Changes to USMLE

The USMLE has begun the process of eliminating the reporting of results on the 2-digit score scale to parties other than the examinee and any state licensing authority to which the examinee sends results.

Because USMLE will continue to report the 2-digit score to examinees and to state licensing authorities, the program will be making changes in scoring procedures to minimize the impact of future shifts in the relationship between 2-digit and 3-digit scores that result from USMLE’s periodic review of standards. The new scoring procedures will be implemented with the reporting of results for examinees who take a Step 1, Step 2 CK, or Step 3 examination on or after October 1, 2011.

The change in scoring procedures will introduce a more stable relationship between score scales in the future. Those receiving 2-digit score results under the new system will note that, in most instances, the 2-digit score associated with a specific 3-digit score will be substantially lower than it was prior to this change.

USMLE Step 3 Score Update!

The Step 3 Committee decided to raise the three-digit score recommended to pass Step 3 from 187 to 190.

The new minimum passing score will be applied to Step 3 examinations for which the first day of testing is on or after November 1, 2011.

Health Care Bill and Increased Residency

HealthCare Bill 2010 Click Link to View the health care bill.

IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall increase the otherwise applicable resident limit for each qualifying hospital that submits an application under this subpara-graph by such number as the Secretary may approve for portions of cost reporting periods occurring on or after July 1, 2011. The estimated aggregate number of increases in the otherwise applicable resident limit under this subparagraph may not exceed the Secretary’s estimate of the aggregate reduction in such limits attributable to subparagraph (A).

‘‘(ii) REQUIREMENTS FOR QUALI- FYING HOSPITALS.—A hospital is not a qualifying hospital for purposes of this paragraph unless the following requirements are met:

‘‘(I) MAINTENANCE OF PRIMARY CARE RESIDENT LEVEL.—The hospital maintains the number of primary care residents at a level that is not less than the base level of primary care residents increased by the num- ber of additional primary care resident positions provided to the hospital under this subparagraph. For purposes of this subparagraph, the ‘base level of primary care residents’ for a hospital is the level of such residents as of a base period (specified by the Secretary), determined without regard to whether such positions were in ex- cess of the otherwise applicable resident limit for such period but taking into account the application of subclauses (II) and (III) of subparagraph (A)(ii).

New Website

Premier Review is proud to announce the launch of our new website www.premierreview.com

Free CCS online web seminar this Friday 1/15/2010

We will be testing a new CCS Web seminar on Friday January 15th from 2:00PM – 6:00PM. If you would like to be a part of this FREE workshop please email us at mail@premierreview.com so we can reserve a spot for you. Register here: http://premierreview.com/Step3RegFormCSS.asp please fill out the information and select pay by check and we will email you the link to the seminar. Hurry Space is Limited.

Health Care Reform: What You Can Do For You?

As you all know, there is huge health care overhaul on the way.  I am sure, most of you are aware of it. House of representative has passed the bill; Senate is passing the bill tomorrow. Now the bill will take its shape in conference committee. Most people try to push their agenda now, if they were unsuccessful before. I am not sure, whether the proposal of increasing the number of residencies by 15,000 has already been included in the bill or not. Today’s OP Ed in New York Times by SHANNON BROWNLEE and DAVID GOODMAN are opposing to have increasing the number of residency slots. The link to the editorial is below.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/23/opinion/23brownlee.html

What I think?

The government estimates that more than 35 million Americans live in underserved areas, and it would take 16,000 doctors to immediately fill that need, according to the American Medical Association. And the gap is expected to widen dramatically over the next several years, reaching 24,000 in 2020 by one government estimate. A 2005 study in the journal Health Affairs said it could hit an astonishing 200,000 by then, based on a rising population and an aging work force.

Once the new health care bill passes, 40 million more Americans will have health insurance what will be shortage of doctors? You can only imagine.

30,000 students are passing their licensing exam and are eligible to get into a residency training program every year. Out of those 30,000 eligible doctors, 10,000 are not able to get residency. This trend is prevailing in last 5 years. So we have around 50,000 well qualified, physicians ready to get residency training.

If you believe in the Washington Post report from July 2007, that there is an acute shortage of doctors, as I do.  If you look at the numbers I have given above, there are enough medical students, those who have their medical degrees and have the necessary licensing examination under their belt and can go for a residency at a phone call but there are not enough training spots. I also have never seen any trained physicians who do not have a job or a practice.

In my opinion, what you can do:

1. Write an email to your congressmen and senators giving them the data and asking them to push for adding another 15000 residency slot in American teaching hospitals.
2. Write email to the Op Ed writer of NY times, where did they get the data that there are plenty of unfilled positions. There are 50,000 students sitting home waiting to get a residency position. I would also write, if enough doctors are not trained then the insurance companies will get creative and will bring more physician assistant and nurse practitioner to do the job or they will bring telemedicine, which will definitely bring down the quality of care.
3. Some of you might feel threatened that if there are 15,000 more doctors, there will be more competition. Any competition, in a capitalist society is good. Unfortunately the extra trained doctors won’t be ready to take the job in another 8-10 years. By the time, due to increasing elderly population, population growth, obesity and related illnesses, more advancement in medicine, prolonged life expectancy, and the country would need more physicians. So in my opinion there will never be enough physicians in this county or in this world.
4. I was especially appalled by the OP Ed editor NY times “United States would continue to rob other nations of their doctors”. Does the author know that each year > 5,000 US citizens, when did not get a medical school spot in USA, went to live in tiny islands in Caribbean to pursue their dreams to be a physicians. They spent their lives, their time, sacrificed their families and last but not the least hundreds and thousands of dollars getting their MD degrees, are not able to get a residency training spot. I also want to reaffirm, once they returned to American soil, they passed all the required licensing examination but they can’t find a residency. If the author refers to developing countries, then they should know the simple principle of life, everyone has the right to pursue their dream. USA is not robbing doctors from other countries; USA is simply helping people to live their dream. I am one of them. I am living the American dream.

Happy Holidays

With kind regards

Aafaque Akhter, MD

Director, Premier Review

www.premierreview.com

Happy Holidays from Premier Review

Wishing you every happiness this Holiday Season and prosperity in the New Year. Thank you for choosing Premier Review as a source of preparation for your exam. We look forward to continuing our relationship in the coming year. All the best to you and your family for a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Fee to Increases for USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS

From ECFMG | ECFMG Reporter: Issue 148:

Effective January 1, 2010, the fees for those applying to ECFMG for USMLE Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK), and Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) will increase.

The examination fees for USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK will increase from $710 to $740 for each exam registration.

The examination fee for Step 2 CS will increase from $1,200 to $1,295 for each exam registration.

Additionally, it is expected that Prometric™ will increase the Step 1/Step 2 CK international test delivery surcharges, which apply to applicants who choose a testing region other than the United States/Canada. ECFMG will post additional information on the increases to the international test delivery surcharges to the ECFMG website as it becomes available.

Both the new examination fees and the new test delivery surcharges will be assessed for all Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS applications submitted to ECFMG on or after January 1, 2010.

For more information on the fees and surcharges associated with applying for USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS, refer to Fees in the ECFMG Information Booklet

Change in Minimum Passing Requirements for Step 1

From USMLE.ORG:

The Step 1 Committee considered information from multiple sources, including: 1) results of content-based standard setting exercises conducted with three independent groups of physicians in 2009; 2) results of surveys of various groups (e.g., state licensing representatives, medical school faculty, samples of examinees) concerning the appropriateness of current pass/fail standards for Step examinations; 3) trends in examinee performance; and 4) score precision and its effect on the pass/fail decision.

As a result of its review, the Step 1 Committee decided to raise the three-digit score recommended to pass Step 1 from 185 to 188. The new minimum passing score will be applied to Step 1 examinations for which the first day of testing is on or after January 1, 2010.

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