Issue Thirty-One - October 14, 2003
Additional information on USMLE™ Step 2 CS is available on this website.
New USMLE™ Step 2 CS Information
End of Administration for ECFMG® CSA®
As previously published in The ECFMG Reporter and on this website, a clinical skills component will become part of the United States Medical Licensing Examination™ (USMLE) in mid-2004. This new component will be referred to as Step 2 Clinical Skills (Step 2 CS) and will supplement the existing Step 2 examination, which will be referred to as Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (Step 2 CK). Administration of Step 2 CS is expected to begin on June 1, 2004. Once implemented, Step 2 CS will replace the ECFMG Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) as the exam that satisfies the clinical skills requirement for ECFMG Certification.
Additional information on the following topics relating to the transition from the ECFMG CSA to USMLE Step 2 CS is now available.
Availability of Test Centers for Step 2 CS
USMLE Step 2 CS will be administered in several regional test centers in the United States. These test centers will be located in:
- Atlanta, Georgia;
- Chicago, Illinois;
- Houston, Texas;
- Los Angeles, California; and
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
These test centers are expected to become available for administration of Step 2 CS, according to the following schedule:
| Chicago | June 2004 |
| Atlanta | July 2004 |
| Philadelphia | July 2004 |
| Los Angeles | August 2004 |
| Houston | September 2004 |
These dates are subject to change. Monitor the Step 2 CS information on this website for updated information.
Score Reporting for Step 2 CS
A delay in the release of initial scores for Step 2 CS is anticipated. This delay will affect Step 2 CS examinees registered by both ECFMG and the National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME®) and will affect Step 2 CS administrations at all test centers.
Although specific information on the score reporting schedule for Step 2 CS is not available, it is unlikely that initial scores will be reported before the fall of 2004.
Monitor the Step 2 CS information on this website and on the USMLE website at www.usmle.org for additional information.
Last Administration Date for the ECFMG Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA)
The last administration date for the ECFMG CSA will be April 16, 2004. Administration of Step 2 CS is expected to begin on June 1, 2004. Neither the ECFMG CSA nor USMLE Step 2 CS will be administered beginning April 17, 2004 through May 31, 2004; Step 2 CK (the multiple-choice question component of Step 2) will continue to be administered during this period.
All CSA testing spaces available through April 16, 2004 are expected to fill by late 2003 or early 2004. ECFMG will continue to register applicants for the CSA until either:
- Enough applicants have been registered to fill available CSA testing spaces, or
- All CSA applications received through January 5, 2004 have been processed,
whichever is earlier.
Detailed information on the end of registration for the ECFMG CSA is available on this website.
Additional Information on the Transition to USMLE Step 2 CS
As additional information regarding Step 2 CS becomes available, details will be provided on this website and on the USMLE website. Individuals interested in ECFMG Certification, including those who have already passed or plan to take the ECFMG CSA, should:
- Closely monitor the Step 2 CS information on this website and on the USMLE website at www.usmle.org as the transition to Step 2 CS approaches.
- 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.