Overview
Step 2 CS is a one-day, live exam that resembles a physician's
typical workday in a clinic, doctor's office, emergency
department, and/or hospital setting in the United States.
Examinees have fifteen minutes to examine each "standardized
patient" (SP), who is an actor chosen from a broad range of age,
racial, and ethnic backgrounds and trained to portray a real
patient. During the examination, examinees are expected to
communicate with the SPs in a professional and empathetic manner,
elicit important historic information, perform a physical
examination, answer any questions from the SPs, tell them what
diagnoses are being considered, and inform them of what tests
will be ordered to clarify their diagnoses. After each encounter,
examinees must record pertinent history and physical examination
findings, list diagnostic impressions, and outline plans for
further evaluation, if necessary.
Step 2 CS at a Glance
Total Examination Length: 8 hours with two
breaks (30 minutes; 15 minutes)
Sessions: AM and PM
Patient Encounters: 11 or 12 (11 are
scored)
Length of Each Patient Encounter: 15
minutes
Time Allotted for Writing Each Patient Note: 10
minutes
Step 2 CS Clinical Skills
Evaluation Centers
Step 2 CS will be administered at regional Clinical Skills
Evaluation Centers (CSEC) at the following locations:
Clinical Skills Evaluation
Center—Philadelphia
3624 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Clinical Skills Evaluation
Center—Atlanta
Two Crown Center
1745 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 500
Atlanta, GA 30349
Clinical Skills Evaluation
Center—Chicago
Crossroads Center at O'Hare
6th Floor
8501 West Higgins Road
Chicago, IL 60018
Clinical Skills Evaluation Center—Los
Angeles
Pacific Corporate Towers
13th Floor
100 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
El Segundo, CA 90245
Clinical Skills Evaluation
Center—Houston
400 North Belt
400 North Sam Houston Parkway
Suite 700
Houston, TX 77060
Eligibility
In order to be eligible to register for USMLE Step 3,
international medical graduates who have already passed
the CSA will not be required to pass Step 2 CS to register for
USMLE Step 3. International medical graduates who have not passed
CSA will be required to pass Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 2 CS.
In order to be eligible to register for USMLE Step 3,
students and graduates of LCME or AOA-accredited medical
schools will be required to meet current examination
requirements (i.e., passing Step 1 and passing Step 2 CK), and to
pass Step 2 CS if they: (a) have graduation dates in 2005 or
later, or (b) have graduation dates prior to 2005 and have not
passed the CK component of Step 2 taken on or before June 30,
2005.
Eligible US and Canadian medical school students/graduates
will be allowed to take Step 1 and each of the two components of
Step 2 in any sequence. Eligible International Medical Graduates
will be required to take Step 1 before taking either Step 2 CS or
CK.
Step 2 CS Exam
Dates
Click here for the latest calendar of
Step 2 CS exam
dates.
