Step 3 before residency- is it possible?

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starbuckscoffee

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The FAQ page for Step 3 says (http://www.fsmb.org/usmle_faq.html#q04):

"As part of the USMLE requirements to take the Step 3, you should apply only after the date of graduation on your medical school diploma or the issue date of your ECFMG or Fifth Pathway certificate. (Recent medical school graduates can take up to six weeks to verify degrees before approval for Step 3)."

Does this mean that those of us graduating in May can't plan to take Step 3 before residency since it may take 6 weeks just to approve us for Step 3? I wanted to take Step 3 mid-June but am now wondering if I can't.

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Can anyone who's done this and registered give some insight? Does it take that long to register? Or can we go ahead, start studying, etc...and by the time approval arrives be able to schedule a slot on one of the 2 open dates in Late June for COMLEX 3?
THANKS SO MUCH in advance!
 
Warning to anyone planning to take Step 3 before residency:

I called the Federation of State Medical Boards (they do USMLE step 3), and they said it usually does take 4-6 weeks to verify graduation status and that there's no way to speed that up. They said even if your med school agrees to respond right away, they also have to do verification with the NBME, and that often takes time. The representative said she would not recommend signing up if you graduate in mid-May since there's a good chance you wouldn't be approved until the first week of July.

Feel free to call yourself and post any info to the contrary. I'm quite disappointed about this.

http://www.fsmb.org/contactlist.html
 
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I wonder if we can go by the "it CAN take up to.." lingo and be studying and "hopefully" it would get approved right at 4 weeks or possibly sooner and then we'd be ok to quickly register and take it....Hmmm
Im almost positive I know people who have supposedly taken it shortly after graduation...I wish those people (if they are out there) could comment or let us know how long it took them to get approved...
I think Im still gonna plan on studying for it and worse case scenario, take it 1st month in....I can kill a bunch of studying in June regardless and then whatever I can do in July once residency starts and take it that month. I think that would still be my best bet. Anyone else?
 
I wonder if we can go by the "it CAN take up to.." lingo and be studying and "hopefully" it would get approved right at 4 weeks or possibly sooner and then we'd be ok to quickly register and take it....Hmmm
Im almost positive I know people who have supposedly taken it shortly after graduation...I wish those people (if they are out there) could comment or let us know how long it took them to get approved...
I think Im still gonna plan on studying for it and worse case scenario, take it 1st month in....I can kill a bunch of studying in June regardless and then whatever I can do in July once residency starts and take it that month. I think that would still be my best bet. Anyone else?

UPDATE: Per the website addy you sent above this is the instructions on the official paper application for the USMLE Step 3:

"COMPLETING AND MAILING YOUR APPLICATION
Applications are processed by date of receipt. Allow approximately 1-3 weeks for processing once the FSMB receives your
application. You must provide an e-mail address on your application. Not providing an e-mail address will significantly delay
notification of your Scheduling Permit and Score Report."

So...perhaps we can get it done. I can deal with 3 weeks. If I mail it the day after I graduate (May 24th- A monday) 3 weeks later still works. :) I'll keep my fingers crossed and of course pray.
 
The 6 weeks is not the processing time referred to on that application. The 6 weeks is the time it takes to verify the graduation status of NEW GRADUATES only. I can't see why it takes that long, but I had a long talk on the phone with FSMB, and they said it usually does take the entire 6 weeks (or close to it) and that there's nothing you can do to shorten it.

I'd be careful about planning to take it your 1st month of residency. That sounds really stressful, especially if you end up on a floor or ICU month!

If anyone has had experience taking Step 3 before residency the year that they graduated, please comment to let us know how/if it worked out.
 
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The FAQ page for Step 3 says (http://www.fsmb.org/usmle_faq.html#q04):

"As part of the USMLE requirements to take the Step 3, you should apply only after the date of graduation on your medical school diploma or the issue date of your ECFMG or Fifth Pathway certificate. (Recent medical school graduates can take up to six weeks to verify degrees before approval for Step 3)."

Does this mean that those of us graduating in May can't plan to take Step 3 before residency since it may take 6 weeks just to approve us for Step 3? I wanted to take Step 3 mid-June but am now wondering if I can't.

I was thinking about the same thing - but I think I am going to play safe and register after my graduation...it'll be awesome if I can take it before residency but given their specific instruction ("you should apply only after the date of graduation"), I just don't want to waste money to apply for the same thing twice...I have spent way too much money on this USMLE stuff.
 
Yeah, I'm not going to register before grad. I actually am thinking I won't take it at all before residency, because if I sign up and don't get approved until after residency starts, I have no idea what my schedule will be for the first few months. I don't want to do all that studying and pay $700 and then have to get an extension (or worse, reapply). This really sucks.
 
Is there no one out there who has had success with taking this exam before starting residency??? I graduate on May 28th and day one of residency is July 1st (though orientations begins on the 26th). I'm still going to register regardless, but definitely would make me feel better if there was at least ONE helpful soul out there who had success in getting their scheduling permit in a timely fashion (i.e. 2-3 weeks)!!!
 
Is there no one out there who has had success with taking this exam before starting residency??? I graduate on May 28th and day one of residency is July 1st (though orientations begins on the 26th). I'm still going to register regardless, but definitely would make me feel better if there was at least ONE helpful soul out there who had success in getting their scheduling permit in a timely fashion (i.e. 2-3 weeks)!!!

I am going to try as well. However it is really a matter of luck with the timing, because first you have to hope that your graduation from medical school is verified quickly enough for your application to be processed so you can be issued a testing permit, and then finding a prometric testing site that has 2 consecutive days available to book for your test, all before July 1st. We will both need lots of luck to pull this one off!
 
After speaking to my medical school, the FSMB, and some residents who have attempted this in the past, I've decided it's pretty much impossible to get the test done between med school and residency.

I'm not going to try since I don't want any of the following to occur: (1) To have to pay to extend my USMLE World subscription; (2) To have to pay to extend my Step 3 eligibility period; (3) To have to study for the test twice if I end up with a first residency rotation that's not an elective and am thus forced to delay the test by >1 month; (4) To lose my precious vacation time with nothing to show for it.

Good luck to any of you who are going for it. Be sure to post about whether it works out as I'm sure there will be people next year with the same question.
 
I will be attempting it too. My graduation is next week so hopefully this will give me a few extra days of wiggle room. I will be sure to post once things get rolling.
 
My program is pressuring me into taking it before July 1st. It was even something I remember them mentioning on the interview, but it is just not possible. I can understand why they want me to, as pathology is sort of a different field.

I'm not sure where they expect me to find the time. And even if I could study for it, Im certain I won't be eligible before July 1st.
 
Have any of you new grads managed to get a scheduling permit yes? Curious if it's working out...

Hope you're beating the odds :)
 
Have any of you new grads managed to get a scheduling permit yes? Curious if it's working out...

Hope you're beating the odds :)

I am presently waiting for my scheduling permit. Just hoping that there will be available dates left at the end of June at my local prometric test center by the time the permit arrives. Waiting anxiously...
 
I've been looking at this thread recently and have been wondering the same. Didn't attempt because I graduated late May. Anyone with a story of success so far?
 
I've been looking at this thread recently and have been wondering the same. Didn't attempt because I graduated late May. Anyone with a story of success so far?

Graduated May 22nd, and got everything together to the point where I will be sitting for the test on 6/28 & 6/29, with one day to spare before internship begins. I am presently studying, so wish me luck that I pass. It can be done!!
 
Damn you, FSMB. You just sent me notice that my application was approved at midnight this morning. Don't you know I start internship (orientation/ certification courses) today?!? Why couldn't you have verified my degree faster? I sent you the stupid documents the Monday after graduation!! And you still haven't sent my scheduling permit. +pissed+

Oh well. Looks like I'll be asking for two days off. I have until the end of September to take it... probably best to wait for my rotation schedule to figure this out now.
:bang:
 
Anyone send in their application a couple days before graduation in anticipation that they won't start processing until AFTER your graduation date?

Sounds like risky business but would really like to finish this thing asap
 
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