Hey guys,
I'm currently studying my MD at Fatima University Valenzuela.
I have some confusion about going into residency (in the US) after completion.
First of all, do I have to take USMLE step 1, 2 and 3 in the Philippines and if so at what years?
Secondly, do I leave for my residency straight after completing my fourth-year clinical clerkship and if so do I complete my post-graduate internship in the US?
And finally, how can I prepare for my Rivalida Examinations and USMLE exams?
Thanks a lot. Any help will be truly appreciated!
Hi,
I'm also a medical student and I'm planning to practice medicine in the US. I have applied to take the usmle step 1 this October-December 2018. To answer your question, it actually depends on your visa status. Do you have a US visa, are you a permanent resident card holder/green card? And also if you are a medical student or a medical graduate.
Just like you I was overwhelmed with questions because medical school in the Philippines are programmed to prepare you to take the PLE. So if you want to take the USMLE, you will have to do some serious studying on your own.
Ideally, just like in the US, you have to take the USMLE step 1 at the end of 2nd year. Start studying it at 1st year. To apply for it you need to sign up for an account at ecfmg. After you register and pay $75 they will give you your usmle ID number.
You can now apply to take USMLE step 1. They have several prometric centers. You can take this exam in the US. In the Philippines, the prometric center is at
2/F Ateneo Professional Schools,
130 HV Dela Costa St. Salcedo Village
Makati City.
To apply for step1, you need to register again, pay the exam fee which is $910 and if you take it in the Philippines it's another $150 the international test delivery surcharge.
After paying it, you need to send several documents to ecfmg so that they can verify your status as a medical student and then you can pick a date for your exam and wait for your exam permit to be sent.
For the other USMLE EXAMS,
You can take the USMLE Step 2 Clinical knowledge here in the Philippines but for Step 2 Clinical skills and step 3, they have to be taken in the US.
To get into a residency matching program, you have to take All USMLE exams, and get certified by ECFMG.
