The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) recommends that Steps 1, 2, and 3 be completed within a seven-year period. However this varies from state to state.
State medical licensing authorities may require international medical graduates to have zero to three years of postgraduate education before being eligible for Step 3. Some states may also require that an application for a state license at the time of applying for Step 3. To review state by state requirements, visit the FSMB Web site.
Currently, USMLE Step 3 must be taken at testing centers in the United States or U.S. territories.
After One Year of Graduate Medical Education
1. USMLE Step 3 may be taken.
2. Upon successful completion of USMLE Step 3, candidates may apply for medical licensure from most individual states.
It is important to note that each state has different licensing requirements for physicians. Individual medical licensing authorities may accept the recommended pass/fail score from the USMLE, or they may establish a different passing score for their own jurisdiction. Contact the individual state licensing board to find out more about a state’s licensing requirements.
A directory of state licensing boards can be obtained by contacting:
Federation of State Licensing Boards (FSMB)
PO Box 619850
Dallas, TX 75261-9850
Telephone: (817) 868-4000
Fax: (817) 868-4099
Web: www.fsmb.org
(Some information in the above sections is adapted from “The International (Foreign) Medical Graduate” by Nancy E. Gary which can be found in the 1998 second edition of the Guide to Graduate Medical Education, published by the Association for Hospital Medical Education.)
A directory of state licensing boards can be obtained by contacting:
Federation of State Licensing Boards (FSMB)
PO Box 619850
Dallas, TX 75261-9850
Telephone: (817) 868-4000
Fax: (817) 868-4099
Web: www.fsmb.org
(Some information in the above sections is adapted from “The International (Foreign) Medical Graduate” by Nancy E. Gary which can be found in the 1998 second edition of the Guide to Graduate Medical Education, published by the Association for Hospital Medical Education.)
