Some questions which I received from Dr.N :
1) Yesterday i've already go to the ecfmg website and signed up for an account in order to obtain an id, which i was informed maybe takes around 5 days. But what i want to know is, is expiry date applied for the id or password? because i still have to wait for a few month to go from now to register for the exam, as i only will be able to pay for the test after i start to work by end of this april or may. If an expiry date applied, how long does it lasts?
As far as I know, obtaining the USMLE ID need not be followed immediately by registration for exam. So don't have to worry about this.
2) Just like you explained earlier, usmle consist of three steps, and what if someone fail one of the step, for example if someone has already passed excellently in step one, but he/ she did'nt do well in step 2, so should he/she just repeat the step 2 only or repeat the whole stuff?
The thing with the USMLE is that you shouldn't take the exam if you don't feel prepared. This is what the American board has decided. The most foolish thing to do is taking the exam when you are not prepared. Hence, if you pass it, the score sticks with you for the rest of your life, whether it is good or bad. You only get to resit the USMLE if you fail the exam. However if you fail, there will already be a mark in your USMLE transcript.
3) ..and how long is the time gap between one step and another?
You need to take the Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS within 7 years of each other.
4) I also want to know if there is any coach center for the usmle candidates in malaysia or it just totally a self-prepared examination?
Melaka-Manipal recently tried hosting USMLE course preparation. They charge about RM 14,000 for the Step 1. You can also try signing up for the original Kaplan course online - which will cost you about RM 6,000 per step.
5) Where can i get the u world question or bank question? is it available in any book stores?
USMLE World is an online question bank. It consist of 2000+ questions, with amazing explanations. What makes it so special is that they format the style of the questions exactly like the real exam. The font, the colour of the background, the highlighting and crossing mechanisms, the calculator function and everything else, follows the ACTUAL format in the real exam. In fact when you take the real exam on your test day, it would feel like just another day of doing questions in USMLE World.
6) My next question is that i was told, for the test registration, there are two ways, online registration and offline registration. the offline registration i must get my medical school to make it for me. Can you give me a detail about this?
What I know about this is that recently, the ECFMG has made it such a way that medical schools can register for it online. However, this requires your medical school to be part of the EMSWP - some fancy web portal for medical schools. The traditional way of registering for the exam is via the "offline" method, where you print and fill up the documents, send it to your medical school, and have them mail it to the U.S. If you want to know more about registering for the exam, you need to read this from certain USMLE forums, or just go through the extensive data in the USMLE website.
I'm just wondering how to fill in my name for application of the USMLE ID, as our malaysian chinese name, the last name is at the front, if i filled in accordingly, it will be ,for example - Siew Yee Lee, instead of Lee Siew Yee.
ReplyDeleteAnyone has any idea about this?
Hi Anonymous,
DeleteWhen they ask your for your last name : use Lee. First name is Siew Yee.
If it turns out to be Siew Yee Lee, means you have filled it out correctly. Don't worry. If you still have queries, you should call up ECMFG.
Jamie
Yeah, i called them up regarding this matter.
DeleteIt turns out to be Siew Yee Lee, but since this sequence doesn't match with the legal documents such as passport and certificates where the name is Lee Siew Yee, they asked me to fax a copy of my passport with form 182 to change the name back to correct sequence ( because it will be a problem later ).
So, i just fill in my whole name in the last name box. :/
Hi,
DeleteOh gosh, no. Don't worry on the orientation of the names. I for one can testify that the orientation of the sequence of the names is okay, as long as every name is included. For example : Wong Siew Mun, can be Siew Mun Wong. This is okay and acceptable, and there won't be a problem.
If you include everything into your last name box, it is also acceptable. However, in future, your legal documents will be stated as "FNU Lee Siew Yee". FNU = First name unknown. And this will appear even on your certificates. It is acceptable, but doesn't look nice.
Hence, my advice to you is = don't need to change anything. You will be fine. I know many people have went through the USMLEs with the sequencing of their names changed, and they are now already doing residency in the U.S.
Jamie
thank you for the reply...
ReplyDeleteI guess if ever there's a cert for me , there will be FNU in ftont. Just sent out the form 182 they told me to.. :/
I guess the best way probably is to fill in our last name at the first name box and vice versa, then will get the correct orientation. what do you think?
ReplyDelete