Posted recently at the USMLE website, the Step 2 Committee decided to increase minimum passing scores on both the CK and CS versions of the exam.
Step 2 CK
The Step 2 Committee decided to raise the three-digit score recommended to pass Step 2 CK from 182 to 184. The new minimum passing score will be applied to Step 2 CK examinations for which the first day of testing is on or after July 1, 2007.
Step 2 CS
The Step 2 Committee decided to increase the performance levels required to receive a passing outcome on two of the three Step 2 CS subcomponents: Communication and Interpersonal Skills (CIS) and Spoken English Proficiency (SEP). There will be no change to minimum passing requirements for the Integrated Clinical Encounter (ICE) subcomponent of Step 2 CS. If these increases in the performance levels required to pass were applied to a recent group of first-time examinees, the overall passing rate for examinees from US schools would have decreased less than one percent and the overall passing rate for examinees from international medical schools would have decreased approximately eight percent. The new passing requirements will be applied to Step 2 CS examinations for which the first day of testing is on or after July 15, 2007.
Read the full report here.
Fan-fucking-tastic. Do a perfect workup on your CS fake patient, but forget to offer tissue, drape properly, or pat a leg? Possible failure. The Step 2 BS exam strikes again.
interesting. maybe now we’ll not have so many doctors who can’t speak english treating patients.
You can hear the cha-ching of the registers from here.
It’s time med students said enough is enough. We are being ripped off & pushed around to the nth degree! I know med students who have had no intent on practicing clinical medicine after getting their MD’s, but they still have to pass steps 1 and 2 to earn their degree. What the hell sense does that make! $$$ that’s what. That’s always what. I’m sick to death & growing more cynical by the day. I personally don’t even think step 2 (either part) is necessary as long as the student had to pass all the shelf exams in 3rd year. Step 2 is just doing them all at once & it’s completely redundant. I too want my money back. Where is AMSA on this garbage? ENOUGH!
Regarding the constantly increasing passing requirements, I think we are all smart enough to know that it’s a $$$ thing here too. The goal of the NBME in making their tests should be to say, we want all our graduates to know to recognize, treat, diagnose, etc., these things = x. If that were the case, you think they’d be boasting as student passing rates improved. But instead they seem to favor achieving a certain failure rate. Then they can be satisfied the test is sufficiently difficult. Oh, and of course the hundreds of review book publishers, and mega-expensive review course administrators will be thankful to have retained their market (the x% of failures they can count on every year). I hope hell has a special place for the sleaze in control of the USMLE.
MJ, it goes both ways. If I got a dollar for every time I had to deal with a patient who didn’t speak English my school loans would be paid off.
Does anybody know if u can take step 2 CS in the christmas and new year holidays? I mean dates from 24th Dec to 1st Jan??
Or is the center closed.