Is Step 1 Important?

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FM-Hopes&Dreams123

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I'm not sure I'm into "studying for tests." I'm just trying to learn medicine. Life isn't multiple choice its all about helping patients get better and make healthy choices.

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I'm not sure I'm into "studying for tests." I'm just trying to learn medicine. Life isn't multiple choice its all about helping patients get better and make healthy choices.
You can be a great doctor and care really well for your patients and also do well on exams like the USMLEs. These aren't necessarily mutually exclusive.
 
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If you don't care about what specialty you go into, all you need to do is pass your USMLE licensing exams.
 
I'm not sure I'm into "studying for tests." I'm just trying to learn medicine. Life isn't multiple choice its all about helping patients get better and make healthy choices.
What a false dilemma. Please don't think that you can learn medicine without spending the thousands of hours necessary pouring over all the details.

If you just want to "help people", become a social worker. If you want to "make healthy choices", become a dietician. If you want to heal the sick, spend 4 years studying your ass off and another 3-6 years refining and applying that knowledge in clinical practice.
 
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What a false dilemma. Please don't think that you can learn medicine without spending the thousands of hours necessary pouring over all the details.

If you just want to "help people", become a social worker. If you want to "make healthy choices", become a dietician. If you want to heal the sick, spend 4 years studying your ass off and another 3-6 years refining and applying that knowledge in clinical practice.

Exactly.

To paraphrase the legendary bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman,

"Everybody wanna be a [doctor], but don't nobody wanna [read] no heavy ass [books]"
 
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Important in the US and Canada.

Not a factor in other countries.
Are the USMLEs even needed in Canada? I thought they had to sit their own exams (MCCEEs, if I remember correctly).

Of course, it should come as no surprise that the United States medical licensing exams aren't a factor in other countries!
 
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Are the USMLEs even needed in Canada? I thought they had to sit their own exams (MCCEEs, if I remember correctly).
I thought Canada would accept the USMLE in lieu of MCCEEs if you are a practicing physician wishing to immigrate? Is that wrong?

For residency, though, Canada only accepts citizens with MCCEEs.
 
I thought Canada would accept the USMLE in lieu of MCCEEs if you are a practicing physician wishing to immigrate? Is that wrong?
Sorry, I don't really know, but that sounds like it could be possible. Although if they're already an attending migrating to Canada, then that probably helps a lot too (vs a recent US med school graduate hoping to get into a Canadian residency for example).
 
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