7 year limit - usmle steps & waivers for mudphuds

[pupster]

Has anyone had difficulty getting licensed if they are just outside the 7 year limit on the USMLEs as a mudphud (in my case...7 years 2 weeks) in states that do NOT list a waiver/extension for mudphuds such as Arizona or Illinois or the District of Columbia?

I'm referencing:

http://www.fsmb.org/usmle_eliinitial.html

There are numerous states that do NOT list a waiver for mudphuds. I'm sure lots of people here who finished their training may have had to deal w/ these issues. Looking to get some input.

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[gutonc]

Has anyone had difficulty getting licensed if they are just outside the 7 year limit on the USMLEs as a mudphud (in my case...7 years 2 weeks) in states that do NOT list a waiver/extension for mudphuds such as Arizona or Illinois or the District of Columbia?

I'm referencing:

http://www.fsmb.org/usmle_eliinitial.html

There are numerous states that do NOT list a waiver for mudphuds. I'm sure lots of people here who finished their training may have had to deal w/ these issues. Looking to get some input.

I don't have any specific information about this but I would imagine that, in a state like Illinois, with as large a population and the number of academic medical centers that it has, there are more than a couple of licensed physicians running around there that fit this category.

If this is simply a hypothetical question, I'd say not to worry too much about it and that the lack of mention of a waiver on that page doesn't mean you can't get one. If you're thinking about a job in one of those places, it's probably worth a call to the board to see what's up.

 

[Fencer]

As MD/PhD PD and residency director, I have not heard of a single case where a letter of enrollment in MD/PhD program within the typical 10 years deadline has not worked. Fortunately, I don't have experience with exceptions beyond 9-10 years, which would mean a 11-13 years time to completion of dual degrees. Leaves of absence from the program due to a variety of reasons that are no longer than 1 year do not need to be explained. More than a year, do require an explanation.

Maebea, any opinion?

 

[Maebea]

As MD/PhD PD and residency director, I have not heard of a single case where a letter of enrollment in MD/PhD program within the typical 10 years deadline has not worked. Fortunately, I don't have experience with exceptions beyond 9-10 years, which would mean a 11-13 years time to completion of dual degrees. Leaves of absence from the program due to a variety of reasons that are no longer than 1 year do not need to be explained. More than a year, do require an explanation.

Maebea, any opinion?

This mirrors our experience. The letters we write for our most extensively trained graduates (i.e., those taking more than 9 years to complete the program) have always worked. Nearly all of our people go to residency programs in states that are relatively friendly to MD-PhD grads (CT,MA, NY, PA, MD, NC, MI, MO, TX, WA & CA), so there might be states out there that are not as accommodating.

 

[gutonc]

The letters we write for our most extensively trained graduates (i.e., those taking more than 9 years to complete the program) have always worked.

That is the most beautiful way imaginable to say "grad students who couldn't get their s*** together to defend their thesis in a reasonable amount of time". As someone who approached, but did not quite meet, the "extensively trained" benchmark, I wholeheartedly approve.

It beats the "tenured grad student" moniker which is what we used.

 

[Neuronix]

It beats the "tenured grad student" moniker which is what we used.

I used "most screwed over" grad student. I think they'd typically agree...

 

[Grisha]

Bump -- any updates? Here's the most recent site: https://www.fsmb.org/licensure/usmle-step-3/state_specific

Still many states with 7 year limitations. I'm going to be outside the 7 year rule unless I take step 3 between 4th year and residency. Anyone know of difficulty getting a "waiver under specific conditions" in Massachusetts? Or in Connecticut or Oregon?

 

[Fencer]

If there is no break in the time of biomedical research pursuing the PhD, the licensing bodies have tended to give a waiver with not much issues. However, each case and state works slightly differently.