ECFMG announces Step 3 medical license exam change

With the restructuring of the Step 3 examination in 2014, the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) program will no longer require examinees to apply for Step 3 under the eligibility requirements of a specific medical licensing authority. Other Step 3 eligibility requirements—including a medical degree, passage of Steps 1 and 2, and Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduate (ECFMG) certification for international medical graduates—will still apply, as will all other USMLE program requirements, the ECFMG announced last week.

The application process change is tentatively scheduled to begin in August 2014. “Removing state board sponsorship as part of the Step 3 examination application does not impact medical licensing requirements in the United States,” the commission stated on its website. Most medical licensing authorities maintain specific criteria for completion of the USMLE, such as time and attempt limits. Currently, there are no plans for minimum residency training requirement as part of the Step 3 eligibility criteria. However, the USMLE program will likely continue to recommend that individuals take Step 3 at or near the completion of the first year of residency training.

Source: ECFMG