What’s the Tea on the USMLE?

The United States Medical Licensing Exam is a year-round board examination for anyone wanting to practice medicine in the U.S. This includes psychiatrists and psychiatric candidates who can sit for the USMLE Step 2, Clinical Knowledge. So what do you need to know about it?

Registration Timeframe

The USMLE can be taken at (almost) any time throughout the year. The candidate submits a 3 month period in which they can be available to sit for the exam, excluding the first week of January or specific major holidays. After the examination is complete, results can be expected anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks later.

Cost

Step 2, CK now costs $1,000 to register and take the exam. This price increased from $965 as of January 2023. Step 1 and Step 2 are both this cost.

Exam Breakdown

The USMLE Step 2 consists of about 318 multiple choice questions administered over eight 60 minute blocks. This means you have about 90 seconds per question. You also get 45 minutes total of break time. If you finish a block early, the remaining time is added to your break time.

Exam Material

Exams for Step 2 include System Specifications, Physician Competencies, and Discipline Competency. Breakdowns for each of these are found below (these can also be found at the USMLE website here)

2023 Information Bulletin

The full scope of information for the USMLE 2023 can be found in this bulletin taken directly from the USMLE website.

Getting ready to take the USMLE, or just starting to plan it out? We can help you! Check out our USMLE Question Bank tailored specifically toward getting you ready for the Step 2, CK Psychiatry and Neurology sections!