Sak Pase!
I've been meaning to update you all with this announcement but I umm...forgot lol
Basically there's no more USMLE Step 2 CS. For those that are confused we are still required to take Step 1 and Step 2 CK. CS is the clinical skills portion of the exam where we see "patients" and do an interview and a physical exam on them. Afterwards we have to basically try to figure out what's wrong with them by coming up with diagnoses. To use better English, I took the following directly from the USMLE website loll "Step 2 CS uses standardized patients to test medical students and graduates on their ability to gather information from patients, perform physical examinations, and communicate their findings to patients and colleagues."
Unfortunately for Caribbean students like me, we have to do other things to meet graduation requirements. Just because CS is gone doesn't mean we're "off the hook." We still have to prove that we speak English basically :) Yes, I know I'm a US Citizen but the fact that I go to a Caribbean medical school means I have to do extra ish like this. So basically there are several pathways we can choose from to meet those requirements. More information on that in a later post. But in addition to choosing one of those pathways, the ECFMG says....and I quote "Consistent with the requirements for the existing pathways, IMGs who pursue one of the six pathways for the 2022 Match will be required to pass the Occupational English Test (OET) Medicine to satisfy pathway requirements. OET Medicine is designed specifically for physicians, in consultation with physicians. The test assesses the health care-specific English language competency of physicians. It emphasizes the type of language physicians will need to communicate effectively in a clinical setting with peers and patients, including the ability to show empathy and to break down complex medical terminology and procedures into simpler language."
Sounds pretty easy right? Wrong! I've heard that a lot of people has failed the OET on their first try.
So you see? It's bittersweet. We said goodbye to CS but there are still extra steps we as Caribbean grads need to face to graduate. Am I freaking out? Always! But it's not by my will that I've made it this far. God has brought me to where I am today and I'm trusting him to continue pushing me to where He's destined me to be.
TTYL 💜
