We
are proud to provide an A to Z guide about the United States Medical Licensing
Examination (USMLE™) and your journey to medical licensure in the United
States. Our purpose is to provide you all the information and guidance about
taking the exams and getting into residency.
The USMLE Step 2 is broken into two sections. The first section is designed to test your knowledge of the clinical fundamentals needed for the practice of medicine and is known as "Clinical Knowledge" also USMLE Step 2 CK .
The second section known as USMLE Step 2 CS, also "Clinical Skills”. This is a "live" exam in which you have 15 minutes to examine Patients. The goal of this part of the exam is to determine if you have the basic skills in physical exam and history taking .This type of exam used to be limited to foreign medical graduates, but has been recently expanded so that all graduates must take the exam (there are some "grandfathering" exceptions for this year - see the USMLE information page).
There are several clinical tasks that the USMLE step 2 “CK” tries to adress, including topics
Infancy and Childhood
Adolescence
Adulthood
Senescence
Medical Ethics and Jurisprudence
Applied Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology
Epidemiology of Health and Disease
Clinical Decision-Making
Reproductive System
Diseases of Alimentary Tract
Gastrointestinal Procedures
Nutritional Diseases
The Abdomen
The Upper Gastrointestinal Track
Colon
Rectum and Anus
Liver and Biliary System
Transplantation
Nutrition and Its Disorders
Epidemiology and Prevention of Chronic Diseases
Infectious Diseases
Epidemiology and Prevention of Communicable Diseases
Other
Clinical Immunology Rheumatology
Immunodeficiency
Hematology and Oncology
Spleen
Cardiovascular and Hematologic Disorders in Pediatrics
Diseases of Red Blood Cells
Bleeding Disorders
Diseases of the Liver and the Biliary Tract
Mood Disorders
Somatoform Disorders
Human Sexuality and Gender Identity Disorders
Sleep Disorders
Eating and Elimination Disorders
Childhood and Adolescent Psychiatry
Attention Deficit Disorder
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Tic Disorders
Factitious Disorders
Abnormal Behavior And Psychiatry
Psychopharmacology
Delusional Disorders
Psychotherapy
Anatomy/Physiology/Pathology in Psychiatry
Anxiety Disorders
Alcohol and Related Disorders
Organic Brain Disorders
Psychotic Disorders
Illicit Drug Abuse and Related Disorders
Personality Disorders
Dissociative Disorders
Neurologic Disorders
Neurologic Procedures
Ophthalmologic Otolaryngologic and Dental Procedures
Ear Nose and Throat
Otolaryngology
Ophthalmology
Neurosurgery
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The Head And Neck
The Eye
The Ear and Nose
The Oral Cavity And Pharynx
The Nervous System
Diseases of the Heart and Blood Vessels
Vascular Diseases
The Heart
The Peripheral Vascular System
Cardiac Procedures
Vascular Techniques and Volume Support
Diseases of the Heart
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Pulmonary Diseases
Respiratory Procedures
The Chest
Pediatrics
Diseases of the Lung and Pleura
`
Diseases of Alimentary Tract
Gastrointestinal Procedures
Nutritional Diseases
The Abdomen
The Upper Gastrointestinal Track
Colon
Rectum and Anus
`
Liver and Biliary System
Transplantation
Nutrition and Its Disorders
Epidemiology and Prevention of Chronic Diseases
The Female Genital Tract
Disorders of the Uterine Corpus
Disorders of the Pelvic Supports
Diseases of the Ovaries and the Oviducts
The Breasts
Obstetric and Gynecologic Procedures
Male Genitalia And Hernias
Genitourinary, Renal, and Electrolyte Disorders
Pediatrics: The Kidneys and the Urinary Tract
Surgery
Diseases of the Urinary Tract
Pregnancy and Associated Conditions
Reproductive Endocrinology
Maternal Public Health Issues
Dermatology
Skin
Soft Tissue Procedures
Dermatology
Skin
Soft Tissue Procedures
Endocrinology Metabolism and Genetics
Pancreas
Endocrine Surgery
Inborn Errors of Metabolism
Diseases of the Pancreas
Miscellaneous
Diseases of Infancy and Childhood
Other
Psychiatry
Physical Diagnosis
Shock
Psychiatry: Injuries
Internal and Clinical Medicine
Wound Healing
In Pediatrics
Prevention and Public Health
There are several clinical tasks that the USMLE step 2 “CS” tries to adress, including topics:
Insure that successful passing candidates have the minimum competency in information gathering and has enough communication skills which is necessary to enter post graduate training
Integrated Clinical Encounter (ICE)
Data gathering: history and physical exam
Patient note
Communication / Interpersonal Skills (CIS)
Gathering information; sharing information; manner & rapport
Spoken English Proficiency (SEP)
Listener effort, examinee pronunciation / word choice
In total 11 or 12 patient encounters
15 min. per encounter / 10 min. for patient note
Each encounter: Elicit pertinent history, perform appropriate physical examination, and communicate effectively
Document: Findings from the history and physical
Diagnostic impression / Further work-up
