Issue Forty-Nine - June 10, 2004
Extension of Temporary Waiver of Step 2 CS $50 Rescheduling Fee
Step 2 Clinical Skills registration guidelines permit Step 2 CS applicants with scheduled testing appointments to cancel and reschedule for a different date and/or test center. A fee of $50 is assessed for changes made more than 30 days from the originally scheduled test date. A fee of $150 is assessed when 30 or fewer days remain before the originally scheduled test date.
After consideration of some of the difficulties that examinees might encounter while trying to schedule their Step 2 CS examination during initial rollout of the program, and after receiving suggestions and input from student organizations, the American Medical Association, and the Association of American Medical Colleges, the decision was made to waive the $50 rescheduling fee for applicants who cancel more than 30 days before their scheduled testing appointments. When this waiver became available, it was expected to end on June 13, 2004. However, the waiver period has been extended and will continue for cancellations made through August 31, 2004.
The waiver applies only to the $50 fee for applicants canceling with more than 30 days' notice. Applicants who reschedule with 30 or fewer days' notice will be assessed $150.
Applicants should be familiar with the following important information on eligibility for the waiver before canceling/rescheduling a testing appointment:
- The scheduled testing appointment must be canceled more than 30 calendar days before the test date. This notice period does not include the test date.
- Cancellation of the testing appointment must occur no later than August 31, 2004.
- If a more acceptable test location and date are available, applicants are strongly encouraged to schedule the appointment immediately.
- Although applicants are encouraged to select a rescheduling date at the time of cancellation of the existing appointment, it is not necessary to do so. Applicants may reschedule at a subsequent time into any available test slot during their eligibility period.
- The time and date of cancellation are calculated using current Eastern Time in the United States.
For detailed information on Step 2 CS scheduling and rescheduling policies, access the Step 2 CS Update. To view available test dates and to schedule, cancel, and reschedule a testing appointment, access Step 2 CS Scheduling.
Step 2 CS Practice Patient Note Program, Sample Patient Notes, and Patient Note FAQs
Immediately after each patient encounter, Step 2 CS examinees are asked to handwrite or type (on a computer) a patient note similar to the medical record a doctor would compose after seeing a patient in a clinic, office, or emergency department. A practice patient note program, similar to the one examinees will use if they choose to type the note, is available on the USMLE™ website. The USMLE website also provides samples of handwritten notes and answers to frequently-asked questions about the patient note. To access these materials, visit www.usmle.org/Orientation/2007/PatientNote/PNmain.htm.