Usmle.....

[just one]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Since I am bored, thought I'd throw out a little pet peeve of mine and ask why. Why does everyone refer to the liscensing exams as "boards"? Granted I didn't know the difference until a physician talked to my schools premed club and shared her pet peeve. Which now has tranferred to me. I understand how premeds can be ignorant of the terminology, but I see so many medical students on SDN use it the same way. Just a question, do you use boards which actually speaking of the usmle because you don't know their is an actual board certification exam or because it's easier?

 

[lord_jeebus]

USMLE is called "the boards" because it is the exam (or set of exams, to be exact) used be every state medical board to determine eligibility for medical licensing.

 

[link2swim06]

Since I am bored, thought I'd throw out a little pet peeve of mine and ask why. Why does everyone refer to the liscensing exams as "boards"? Granted I didn't know the difference until a physician talked to my schools premed club and shared her pet peeve. Which now has tranferred to me. I understand how premeds can be ignorant of the terminology, but I see so many medical students on SDN use it the same way. Just a question, do you use boards which actually speaking of the usmle because you don't know the difference or because it's easier?

Gotta pass them all to become licensed.....they are all tests to get you practicing

 

[just one]

Most people that I have spoken to don't realize a physician takes another exam to be board certified. Along with many people not realizing a physician is not required to be board certified. It is the board certification exam that the physician speaking to our group refers to the boards. She is an admission director for a medical school and was adamant about not calling the USMLEs the boards. I can see since the liscensure is overseen by the state board of physicians where there could be some confusion now.

 

[searun]

Well, if this is getting you stirred up, yes, you are bored. Who cares?

 

[coldweatherblue]

After your intern year you will take Step 3. Upon passing Step 3 you can apply to your state medical board for an unrestricted license to practice medicine.

Upon finishing residency you are "board-eligible" and can practice as an attending physician in your specialty. Within a certain time-frame though it is strongly advised (required??) to take specialty boards (written + orals). Upon passing specialty boards you are a board-certified x-ologist.

USMLE Steps 1, 2, and 3 are required to apply to state medical boards for licensure, therefore they are referred to as "boards."

 

[just one]

Well, if this is getting you stirred up, yes, you are bored. Who cares?

Obviously only me and one physician

 

[gadad]

Since I am bored, thought I'd throw out a little pet peeve of mine and ask why. Why does everyone refer to the liscensing exams as "boards"?

You'll find a lot of this in med school; it's all just semantics though in my opinion: A-POP-tosis vs. apo-tosis (seriously, 10 minutes of lecuture 2nd year was about this disticntion); centimeter vs. c-O-ntimeter (mostly older docs); du-A-dee-num vs. do-WAD-denum; etc. etc.etc. ad nauseam. Everyone has their way of saying things and THEIR way is always right.

In the end, it's just words. Just like calling it the "boards"; it all ends up being the preference of the person you're talking to.

 

[tremulousNeedle]

She is an admission director for a medical school and was adamant about not calling the USMLEs the boards.

Proof that even experienced physicians holding leadership positions sometimes have no clue what they are talking about.



One thing that bugs me is when supposedly experienced physicians decide to share their pet peeves with impressionable young minds without knowing all the facts or a good understanding of the issue. While this is a benign topic, the same problem exists for more noteworthy issues.

As mentioned above, the USMLE's are referred to as the ‘boards' because in the past, one had to pass an exam offered by the state medical board to become licensed. This is still true to some extent, except that the individual state board exams have been replaced by national exams (it is interesting that medical students and residents know this, but not an attending physician).

There are other board exams that certify a doctor in a particular field of training, but the term ‘boards' is NOT exclusive to specialty exams. You would figure that an older physician would know this given all of the other aspects of medicine that still persist today for historical purposes.

centimeter vs. c-O-ntimeter (mostly older docs)

This one bothered me too. What is a "sonimeter"?

 

[gadad]

This one bothered me too. What is a "sonimeter"?

Oops. I meant sont-i-meter. Here is a two-page thread on the subject; no consensus on which one.