Medical School Process

[JasonChao]

I got accepted to SMU for the September 06 Class. I have a couple of questions, and I hope some people can kindly answer these questions.

1. Students take USMLE Step 1 at the end of 2nd year (usually) and must pass step 1 in order to do rotations/clerkships in the 3rd and 4th year of medical school?
2. Students to rotations/clerkships only at affliated hospitals?
3. Students take USMLE Step 2 at the end of 4th year (end of med school) and must pass step 2 in order to be in some kind of residency program?
4. Graduates get their residency license in the states that grants SMU to do their residency when they get matched into a residency program?
5. Is there a difference between training license and restricted license and residency license?
6. Does hospital apply the residency license for the graduates? or gradutes have to apply on their own?
7 People usually take the USMLE step 3 at the end of the 1st year residency? Does that mean R1 is still undersupervision? so after R1 and pass the Step 3 exam, one (R2, R3, R4) can treat patients unsupervised?
8. After one finishes the residency, does that mean the residency license expires and have to apply for a permanent license?

[JasonChao]

Can anyone answer these questions?? please?

[Laurie S]

Hi Jason,

We have all of our shelf exams this Monday and Tuesday. I'm sure when those are finished someone will be able to answer your questions. It's a lengthy process. I'm sure people will only be posting 1 liners for the next week as a break to their studying.:)

Maybe you can bump it next Thursday. :cool:

[LqdPls]

Until then, do an intensive and extensive search on valuemd, which may answer most of your questions, if not all........Good luck!!!

[Drack_MD]

JasonChao, since nobody who already went through this process is responding, here is my 2 cents. Anybody feel free to correct me if I'm wrong:

1. Yes, you need to pass Step 1 first at the end of 2nd year. If you don't pass you can't start rotations. After first 5 semesters you'll get a semester off for review. I believe that you'll do the Step 1 in this semester.

2. Rotations - go to SMU site and see the hospitals (http://www.stmatthews.edu/clinicalsites.html). Note that you have core rotations (3rd year) and selectives (4th year). For core rotations you have to chose only listed hospitals. Whether selectives could be done in any teaching hospital or SMU gives you a list to chose from is not clear to me.

3. I believe that we have to take Step 2 at the end of 4th year and must pass in order to apply for residency. "Some kind" is basically at least 3 years, depending on your speciality (e.g. Surgery is at least 5). You get paid for residency, the salaries I found are around $37-41000 (again, depending where and what speciality). So, med school = 4 years plus residency = at least 3 years.

4. I belive so

5. Not sure, I would say no.

6. I believe that you have to apply, not the hospital.

7. Have no idea, Step 3 is so faaaar from now..... BTW, as an IMG you have to do also Clinical Skills test (US students don't have to).

8. You have to apply for a regular license in state of your choice after you finish residency. If I remember reading on this forum, there are states that allow you to do residency but you cannot practice ther after you finish. Each state has little bit different requirements for licensure, which is nonsense because we all pass (hopefully) the same tests.


I got accepted to SMU for the September 06 Class. I have a couple of questions, and I hope some people can kindly answer these questions.

1. Students take USMLE Step 1 at the end of 2nd year (usually) and must pass step 1 in order to do rotations/clerkships in the 3rd and 4th year of medical school?
2. Students to rotations/clerkships only at affliated hospitals?
3. Students take USMLE Step 2 at the end of 4th year (end of med school) and must pass step 2 in order to be in some kind of residency program?
4. Graduates get their residency license in the states that grants SMU to do their residency when they get matched into a residency program?
5. Is there a difference between training license and restricted license and residency license?
6. Does hospital apply the residency license for the graduates? or gradutes have to apply on their own?
7 People usually take the USMLE step 3 at the end of the 1st year residency? Does that mean R1 is still undersupervision? so after R1 and pass the Step 3 exam, one (R2, R3, R4) can treat patients unsupervised?
8. After one finishes the residency, does that mean the residency license expires and have to apply for a permanent license?

[JasonChao]

Thanks for the answers. It really helps.

[GoodDoc]

3. Students take USMLE Step 2 at the end of 4th year (end of med school) and must pass step 2 in order to be in some kind of residency program?
-Yes

4. Graduates get their residency license in the states that grants SMU to do their residency when they get matched into a residency program?
-Yes, except new york state. Residents don't need to apply temporary license in NYS. Hospital provide it.

5. Is there a difference between training license and restricted license and residency license?
-Some resident could get permanent license. As FMG, most of states requires 3 yr residency to apply permanent license. You could get a permanent license after one year residency in Arkansaus and Wisconsin. IL, OH, IA, ... require two years.

6. Does hospital apply the residency license for the graduates? or gradutes have to apply on their own?
-Resident should apply his/her own license except NYS.

7 People usually take the USMLE step 3 at the end of the 1st year residency? Does that mean R1 is still undersupervision? so after R1 and pass the Step 3 exam, one (R2, R3, R4) can treat patients unsupervised?
-Resident should practice under supervison throught the residency program except moonlighting.

8. After one finishes the residency, does that mean the residency license expires and have to apply for a permanent license?
-Temporary license only works in that specific hospital and usually needs to be renewd every two years. Temporary license(residency license) doesn't expire when they finish the residency but it won't work any other hospitals.