Licensing

United States Medical Licensing Examination

In addition to fulfilling the academic and personal requirements to graduate from the School of Medicine, students must take and pass Step 1 and Step 2-CK (Clinical Knowledge) of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).

Both parts of the examination are administered annually by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). Students are expected to take their Step 1 examination following the completion of their core clerkships (January of MS-III year). The Step 1 examination assesses whether medical students can apply important basic science concepts to the practice of medicine. Step 2-CK is taken towards the end of the MSIII year or early in the MS-IV year (April to September) and assesses whether medical students can apply the medical knowledge and clinical skills essential for the provision of patient care under supervision, and includes an emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention.

These examinations are used by the school, along with other assessments, to determine cognitive mastery in a range of subject material. Performance on the USMLE is recorded on the student’s official transcript as pass/fail. Because the faculty regards the ability to pass both components of the USMLE as evidence of minimal competence, any student who fails either Step 1 or Step 2-CK will be formally reviewed by the Student Promotions Committee.

Licensure Requirements

Policies of each of the Uniformed Services require that a medical officer hold a valid and unrestricted license to practice medicine in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.