United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)

In order to apply for United States (U.S.) medical residency programs, and eventually become licensed in the U.S. to practice medicine, students must pass the United States Medical Licensing Exams (USMLE). The exams are divided into three distinct parts: Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) and Step 3. Passing the first two parts of the USMLE is compulsory for students entering the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), which is how applicants obtain a medical residency in the U.S.

The Step 1 Exam is a Pass/Fail exam which assesses a student’s knowledge of clinical sciences relevant to the practice of medicine. The Step 2 CK Exam is a clinically focused exam with results reported as a three-digit numerical score. Since Step 2 CK is now the only graded licensing exam that will be completed before applying to residency, its importance cannot be overlooked. The best predictor of a student's performance on Step 2 CK is their performance on the Step 1 Exam. Preparation for this exam should begin from the first week you begin your studies at UQ.

Step 1 is the most difficult of these exams. It is impossible to do well on Step 1 if you wait to begin your preparations until a few months before the exam. Experience at UQ and elsewhere has shown that students who sit the USMLE Step 1 prior to Year 3 perform on average better than students who delay completion of the examination.  Students who delay the examination have higher fail rates.

As outlined in the UQ-Ochsner MD program rules, students must provide evidence of attempting USMLE Step 1 prior to the census date of their first semester of Year 3. This is known as the “sit to progress” rule. In addition, to progress to Year 4 of the UQ-Ochsner MD Program, students must provide evidence of passing USMLE Step 1 prior to the commencement of Year 4.

USMLE Step 1

The Faculty of Medicine provides a number of resources to assist UQ-Ochsner students to prepare for Step 1.  Although a difficult test it is not an impossible test.  Every year thousands of medical students take and pass the exam.

For more details on the USMLE please visit their website.

UQ-Ochsner Student Contacts

The Ochsner Partnership Advisor in Brisbane: 

Phone: +61 7 3346 4866
Email: med.ochsner@uq.edu.au  

The Ochsner Clinical School Student Administration in New Orleans:

Phone: +1 504 842 1204 | +1 504 842 7460 | +1 504 754 7279
Email: med.ocsStudentAdmin@uq.edu.au