CSA and USMLE Step 2 CS is available on this website. The policies addressed by the table include: eligibility, application and scheduling, fees, test centers, scoring, exam components, reexamination, validity for entry into graduate medical education, and more. IMGs should be familiar with the information contained in this table.
Resources on Step 2 CS
As additional information regarding Step 2 CS becomes available, details will be provided on this website and on the USMLE website. IMGs should:
- Closely monitor the Step 2 CS information on this website and on the USMLE website as the transition to Step 2 CS approaches.
IMGs should also:
- Review the information on Step 2 CS in the ECFMG 2004 Information Booklet and the USMLE 2004 Bulletin of Information. Both publications are available on the Publications Page of this website.
- Subscribe to The ECFMG Reporter, ECFMG's free e-mail newsletter. ECFMG will publish updates on the transition to Step 2 CS in The ECFMG Reporter, as new information becomes available.
- Direct specific questions regarding the transition to Step 2 CS to info@ecfmg.org.
Applying for Step 2 CS
IMGs will apply to ECFMG to take Step 2 CS, either by completing an on-line application using ECFMG's Interactive Web Application (IWA) or by downloading paper application materials from the ECFMG website and submitting them to ECFMG.
Registration for Step 2 CS is expected to begin in early 2004. IMGs interested in applying for Step 2 CS should monitor this website closely for application policies and procedures.
English Language Proficiency Test Eliminated as Requirement for ECFMG Certification
Currently, applicants for ECFMG Certification are required to pass an English language proficiency test. When USMLE Step 2 CS is implemented in mid-2004, the English language proficiency test will no longer be a requirement for ECFMG Certification. Passing an English language proficiency test will be required for applicants who wish to be certified by ECFMG prior to the implementation of Step 2 CS and for those who apply to take the ECFMG CSA. For more information, ECFMG-certified physicians and physicians pursuing ECFMG Certification should subscribe to The ECFMG Reporter and should monitor this website as the implementation of this change approaches.