IWA Unavailable December 31-January 1
Due to required maintenance, ECFMG’s Interactive Web Applications (IWA) will be unavailable from approximately 11:00 p.m. on December 31, 2012 through approximately 12:15 a.m. on January 1, 2013. All times are calculated using Eastern Time in the United States.
During this maintenance period, you will be unable to perform any IWA transactions, including working on or submitting an Application for ECFMG Certification or USMLE exam application; accessing a USMLE scheduling permit; or requesting an extension of a USMLE Step 1 or Step 2 CK eligibility period.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to maintain high-quality on-line services.
Now Available: ECHO’s December Resources for ECFMG-certified Physicians
Each month, the ECFMG Certificate Holders Office (ECHO) publishes free resources for ECFMG-certified physicians, and those about to be certified, who are planning their careers.
ECHO is pleased to announce the following new resources for December.
- Just because your residency interviews are over doesn’t mean the opportunities to make a good impression are. Following your interviews, but before your Match results are revealed, there are various ways in which you can enhance your standing with residency program directors. Visit our new resource Communicating with Programs after the Interview to find out how.
- Do you know what it means for programs to be “All-In” for the 2013 Match? We asked the executive director of the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) to explain the organization’s new policy. Read all about it in Ask the Experts: The NRMP’s New “All-In” Policy.
In addition to providing valuable resources, ECHO offers certified physicians ways to stay connected with ECFMG and its expertise. Through ECHO, certified physicians can also connect with information from other organizations and experts, and each other. ECHO offers new ways for certified physicians to communicate with ECFMG, for example, by participating in ECHO’s monthly surveys and sending feedback to ECHO.
For more information, visit the ECHO section of the ECFMG website at www.ecfmg.org/echo.
Delay in Score Reporting for Step 3 in 2013
Starting the week of February 11, 2013, a transition period will begin in which routine modifications to the items in the exam, including a minor decrease in the number of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) in current forms of the Step 3 examination, will occur.
Although the transition will occur quickly at many test centers, there may be some locations where the changes take slightly longer. The transition period will likely take approximately 4 weeks. Please note that:
- The length of the examination day will remain unchanged.
- Scores on new and old forms will be comparable.
Score reports for Step 3 are usually available within four weeks of testing. However, because of the changes described above, score reporting for most Step 3 examinations administered from the week of February 11, 2013 through early May 2013 will take longer.
The target date for reporting Step 3 scores for most examinees testing the week of February 11 through early May 2013 will be on Wednesday, June 5, 2013.
Examinees should monitor the USMLE website for the latest information.
Changes to Step 3 Examination in 2013
November 30, 2012
Filed under: Step 3
Filed under: Step 3
As previously announced, changes to the USMLE Step 3 examination are scheduled to take place no earlier than 2014. The redesigned examination will include assessment of “a comprehensive knowledge of both foundational science and clinical medicine,” as well as “a demonstration of evidence-based medicine and quantitative reasoning skills important to patient care and to life-long learning.”
Over the next few years, Step 3 examinees will see a gradual increase in test items that assess knowledge of foundational science.
Examinees should read the full announcement on the USMLE website.
FAIMER Distance Learning Offers Advanced Degree Programs in Partnership with Keele University
November 30, 2012
Filed under: General
Filed under: General
The Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research Distance Learning (FAIMER® DL) program offers health professions educators the opportunity to receive advanced training in all aspects of health professions education, with a special focus on accreditation and assessment. Educators in medicine, nursing, dentistry, and other health professions can acquire the knowledge and skills to advance health professions education at their institutions to the highest international standards.
Beginning in early 2013, FAIMER will partner with Keele University in the United Kingdom to expand FAIMER DL into a program that grants academic credentials in accordance with international standards. Participants will be able to earn a Certificate, Diploma, or Master’s Degree in Accreditation and Assessment. All courses will be conducted in partnership with Keele University and the Centre for Medical Education in Context (CenMEDIC) in the United Kingdom. Courses will be administered by CenMEDIC and will follow the strict quality assurance guidelines and policies of Keele.
The Certificate and Diploma programs are conducted as fully supported distance learning using downloaded modules, podcasts, library work, and moderated discussion forums. The Master’s Degree also includes a brief residential session and a dissertation.
FAIMER DL empowers health professions educators with the knowledge and skills to take educational standards and practice to a higher level—to develop their own practice, to improve health professions education at their institutions and in their communities, and ultimately to help bring about real and lasting advances in local health care. For more information on FAIMER DL, please visit http://www.faimer.org/distance-learning/index.html.
About FAIMER
FAIMER is a leader in improving world health. By creating educational opportunities, conducting research, and providing data resources, it serves international communities of educators, researchers, regulators, and policy makers—each a potential change agent for better health care. Through worldwide activities, FAIMER combines its own expertise with that of local experts to create meaningful and sustained improvements in the systems that produce health care providers and deliver health care.
FAIMER is a non-profit foundation of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®). For more information, visit the FAIMER website at www.faimer.org.
Now Available: ECHO’s November Resources for ECFMG-certified Physicians
November 20, 2012
Filed under: ECHO
Filed under: ECHO
Each month, the ECFMG Certificate Holders Office (ECHO) publishes free resources for ECFMG-certified physicians, and those about to be certified, who are planning their careers.
ECHO is pleased to announce the following new resources for November.
- Would you like to learn more about why you need a mentor and how this mentor could help you with your research? We reached out to an expert in the field and asked the questions you need answered! Visit our new resource Ask the Experts: How to Find the Right Research Mentor for You.
- Are you unfamiliar with the publishing process? Publishing your research is an important component of your professional development. Read more in Writing about Your Research: The Abstract.
In addition to providing valuable resources, ECHO offers certified physicians ways to stay connected with ECFMG and its expertise. Through ECHO, certified physicians can also connect with information from other organizations and experts, and each other. ECHO offers new ways for certified physicians to communicate with ECFMG, for example, by participating in ECHO’s monthly surveys and sending feedback to ECHO.
For more information, visit the ECHO section of the ECFMG website at www.ecfmg.org/echo.
Test-taking Reminders for Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) Examinees
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.
Reminder: Attempt Limit for USMLE Examinations
Examinees who have made six or more attempts to pass a Step or Step component, including incomplete attempts, should be aware that all applications to register for additional attempts will not be processed unless they are submitted on or before December 31, 2012. This limit was first announced in August of 2011.
The effective date for the six-attempt limit depends upon whether an examinee took any Step or Step Component (including incomplete attempts) before January 1, 2012.
If you did not take any Step or Step Component before January 1, 2012, the six-attempt limit went into effect for all exam applications submitted on or after January 1, 2012.
Example: On January 15, 2012, Examinee A submitted an application for his first attempt at any Step or Step Component. The six-attempt limit went into effect at that time for all Steps and Step Components, and Examinee A will be allowed to take each Step or Step Component no more than six times, including incomplete attempts.
If you took any Step or Step Component (including incomplete attempts) before January 1, 2012, the six-attempt limit will go into effect for all exam applications that you submit on or after January 1, 2013. Beginning on that date, all attempts at a Step or Step Component will be counted toward the limit, regardless of when the exams were taken.
Examples: Examinee B’s application for a seventh attempt at a particular Step or Step Component is received on December 15, 2012. For this examinee, the six-attempt limit will not prevent the seventh attempt, since the application was submitted before January 1, 2013. However, if Examinee B fails the exam, he will not be eligible to submit an application on or after January 1, 2013 to retake that Step or Step Component.
Examinee C attempts to submit an application for a seventh attempt at a particular Step or Step Component on or after January 1, 2013. The application will not be processed, since all exam applications submitted on or after January 1, 2013 will be subject to the six-attempt limit.
Please refer to the 2013 Bulletin of Information for more complete information on time and attempt limits.
ECFMG On-line Services Will Remain Available November 2-3
We previously reported that ECFMG’s on-line services would be unavailable during a maintenance period scheduled for November 2-3. This scheduled maintenance has been postponed due to inclement weather, and ECFMG’s on-line services will remain available. Information on the rescheduled maintenance period will be posted to the ECFMG website as soon as it becomes available.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
UPDATED: Philadelphia Step 2 Clinical Skills Examination Center Closed October 29-30, 2012
October 31, 2012
Filed under: Step 2 CS
Filed under: Step 2 CS
Updated October 31, 2012: The Philadelphia test center is now open.
The Clinical Skills Evaluation Collaboration (CSEC) test center in Philadelphia will be closed Monday, October 29 and Tuesday, October 30, 2012 due to weather conditions. All Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) examinations scheduled at the Philadelphia test center on those dates have been cancelled.
Examinees scheduled to take the Step 2 CS exam at the Philadelphia test center October 29-30 are being contacted via telephone and email. If you were scheduled to take Step 2 CS in Philadelphia on October 29 or 30, please check your voicemail or email for information. CSEC staff will be in contact with affected examinees later in the week concerning make-up examinations.
Please check the USMLE website for updated information about when the Philadelphia test center will be re-opened. We will provide updates as they become available.
We understand the inconvenience that this closure causes and appreciate your patience as we work to accommodate all examinees whose scheduled exams were cancelled due to the storm.
(posted October 29, 2012; updated October 31, 2012)