ECFMG Reporter-Issue 186

The ECFMG(r) Reporter

An E-Newsletter for International Medical Graduates Pursuing Graduate Medical Education in the United States

Issue 186 - March 23, 2012

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IN THIS ISSUE:

- MID-2012 TEMPORARY SHUTDOWN OF STEP 2 CLINICAL SKILLS (CS) TESTING; SCORE REPORT DELAY FOR EXAMINEES TESTING JUNE 17, 2012 THROUGH NOVEMBER 3, 2012
- UPDATED PRACTICE AND ORIENTATION MATERIALS FOR STEP 2 CLINICAL SKILLS (CS) EXAM HAVE BEEN POSTED

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MID-2012 TEMPORARY SHUTDOWN OF STEP 2 CLINICAL SKILLS (CS) TESTING; SCORE REPORT DELAY FOR EXAMINEES TESTING JUNE 17, 2012 THROUGH NOVEMBER 3, 2012

As previously announced ( www.ecfmg.org/news/?p=322 ), changes to the Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) examination are scheduled for implementation beginning June 17, 2012. As a consequence of the introduction of these changes, exam scheduling and result reporting will be impacted for some individuals.

- There will be no Step 2 CS examinations delivered from May 20 through June 16, 2012.
- The interval between testing and score reporting for examinees testing from June 17, 2012 through November 3, 2012 will be 2-3 weeks longer than for examinees testing during other periods.
- Examinees will continue to receive a graphical performance profile on the second page of their Step 2 CS score report. However, due to the need to accumulate data on these new changes over an extended period, individuals who test on or after June 17, 2012 will see less detailed feedback on their graphical performance profiles than has been provided to examinees in the past. The performance profiles are provided as an assessment tool for the examinee's benefit and are not reported or verified to any third party. The profiles summarize relative areas of strength and weakness to aid in self assessment.

Please note that examinees who test on or before December 31, 2012 will have scores reported in time for the 2013 "Match."

More information about the Step 2 CS score reporting dates for examinations delivered in 2012 is provided in the Step 2 CS Score Reporting Schedule at www.ecfmg.org/news/?p=52 .


UPDATED PRACTICE AND ORIENTATION MATERIALS FOR STEP 2 CLINICAL SKILLS (CS) EXAM HAVE BEEN POSTED

As previously announced ( www.ecfmg.org/news/?p=322 ), a new patient note and redesigned Communication and Interpersonal Skills subcomponent will be introduced in the USMLE Step 2 CS examinations beginning June 17, 2012. Updated practice and orientation materials reflecting these changes have been posted to the USMLE website.

Examinees who plan to take the Step 2 CS examination on or after June 17, 2012 should review the updated materials, which include:

- An updated version of the CS Content Description and General Information booklet
- An updated onsite orientation CS video
- A new version of the practice patient note program
- New sample patient notes

View full announcement on the USMLE website at www.usmle.org .

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ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION

As an organization, ECFMG is committed to providing information on issues of importance to international medical graduates. We realize that many individuals would like updated information on developing issues related to ECFMG Certification and entry into graduate medical education in the United States. As a result, ECFMG has developed The ECFMG(r) Reporter to provide international medical graduates worldwide with timely, objective information on current topics of interest. It is our hope that this newsletter will allow physicians educated outside the United States and Canada to make informed choices on issues that shape their careers.

Previous issues of The ECFMG(r) Reporter are available on the ECFMG website. Subsequent issues will be posted to the ECFMG website as they are published. To access previous issues, visit the ECFMG website at www.ecfmg.org/reporter/ .

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We hope you find these updates helpful. Thank you for your interest in ECFMG.

Copyright (c) 2012 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates