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EXAMPLE OF A TIME-LINE FOR PLANNING THE STEPS
GME
in Pakistan GME in
THE UK GME in THE
USA
It is important to make sure
that you give the Steps in an order that maximizes the chances of securing a
residency in the US.
This requires careful planning and the discipline to follow the plan through.
Keep in mind that the time-line
proposed below is considered to be optimum in the sense that it maximizes the
chances of securing a good residency, but this should not be taken to mean that
deviating from this time-line will make it impossible to succeed.
To establish a reference point,
the time-line below starts from January 2006.
Assuming that you graduate or
finish your house job in January 2006 (the usual date for students of Khyber
Medical College), you should take the Step 1 after 7-8 months of studying in
August 2006.
It will be difficult to begin
studying immediately after your Step 1 because you’ll be tired and more
importantly, distracted by the wait for the Step 1 result. Lets assume you
restart your studies in mid-September, by which time you should have received
your Step 1 result. For the Step 2 CK, 3-5 months of study is considered
adequate, which brings us to March 2007, at the latest for the Step 2 CK
date.
Let’s assume for now that the
Step 2 CS is the third exam you’ll give (remember, it is now possible to give it
as the first exam, even while you’re still a student). Lets suppose there are no
visa problems and you are able to go to the US and take the Step 2 CS in May
2007 with the month of April spent studying for the Step 2 CS.
A month or two of preparation
for the Step 3 should be enough so that you’ll be able to give this exam in
July, or August 2007 at the latest.
With all the Steps done by
August you’ll sit down, consult with seniors, make enquiries, and think long and
hard on making a very careful and realistic list of programs you feel you have a
good chance of getting into.
With this list in hand, and all
your documents sent to ERAS by the time it opens on the 1st of September, you’ll
have a complete application to send to the programs.
The basic aim of the time-line
above is to have as have passed as many Steps of the USMLE exams before ERAS
opens in September.
It is worth stressing that at
the very least, the Step 1 and Step 2 CK exams must have been completed by
July of the year you are applying. As explained previously, having very good
Step 1 and Step 2 CK passes at the time of applying will make the residencies
more likely to short-list you for interviews. Applying with only a Step 1 pass,
even if the score is excellent, is taking a risk. Furthermore, with only a Step
1 pass at the time of applying, you’ll be very pressed for time because in the 6
months following July, you’ll not only have to prepare your ERAS documents, but
also study for the Step 2 CK, make travel arrangements to the US, research and
choose your programs, travel to interviews in the US, and on top of all that
find that time to take the Step 2 CK, Step 2 CS and the Step 3.
It won’t make a lot of
difference if you don’t have Step 2 CS and Step 3 passes by the time ERAS opens.
In other words, not having the Step 2 CS and Step 3 results by the time of
applying will not actively hurt your chances of getting interview calls,
but on the other hand, having them will actively help your chances. As
the Step 2 CS and Step 3 are usually always passed by candidates who have very
good Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores, residencies assume that for such candidates,
an ECFMG certification is only a matter of time. This is why it is entirely
feasible to apply with just Step 1 and Step 2 CK passes and still expect to get
good interview calls. | 
