Getting Ready for Your USMLE Step 2 Certification Exam

The USMLE Step 2 CK ("clinical knowledge") is the second of the seven required exams that medical students must pass in order to become eligible candidates for licensing. The USMLE Step 2 CK is the ninth exam in the entire United States Medical Licensing Examination. The medical community refers to the whole of the exam, like the USMLE Step 2. The exam is administered by the Institute of Medicine and published by the Commission on International Medical Examination. There are several reasons why the United States has one of the highest failure rates among countries with licensed doctors.

One of those reasons is our lax legal standards for physicians. As a result, aspiring doctors frequently flunk the USMLE Step 2 CK exam because they lack the expertise required to succeed. The USMLE exam is broken down into three parts and requires that you achieve mastery in all three parts before you can successfully complete the exam. Having an ability of all three parts of the exam allows a prospective practitioner to focus on each area of the exam and gain mastery in the requisite clinical knowledge needed for passing.

Unfortunately, many medical schools have not made their programs as comprehensive as necessary to meet the USMLE Step 2 CK clinical knowledge requirements. Many schools are so concerned with completing the clinical skills requirements first that they cut corners when it comes to the actual test. They may know that students need a score in the low two hundred to pass, but many do not make the grade even when their scores fall below the required limit.

Another reason why students fail the exam is that they choose the wrong residency program. There are residency programs offered at all medical schools, and students should not let costs or peer pressure get in the way of choosing a good program. A USMLE Step 2 and Step 1 certified cardiac nurse residency is an excellent investment if you are planning on passing the exam. It is not a requirement, but if a student does not select a program that prepares them adequately for the USMLE, they will likely fail.

If you would like to be successful at Step 1 and Step 2, you will need a total number of at least six thousand to twelve hundred passing scores. This will depend upon whether you are testing in the clinical or laboratory portion of your examination. In either case, the USMLE does not require scores over seven hundred and fifty. Most Step 1 and Step 2 CK students will fail the exam with less than seven hundred. However, if your scores are above seven hundred, you can expect to be very well prepared for taking the cardiac resident examination.

Once you have been accepted to one of the testing centers, you will need to do a couple of things to prepare yourself for your examination. The first thing you will need to do is find out what level of CPL you will be expected to achieve upon passing the test. Most medical facilities prefer that the highest level of CPL is attained, bypassing at least one complete board examination (TCE). However, if you have not had a lot of experience as a nurse or are not sure if you will be able to pass the examination at an acceptable level, you can request a TCE instead. It is imperative that you find out precisely what level of CPL you will be expected to reach upon testing.

Another thing that will help you pass the examination and meet the requirements for obtaining a USMLE Step 2 certification is to take a course of study in nursing. This means you must complete a graduate course in basic and clinical skills, as well as one to two years of education in an approved nurse practitioner residency program. Completing this four-year program will give you an excellent foundation in the field of nursing that will benefit you throughout your career and enhance your readiness for taking the test. It would be best if you also began taking classes for your nursing license as soon as possible after completing your clinical skills training. A USMLE Step 2 certification is required to become a licensed practical nurse in most states and will allow you to begin working immediately after you receive your degree.

As part of preparing for the Step 1 exam, you should begin studying for your USMLE Step 2 certification. You can save time by finding out what prerequisites are for the various exams and passing your prior work experience into consideration when preparing for the exams. Remember that if you do not pass your USMLE Step 2 within two years, you will need to retake the entire course and obtain a new USMLE Step 2 score. Make sure you keep up your studies by reviewing your study materials from year to year so that you can pass all five tests with flying colors.