USMLE Step 1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The USMLE-Step 1 (more commonly just Step 1) is the first part of the United States Medical Licensure Examination. It assesses whether medical school students or graduates can apply important concepts of the sciences basic to the practice of medicine. US medical students typically take Step 1 at the end of the second year of medical school. Graduates of international medical schools must also take Step 1 if they want to practice in the US.
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[edit] Format
The exam is and eight-hour computer-based test consisting of 350 multiple-choice questions divided into seven sections. The time limit for each section is one hour. The test taker is permitted one hour total for breaks which can be taken between sections. The test is administered at Prometric testing sites.
[edit] Subjects
Step 1 is designed to test the knowledge learned during the basic science years of medical school. This usually includes Anatomy, Biochemistry, Histology, Physiology, Neuroscience, Psychology, Genetics, Pathology, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Molecular Biology, Immunology and Statistics. Epidemiology, Medical Ethics and questions on Empathy are also emphasised. The exams are dynamically generated for each individual test taker, so though the general proportion of questions from each subject is relatively the same for each person, some test takers report that certain subjects are either emphasized or deemphasized on their particular exam.
[edit] Scoring
The USMLE phased out the use of a percentile based system in 1999. A score report is given as a three-digit and two-digit score. The three-digit score reflects the number of correct questions and the two-digit score is a representation of the three-digit score on a scale of 100%. A score of 182 or greater is required to pass. Those who take the exam on or after January 1, 2007, will need a score of 185 to pass in the exam. The national yearly average usually is around 220 with a standard deviation of around 20. Many residency programs have cutoffs for Step 1 scores below which applicants are unlikely to be interviewed.
[edit] Preparation
Most students set aside approximately one month in order to prepare for Step 1. While text books and review books are a large part of preparation, commercial test-prep services and software such as those offered by Kaplan are extensivley used. Other preparation tools are websites such as Board Aid & USMLEHelp.com . With extensive tips, quizzes, and links to other helpful sites, Board Aid is a useful resource for any student preparing to write Step 1. Steps 2 and 3 of the USMLE are considered easier to prepare for, leading to the adage that the preparative work for steps 1, 2, and 3 respectively are "two months, two weeks, two pencils."
[edit] Uses of test
Students in American medical schools take this test at the end of their second year of medical school and it is usually required for progression into the third year of medical school. The test is standardized and it allows medical students to be directly compared with each other on a national basis although the creators of the USMLE wish that scores not be used for this purpose. Performance on this test is one of the selection criteria used in the match program for residencies. A favorable score on this test indicates that the medical student has grasped the core scientific knowledge imparted during the basic science years.
