As a practical “hands-on” exam, the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) tests the examinee's clinical and communication skills through their ability to gain information from standardized patients, perform a physical examination, communicate the findings to the patient, and write a patient note.
Step 2 CS can only be taken at a testing center in the US.
USMLE Step 2 CS last for one-day and is a live exam resembling a physician's typical workday in a clinic, emergency department, doctor's office, and/or hospital setting in the United States.
Examinees are given fifteen minutes to examine each "standardized patient" (SP). Each SP is an actor selected from a broad range of racial, age, and ethnic backgrounds. Examinees are expected to communicate with the SPs in an empathetic and professional manner while gaining vital historic information, perform a physical examination, answer questions from the SPs, inform them of the diagnoses being considered, and inform them of necessary tests to clarify their diagnoses. Each encounter will be recorded by the examinee.
USMLE Step 2 CS at a Glance
Time: 8 hours with two breaks (30 minutes and 15 minutes)
Patient Encounters: 11 or 12 (11 are scored)
Length of Each Patient Encounter: 15 minutes
Time Allotted for Writing Each Patient Note: 10 minutes
USMLE Step 2 CS Scoring
After your USMLE Step 2 CS exam you will either be given a pass or fail. Examinees will be required to pass all three of the following areas:
Integrated Clinical Encounter score (ICE) consisting of Data Gathering (History and Physical) + Patient Note
Doctor-patient Communication and Interpersonal Skills score (CIS) based on checklist rating scales of these skills
Spoken English Proficiency score (SEP) based on checklist rating scales of these skills
Those who do not pass the Step 2 CS will receive basic performance data guiding them on areas where they should improve their performance.
