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Originally Posted by Tangliss
Am I right in believing you can take USMLE after the first two years at Medical school?
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In the U.S., yes for USMLE Step 1, because the basic sciences (what USMLE Step 1 tests) are covered in two years. In the U.K., I would wait until at least the end of year 3 of a 5-year programme. Step 1 covers basic sciences as well as clinical scenarios and therapeutics. It covers: physiology, pharmacology, pathology, micro, immunology, biochemistry, genetics, anatomy, embryology, cell and molecular biology, nutrition, psychology, statistics and epidemiology, and ethics.
You're responsible for all the nasty little details (equations, which viruses are DNA/RNA-bases with single/double strands, interpretation of DNA gels, signal transduction pathways for drugs, common ECG findings, Wigger diagrams for cardiac cycle, pressure loops etc). The thought process is also second- and third-order (all questions are presented in a long passage and the disease is often only implied: "patient was walking in the woods and may have been bitten by something. The ECG looks like this. What is a common side effect of the drug usually used to treat the issue the patient has." That said, it is a VERY doable exam if you do enough questions in random, timed mode. There is a sticky in the USMLE forum on study strategies.
USMLE step 2 should be taken only after you've completed all the core clinical attachments (medicine, surgery, paeds, psych, obs/gyn, neurology, emergency, general practice) for it covers clinical management.