Issue Ninety-One - December 19, 2005
IMGs Participating in 2007 Match Must Take Step 2 CS as Early as Possible
Examinee demand for Step 2 CS continues to be heavy. International medical students/graduates (IMGs) who need to pass Step 2 CS to participate in the 2007 Match (which will take place in March 2007) are strongly encouraged to apply for Step 2 CS and schedule their testing appointments as soon as possible.
These individuals should be familiar with the 2006 Step 2 Clinical Skills Schedule for Reporting Results, recently published by the USMLE Program. This schedule provides guidelines for examinees regarding when they should expect Step 2 CS results, based on when they take the exam. The schedule indicates that examinees who take Step 2 CS by December 31, 2006 can expect to have their results in time to participate in the 2007 Match.
At the time of this writing, most available testing spaces for the first quarter of 2006 are filled. If you need to take Step 2 CS to participate in the 2007 Match, you should:
- apply as soon as you are eligible
- schedule a 2006 testing appointment, preferably for a date as early as possible in 2006
- schedule your testing appointment no later than July 1, 2006, to maximize your chances of obtaining a 2006 test date. This means that, by July 1, 2006, you should have selected a 2006 test date. The test date you select does not need to be on or before July 1, 2006.
Additionally, test sessions at all test centers may be subject to scheduling restrictions. The goals of these restrictions are to accommodate the unusually high volume of examinees that is expected in 2006 and ensure access throughout the year for both IMGs and students/graduates of U.S./Canadian medical schools (USMGs) who must take the exam to satisfy specific requirements. The restrictions may reserve a specific number of testing spaces in each test session for IMGs and USMGs. Testing spaces reserved for USMGs at each center are not available to IMGs for scheduling. The number of testing spaces reserved for IMGs and USMGs may change throughout the year, depending on scheduling patterns and demand.
Early registration and scheduling may offer a number of potential benefits. If you plan to apply for Step 2 CS, you should consider the following:
- The test dates available to IMGs under the scheduling restrictions can be viewed by accessing Step 2 CS Scheduling from the ECFMG website. Since only registered applicants can access Step 2 CS Scheduling, early registration will allow you to monitor the test dates available to you.
- Applicants who schedule a testing appointment can change the testing appointment without cost, provided they give more than 14 days' notice. See Rescheduling in the ECFMG Information Booklet.
- Applicants who take Step 2 CS early in the year and receive a failing result are more likely to have the opportunity to retake the exam and receive their result in time to participate in the 2007 Match.
Updated information on Step 2 CS Scheduling will be posted to the ECFMG website as it becomes available. Individuals planning to take Step 2 CS should monitor the ECFMG and USMLE websites for the latest information.