Step I Foreign USMILE?

[kreno]

Do people that take the USMILE from abroad take the exact same test that domestic citizens take? I heard the foreigners take a more difficult version - or a different version all together. Is this true?

 

[NuMD97]

Ahh, this conundrum. I've heard this for years about the FMGEMS, but there is no way one will ever know for sure. The odd thing is all the board exams, FMGEMS, NBME, USMLE, FLEX, shared the same pool of questions, but were considered "different" tests and not interchangeable. Some time back, before Arc Ventures merged with the Kaplan enterprise, the doctors teaching the course indicated that the "foreign" exam was indeed a different test and showed us why as it pertained to their individual specialties. But frankly at the end of the day, true or not, you have little choice in the matter until the exam is thrown open for inspection (this, too, was under consideration years ago by some representatives of Congress). Don't sweat it, just study and realize that many came before you and passed, and you will, too.

Good luck.

 

[kreno]

Wow.. please expand. I'm actually not a foreign student, I'm a premedical senior doing a study currently on the Health Educational System in Greece, and here I have heard such rumors (i.e. that the foreign test is more difficult, with the intent of favoring US citizens). Can you tell me more, specifically, what is the general "consensus" as to which test is harder, and also, why are there two different tests to begin with? Lastly, why were the congress representatives interested in this issue to begin with? thank you for your time, Regards, Leon