Issue Sixty-Nine - January 18, 2005
IMGs Should Apply for Step 2 CS as Soon as Possible - Eligibility Requirements Have Changed
Demand for Step 2 CS is expected to be heavy this year. IMGs who need to pass Step 2 CS for the 2006 Match (held in March 2006) should apply and schedule their testing appointments as soon as possible.
A recent change to the eligibility requirements for taking Step 2 CS allows medical school students to apply for Step 2 CS after completing at least two years of medical school. This eligibility requirement means that students must have completed the basic medical science component of the medical school curriculum. Before this change, students were required to be within 12 months of completing the medical school curriculum before applying for Step 2 CS.
A second change has eliminated the examination prerequisite for Step 2 CS. This means that applicants for Step 2 CS are no longer required to have passed Step 1.
If you are a medical school student and need to pass Step 2 CS to participate in the 2006 Match, you are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as you are eligible and to schedule your testing appointment for the earliest possible date. Medical school graduates can apply for Step 2 CS at any time (provided they meet all other eligibility requirements). In deciding when to apply, applicants should also consider ECFMG's recommendations to Step 2 CS applicants, which are described in Eligibility for Examination in the ECFMG Information Booklet.
Detailed information on the eligibility of students and graduates to take Step 2 CS is available in the ECFMG Information Booklet, available on the ECFMG website.
If you are interested in taking Step 2 CS, you should also be familiar with the following important announcements: