- Joined
- Aug 15, 2003
- Messages
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Has this happened to anyone? I showed up today for day one of step III and proceeded to sit there for 2 hours while the prometric employee contacted someone (I don't know who) because the test wouldn't get downloaded to their site, or something like that. It happened for all 5 of us taking step III today there - two of them had taken day 1 on the previous day. Eventually, after 2 hours, we were told we would have to reschedule, and we would have to contact NBME.
As everyone (except probably the licensing authorities themselves and the testing center) knows, NBME doesn't administer step 3. It only administers step I and II. Why the heck this occurs I have no idea, nor do I know what either of them has to do with USMLE.
We spend several hundred dollars to take this test, not to mention the aggravations that go into scheduling it - paperwork, multiple different licensing entities, etc. In addition, the demands of medical residency are such that taking time off for this test is a burden and not easily done. I would expect that, given the high fees we have to pay, that things should work efficiently and when they do not, all effort should be made to reschedule or accomodate us, without making us have to do all this work. As an example, I was told to contact nbme after my test was cancelled. There are too many licensing entities and potential places to contact, and it seems as though the burden is on the applicant to take care of all this, and when every single medical school graduate has to take this test, one would think the process would be streamlined and free from hassle.
As it stands now, I will have to take further time off from my residency at an inconvenient time, not to mention that my studying time has been somewhat wasted. The response I seem to get when looking for answers or assistance seems to be either endless customer service lines or "please contact this entity" and so forth. If I had known that having my test cancelled at the last minute was a remote possibility, I would have scheduled it for earlier this month. Because - I cannot take time off in august to take it (my rotation won't let me). In september I can, but not during the first two days of the month when I have to be there to help a new resident. When does my scheduling permit expire? 9/5/05 - labor day. There is no testing on weekends.
I would appreciate knowing what the problem actually is and why an exam that is administered every single day can have such an issue. And an addition - there are too many entities involved here, and it makes things much more complicated than it should be. One has to go through FSMB to register for the USMLE (as well as being told to arrange ourselves for contacting the appropriate state medical board, and NBME for our previous step I and II scores), and take it through a prometric test center, and then be told to contact NBME when something goes wrong. A test that every medical graduate takes and is administered every day should not have these hoops to jump through, particularly for the cost that is involved.
I want a refund and an apology and I want all these stupid organizations to coordinate with each other, since again, THIS IS A TEST THAT EVERY MEDICAL SCHOOL GRADUATE HAS TO TAKE.
As everyone (except probably the licensing authorities themselves and the testing center) knows, NBME doesn't administer step 3. It only administers step I and II. Why the heck this occurs I have no idea, nor do I know what either of them has to do with USMLE.
We spend several hundred dollars to take this test, not to mention the aggravations that go into scheduling it - paperwork, multiple different licensing entities, etc. In addition, the demands of medical residency are such that taking time off for this test is a burden and not easily done. I would expect that, given the high fees we have to pay, that things should work efficiently and when they do not, all effort should be made to reschedule or accomodate us, without making us have to do all this work. As an example, I was told to contact nbme after my test was cancelled. There are too many licensing entities and potential places to contact, and it seems as though the burden is on the applicant to take care of all this, and when every single medical school graduate has to take this test, one would think the process would be streamlined and free from hassle.
As it stands now, I will have to take further time off from my residency at an inconvenient time, not to mention that my studying time has been somewhat wasted. The response I seem to get when looking for answers or assistance seems to be either endless customer service lines or "please contact this entity" and so forth. If I had known that having my test cancelled at the last minute was a remote possibility, I would have scheduled it for earlier this month. Because - I cannot take time off in august to take it (my rotation won't let me). In september I can, but not during the first two days of the month when I have to be there to help a new resident. When does my scheduling permit expire? 9/5/05 - labor day. There is no testing on weekends.
I would appreciate knowing what the problem actually is and why an exam that is administered every single day can have such an issue. And an addition - there are too many entities involved here, and it makes things much more complicated than it should be. One has to go through FSMB to register for the USMLE (as well as being told to arrange ourselves for contacting the appropriate state medical board, and NBME for our previous step I and II scores), and take it through a prometric test center, and then be told to contact NBME when something goes wrong. A test that every medical graduate takes and is administered every day should not have these hoops to jump through, particularly for the cost that is involved.
I want a refund and an apology and I want all these stupid organizations to coordinate with each other, since again, THIS IS A TEST THAT EVERY MEDICAL SCHOOL GRADUATE HAS TO TAKE.
