Do residents also call the USMLE "the boards"?

[rjgennarelli]

This is really a question about terminology. It has always been my understanding that:

usmLE/comLEX = exam taken to obtain medical licensure upon graduating from medical school, hence "licensing exam"

"boards" = exam taken upon completion of graduate medical education (GME)/residency, hence "board-certified physician."

I hear many medical students calling the USMLE/COMLEX their "boards." Is this just due to a misunderstanding, or is the licensing exam technically part of your boards?

It was my understanding that one can practice medicine without a board certification, implying that the boards/medical licensure are two entirely separate things. Clarification from someone is knowledgeable in this area would be great. Thank you!

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[Smurfette]

You need to pass all three USMLEs/COMLEX exams in order to get a permanent medical license. You also need to have a minimum number of years of residency training to get your permanent license (most states require 2 yrs GME IIRC, some only 1 yr).

To be board certified you need to pass your specialty-specific boards, which are generally given by an agency named "American board of [insert specialty here]", after successfully meeting all requirements of that particular board. One such requirement is the completion of x years of GME training in that field; each board also has additional requirements (for example, the ABS requires performing a minimum number of surgeries in various categories, different certifications/competencies, and so forth).

To answer your initial question: in my experience, in residency, the "boards" means board certification exams, as lectures, in-service exams and faculty also all refer to this particular exam. Most residents called USMLE step 3 "step 3". In residency, the focus on step 3 is pretty much non-existent; you just get it done at some point.

As a student, I called the USMLEs the boards when explaining it to family and non-medical people; otherwise we generally called it "step 1" or "step 2" or "CS". Obviously, this is variable by location.

 

[Stellar Clouds]

Board certification and licensure are two separate things. It's called board certification because it's given to you by a board. For instance, in anesthesiology, you receive board certification from the American Board of Anesthesiology, for surgery, it's the American Board of Surgery, etc.

Since the USMLE is given by the National Board of Medical Examiners, I suppose you could refer to it as taking the boards, but I think most people would say that taking the boards really refers to your board certification post-residency.

 

[colbgw02]

You need to pass all three USMLEs/COMLEX exams in order to get a permanent medical license. You also need to have a minimum number of years of residency training to get your permanent license (most states require 2 yrs GME IIRC, some only 1 yr)

It's the opposite; most states require 1 year. By my count, 18 require more - most of the time it's 2 years, but sometimes it's 3 years or even completing a residency. This information is for AMG MDs only.

 

[evilbooyaa]

Whatever major tests you have to take in the closest future as a med student/resident essentially becomes your "boards". Even if you don't want to call it that, people with.

When you're a MS2, Step 1 is boards
When you're a MS3, Step 2 is boards
When you're an intern, Step 3 is boards(?; not sure if people really call it that)
When you're a resident, your Board exams (probably the most correct use of the term boards) is boards.

Boards.

 

[link2swim06]

Whatever major tests you have to take in the closest future as a med student/resident essentially becomes your "boards". Even if you don't want to call it that, people with.

When you're a MS2, Step 1 is boards
When you're a MS3, Step 2 is boards
When you're an intern, Step 3 is boards(?; not sure if people really call it that)
When you're a resident, your Board exams (probably the most correct use of the term boards) is boards.

Boards.

👍

 

[pattr]

This is really a question about terminology. It has always been my understanding that:

usmLE/comLEX = exam taken to obtain medical licensure upon graduating from medical school, hence "licensing exam"

"boards" = exam taken upon completion of graduate medical education (GME)/residency, hence "board-certified physician."

I hear many medical students calling the USMLE/COMLEX their "boards." Is this just due to a misunderstanding, or is the licensing exam technically part of your boards?

It was my understanding that one can practice medicine without a board certification, implying that the boards/medical licensure are two entirely separate things. Clarification from someone is knowledgeable in this area would be great. Thank you!

it's basically a commonly used misnomer. USMLE/COMLEX are not boards; they are licensing exams.

Boards are what you take at the end of residency. You have it right.

 

[sazerac]

Second year med students have heard Goljan say "dis question is on da boards" a hundred times, so they can't help but call Step 1 the "boards".

 

[Textbookversion]

it's basically a commonly used misnomer. USMLE/COMLEX are not boards; they are licensing exams.

Boards are what you take at the end of residency. You have it right.

I'd hazard a guess that the licensing exams have been called board exams much longer than the board exams have been board exams (that is to say existed), but I'm too lazy/busy to actually do the research.

 

[Law2Doc]

Whatever major tests you have to take in the closest future as a med student/resident essentially becomes your "boards". Even if you don't want to call it that, people with.

When you're a MS2, Step 1 is boards
When you're a MS3, Step 2 is boards
When you're an intern, Step 3 is boards(?; not sure if people really call it that)
When you're a resident, your Board exams (probably the most correct use of the term boards) is boards.

Boards.

I agree with the first two. I'm not sure anyone in internship or otherwise refers to Step 3 as the boards, though. As an intern you are already a resident in residency and by then anyone you talk to in your program will have already turned their focus to the big test at the end of the road. Step 3 is just something you sneak off to take quietly if you didn't already knock it off beforehand. No fanfare, just get it done so you can get licensed.

 

[Stellar Clouds]

...I'm not sure anyone in internship or otherwise refers to Step 3 as the boards...Step 3 is just something you sneak off to take quietly if you didn't already knock it off beforehand. No fanfare, just get it done so you can get licensed.

+1...it's the 2 day, pain in the ass, $780 test that you hope your residency program will pay for (and hope that you can get 2 consecutive days off to take it)

 

[bc65]

Many years back, the USMLE exams were in fact called NMB ( National Medical Boards ) Part 1, 2, and 3 . The name has stuck. Later on, after residency, your Board certification exams will also be called "the Boards".

 

[evilbooyaa]

I agree with the first two. I'm not sure anyone in internship or otherwise refers to Step 3 as the boards, though. As an intern you are already a resident in residency and by then anyone you talk to in your program will have already turned their focus to the big test at the end of the road. Step 3 is just something you sneak off to take quietly if you didn't already knock it off beforehand. No fanfare, just get it done so you can get licensed.

Fair. I don't really have much experience with interns complaining about Step 3 (a good amount of people complaining about Step 1, Step 2, and upper level residents complaining about boards). Good to know that's something I shouldn't be complaining about when I'm a PGY-1.

 

[rjgennarelli]

Many years back, the USMLE exams were in fact called NMB ( National Medical Boards ) Part 1, 2, and 3 . The name has stuck. Later on, after residency, your Board certification exams will also be called "the Boards".

i like this response. thank you for the clarification etiology!

 

[Trismegistus4]

Many years back, the USMLE exams were in fact called NMB ( National Medical Boards ) Part 1, 2, and 3 . The name has stuck. Later on, after residency, your Board certification exams will also be called "the Boards".

NB, this is also why Goljan refers to such-and-such material being on "part 1" or "part 2." He's using the old names.

Also, per my uncle who went to med school in the mid eighties, the old NMB exams weren't nearly as big a deal as the USMLE. He was shocked when I told him about studying for Step 1 and how important it was--he said "I think there was something we had to take after 2nd year, but nobody studied for it."