USMLE

UNITED STATES MEDICAL

LICENSING EXAMINATION

ED: QASIM AL-HALEIMI

Contents:
• INTRODUCTION.
• PURPOSES.
• STRUCTURE OF THE EXAM.
• STEPS .
• GRADING & PASSING.
• MATERIALS & RESOURCES NEEDED FOR
PREPARATION.
• REFERENCES & textbooks for reading.
• MY RECOMMENDATION.
INTRODUCTION:
• The USMLE exam series is required to be
completed by International Medical Graduates
(IMG) in order to apply for Residency Match
Program and become a Licensed practitioner in
the US.
PURPOSES:
• For :
• Applying a residency program in US.
• Applying post graduation study in medicine in
US.
• Applying Fellowship , & Scholarship in US.
Structure:
• This exam is divided in to three parts:
• Step1
• Step2 [Clinical Knowledge (CK), & Clinical Skills
(CS)].
• Step3.
Step 1:
• This step is highly concern with the Knowledge of Basic
sciences namely:
• ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY,
PATHOLOGY, PHARMACOLOGY, GENETICS,
IMUNNOLOGY, MICROBIOLOGY, BEHAVIORAL
SCIENCES, STATISTICS, & EPIDEMIOLOGY.
• About 350 MCQs are there the hole exam is taken as
8hr’s an hr for every 50 MCQs & an hr break.
• Passing this exam is mandatory to go for the others.
• Usually taken after the third year of med school.
• Passing the exam is usually no less than 240 MCQs true.
Materials :
• Kaplan lectures & lecture notes for step1.
• Kaplan Qbook step 1 .
• Board review for all subjects .
• Lange books Q& As for step 1.
• Pass program : medical videos & notes .
• Golijan lectures for pathology.
• Gold standard.
• Myoclinic lectures .
• ABC Medical collection series
• Pretest series
• High yeilds series
• At Glance medical series
• USMLE SECRET BOOKs.
• Toronto Notes.
Step 2:
• This step is concern about the clinical diagnosis.
• This step is divided in to two parts:
• Clinical Knowledge(CK): concerning about these
subjects: INTERNAL MEDICINE
(CARDIOLOGY, PULMONOLOGY,
ENDOCRINOLOGY, GASTROENTEROLOGY,
REHUMATOLOGY, NEPHROLOGY,
HEAMATOLOGY) , SURGERY, ANASTHESIA,
EMERGENCY MEDICINE, PEDIATRICS,
NEUROLOGY, PSYCHIATRY, & O/G .
• Clinical Skills (CS):
• Performing special systemic examination.
Materials:
• Kaplan lectures & lecture notes for step 2.
• Lange books Q& As for step 2.
• Medstudy: Internal medicine board review.
• Bate’s complete examination 4th ed.
• Pretest series
• Oxford medical Handbook series
• USMLE WORLD 2008
• Harrison's internal medicine 17th ed.
• Surgery schwartz's book 9th ed.
Step 3:
• This step is highly concern with disease
treatment & prognosis.
• This step is also concern about two things
,ethical issues, & evidence of treatments.
Materials:
• Kaplan lectures & lecture notes for step 3.
• Lange books Q& As for step 3.
My recommendation:
• I recommend every person who want to study for
the exam is to start with reading the lecture
notes provided by Kaplan .
• If you are running in short time start with
Qbook.
• If you have a long time sea the videos try to read
the lecture notes along with it.