Licensing boards say that the existing exam system is quality-control measure in a profession that holds people’s lives in the balance.īecause not all medical schools provide the same level of training, officials say, students must undergo independent standardized testing to establish that they are ready to give patients the best possible care. If nothing else, it certainly adds to the mountain of expenses medical students incur before earning a paycheck. And although a handful of studies say exam results might predict future performance, other studies say the correlations are weak. Osman and other students say no evidence shows that the Step 2 exam improves patient outcomes.
“And we want to make sure there is evidence-based data supporting the examination and that it is done a cost-effective way.” “We care about public trust,” said Samia Osman, a fourth-year Harvard medical student and an organizer of the campaign. Medical students who graduated in 2014 had a median debt of $180,000, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, and some are questioning whether the expensive steps they must take to become physicians are creating barriers to those of lesser means. The campaign, which has gained the support of more than 16,500 students, residents and physicians from more than 130 medical schools since it began in March, touches on a larger debate about the astronomical costs of medical training. “If the school is able to offer us an identical exam, still test those skills and certify that we are able to be competent physicians, then there is no need for a second standardized exam.” “A thousand dollars for a medical student, especially one dependent on financial aid, is a lot of money,” said Sbaa Syeda, a fourth-year student at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Fourth-year medical students who take the exam are traveling the country interviewing for residency programs about the same time, and they say the bills can become unmanageable.
#Usmle practice test cost registration
The Step 2 exam is expensive: There is a $1,275 registration fee, and because the test is offered in just five cities, students often have to bear the cost of travel and lodging.
Students say that the test - the Step 2 Clinical Skills exam, which measures bedside manner and real-world problem-solving while students interact with people acting as patients - should be replaced with an alternative exam that the nation’s medical schools could administer free. Hundreds of medical students at the University of Maryland, Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University and George Washington University are joining a nationwide campaign to eliminate a standardized licensing test they say is redundant and a financial burden. By Danielle Douglas-Gabriel August 6, 2016
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