USMLE

USMLE- What is USMLE? What is the elligibility criteria? How many steps we have to give? What is the fees? What is the syllabus? What books do we have to read?

USMLE- United States Medical Licensing examination. This exam is to do residency programme (P.G.) in United States. There are 4 steps of USMLE and there is no syllabus for it.
I. Step1- Consists of 7 subjects.
1. Anatomy- Read your notes+Kaplan notes+First Aid.
2. Biochemistry- Read your notes+Kaplan notes+First Aid.
3. Physiology- Same as above.
4. Patholgy- Same as above+memorize slides from any atlas (Preferably Robbins)
5. Micro- Read your notes+Kaplan notes+Makes microbiology ridiculously simple + First aid.
6. Behavioural Sciences- Don't know what to read+First aid.
7. Pharma- Your notes +Lippincott+Kaplan +First Aid.

Also do Kaplan Q book and Kaplan Q bank. They come with explanations.

To be elligible for USMLE your college must be present in FAIMER list and you should have passed all the basic sciences i.e. must be in your 4th year (If from CIS countries)
To pass you have to get 55-65%, not fixed, varies every year i.e. 75 percentile. No negative marking.

II. Step 2 CK(Clinical Knowledge)
5 main subjects:
1. Medicine- Davidson +your notes +Blue prints+Crush USMLE.
2. Surgery- Your notes + Blue prints +Crush USMLE.
3. Paeds- Same as above.
4. Obs and Gynae- Same as above.
5. Psychiatry- Same as above.

Do Kaplan Q bank and USMLE world questions as far as MCQs are concerned.
You are elligible to write this exam once you have passed 5th year of your medical school (If from CIS). Passing criteria same as step1.

III. Step2 CS (Clinical Skills).
Practical exam. You have to see 10-12 patients. You will be given there chief complaint, you have to take the relevant history, do relevant physical exam and then explain them the differential diagnosis and diagnostic options and finally you have to write a short note on all the stuff you did.
Nobody knows the passing criteria. Easiest of all USMLEs.
If you pass all these steps of USMLE you would be able to apply for a residency programme in USA. If you get into one you will get a J1 visa, which means you have to go back to your country once your residency is finished.
Also- You can write Step1, step2 CK in India. But for step2 CS you have to go to US essentially. You can apply for the visa on the basis of that. Moost likely you will get a B1/B2 visa.

Elligibility for CS- Degree and you must have passed step1.
Books for CS- First Aid for CS and USMLE world CS cases.

Fees: Spet 1: If you take exam in India it will be around 800 US dollars. If you take it in U.S. it will be around 685 US$.
Step2 CK: Same as step1.
Step 2 CS: 1200 US$.

Now the 4th step of USMLE i.e. UMLE step3.
2 day exam. Consists of 350 questions and 8-10 CCS cases.
Read first aid and CCS cases from USMLE world.
Elligibilty criteria: You must have degree and ECFMG certificate ( Which you can get if you have degree and you have passed first 3 steps of USMLE)
If you pass this step and get into a residency program you will get a H1B visa and you can apply for green card on that visa.
Fees: 600-700 dollars.

For information check www.ecfmg.org www.nbme.org
These elligibility criteria and fees was when i did these steps. I told you the books which I chose and had success.
Things may be changing now.

Also forgot to tell you. Step 1 is 8 hour exam with 350 questions and step 2 CK is 9 hour exam with similar amount of questions.
PLAB
PLAB: PLAB is required to be elligible to work in the U.K. Has 2 steps.
PLAB 1: you can write in India. It is equivalent to CK part of USMLE.
PLAB 2: You have to write in U.K. It is equivalent to CS part of USMLE.

You have to have degree before you are elligible to write PLAB.

Once you pass PLAB, you have to apply for jobs in the U.K. and the relevant visa (HSMC). It is very difficult to get job in the U.K. these days and hence to get that visa especially in surgical departments. Therefore doctors in the U.K. are heading towards different part of the worlds.
However, if you get a job then you have to write MRCP (if medicine) or MRCS (if surgery) and then you can become a consultant after few years of advance training.

Don't know more then that about PLAB