Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

There is no place for USMLE Step 2 CS during a pandemic

Anna Goshua
Education
April 16, 2020
Share
Tweet
Share

As American cities continue to shelter-in-place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, thousands of medical students are in limbo as they wait to see when they will be able to take their licensing examinations. The growing backlog of test-takers is particularly problematic for the Step 2 Clinical Skills examination, a one-day clinical performance exam which is held on limited dates at one of five testing locations across the United States.

The most recent update from the National Board of Medical Examiners states that test centers are scheduled to reopen on June 1 to resume administering Step 2 CS. The NBME has not established a contingency plan for how to take Step 2 CS should standardized testing center shutdowns persist longer than expected. This is a cause of anxiety for students, given that Step 2 CS is a requirement for medical school graduation and entry to residency. Moreover, passing Step 2 CS is one of the eligibility criteria for registering for Step 3, the final examination for medical licensure.

Many institutions are temporarily waiving the Step 2 CS requirement. Students will end up taking the test to complete the formal licensing process at a later date. However, I believe that the most worthwhile solution is canceling the examination altogether.

Step 2 CS has been a source of contention for years. Medical students are forced to spend thousands of dollars on registration fees, flights, and accommodations to be evaluated on skills such as communication and history-taking, which are already repeatedly assessed at our respective institutions. The vast majority of test-takers pass anyway; for the minority that don’t, failing may derail their residency applications pending a successful retake of the test. This is galling given the dearth of evidence to suggest that Step 2 CS is a predictor of improved outcomes in medical training, as admitted by NBME representatives themselves.

But the pandemic has given rise to significant new concerns. There will likely be more interruptions to the testing schedule over the next 18-month period as intermittent shutdowns occur to mitigate COVID-19 spread while we wait for a vaccine. The backlog will continue to grow.

Most importantly, medical students from all over the United States, Canada, and beyond converge upon five American cities to take Step 2 CS. In contrast to Step 1 and Step 2 CK, the test itself involves a series of patient interactions. Continuing to administer Step 2 CS exams means requiring medical students to place themselves—and their loved ones—at increased risk of COVID-19 exposure. It is a public health risk for the local communities of Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Chicago. And, in a time of increasing medical personnel shortages, we cannot afford to delay medical trainee advancement on account of a Step 2 CS failure.

Fundamentally, Step 2 CS is a high-risk test in the setting of COVID-19 with unproven benefits that do not justify the tradeoff. Medical schools and residencies need to waive Step 2 CS as a requirement. Moreover, they need to push for the NBME to remove Step 2 CS from Step 3 eligibility criteria. The NBME itself needs to demonstrate that student safety and well-being takes precedence over the organization’s bottom line.

There is no place for Step 2 CS in the evaluation and promotion of medical trainees, especially during a pandemic.

Anna Goshua is a medical student.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com 

Prev

From a clinician on the frontlines: I can’t stop mentally drafting my obituary

April 16, 2020 Kevin 0
…
Next

We must care about our doctors. Especially now.

April 16, 2020 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: COVID, Infectious Disease, Medical school

Post navigation

< Previous Post
From a clinician on the frontlines: I can’t stop mentally drafting my obituary
Next Post >
We must care about our doctors. Especially now.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Anna Goshua

  • Burnout doesn’t start in medical school

    Anna Goshua

Related Posts

  • How the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for social media training in medical education 

    Oscar Chen, Sera Choi, and Clara Seong
  • Reimagining medical education from within a pandemic

    Kasey Johnson, DO
  • The new USMLE Step 1: How your medical school and residency will change

    Kevin Zhang, MD
  • Should USMLE Step 1 be pass-fail?

    Ryan Okonski
  • Bracing for change: the escalating importance of USMLE Step 2

    Karolina Woroniecka, MD, PhD
  • This medical student scored a 281 on the USMLE Step 2 CK. You can, too

    Alyssa Ehrlich

More in Education

  • What led me from nurse practitioner to medical school

    Sarah White, APRN
  • Bridging the rural surgical care gap with rotating health care teams

    Ankit Jain
  • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

    Hiba Fatima Hamid
  • The hidden cost of becoming a doctor: a South Asian perspective

    Momeina Aslam
  • From burnout to balance: a lesson in self-care for future doctors

    Seetha Aribindi
  • Why young doctors in South Korea feel broken before they even begin

    Anonymous
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • How medical culture hides burnout in plain sight

      Marco Benítez | Conditions
    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
    • How the 10th Apple Effect is stealing your joy in medicine

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Why being a physician mom is harder than anyone admits

      Cynthia Chen-Joea, DO, MPH | Physician
    • 9 domains that will define the future of medical education

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
    • When the diagnosis is personal: What my mother’s Alzheimer’s taught me about healing

      Pearl Jones, MD | Conditions
    • What led me from nurse practitioner to medical school

      Sarah White, APRN | Education
    • Why local cardiac CT scans could save your life

      Benjamin Cohen, MD | Conditions
    • Reassessing the impact of CDC’s opioid guidelines on chronic pain care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 1 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • How medical culture hides burnout in plain sight

      Marco Benítez | Conditions
    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
    • How the 10th Apple Effect is stealing your joy in medicine

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Why being a physician mom is harder than anyone admits

      Cynthia Chen-Joea, DO, MPH | Physician
    • 9 domains that will define the future of medical education

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
    • When the diagnosis is personal: What my mother’s Alzheimer’s taught me about healing

      Pearl Jones, MD | Conditions
    • What led me from nurse practitioner to medical school

      Sarah White, APRN | Education
    • Why local cardiac CT scans could save your life

      Benjamin Cohen, MD | Conditions
    • Reassessing the impact of CDC’s opioid guidelines on chronic pain care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

There is no place for USMLE Step 2 CS during a pandemic
1 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...