One more step to licensure for American medical students

American medical students will now have one additional examination to pass before being licensed to practise medicine in the United States. The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) will begin offering the USMLE (United States Medical Licensure Examination) Step 2 CS (Clinical Skills) examination this summer. A similar exam already exists for foreign medical graduates wishing to practise in the United States.

The NBME believes the Step 2 CS exam will allow students to show fundamental clinical skills that are not covered by the current examinations. The test will consist of medical students examining 12 “standardised patients” for 15 minutes each. After each encounter the student will be expected to …