In December 2011 USMLE announced a number of changes to the Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) examination program; these were implemented in mid-2012.
It is important for examinees to focus on the specific details of each case when interacting with standardized patients. Their actions should be guided by case details and by the information gathered from the standardized patient and from physical findings. Disregard for details of the case, as well as unfocused history questions or physical examination maneuvers, will likely make it difficult to manage testing time properly and may result in a lower score.
The December 2011 announcement also described changes to the Communication and Interpersonal Skills (CIS) subcomponent of the examination, which assesses an examinee’s performance in five functions. Examinees should be attentive to these functions throughout their interactions with the standardized patients.
In addition, the December 2011 announcement described changes to the patient note that is completed after each standardized patient encounter. Please note that examinees are expected to complete all components of the patient note. An incomplete patient note can result in a lower score.
Examinees can find information on what to expect during their Step 2 CS experience, and for all USMLE examinations, in the USMLE Bulletin of Information. Additional information about the Step 2 CS examination is available in the Step 2 Clinical Skills Content Description and General Information booklet.
