USMLE or COMLEX Requirements

Scope

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Policy Statement

Satisfactory completion of the USMLE or COMLEX Step 3 examinations is required for all physicians who wish to sit for their boards and achieve full medical licensure.  It benefits residents to take these examinations in a time more proximate to their undergraduate medical education, and then focus on their specialty training and board certification as they progress through residency. 
 
All applicants to IUSM GME programs must document passing scores in the first two parts of appropriate medical licensure examinations (USMLE or COMLEX) to be eligible for entry into any program.   

All resident graduates of US medical schools must pass the final part of the licensing examination by the last calendar date of the end of their second academic year of training. All international medical graduates must pass the third part of the licensing examination by the half-way point of their third year of training. 

All graduate medical residents must provide evidence to the program and the GME Office of a passing score on the final part of the licensing examination. 
 
Any resident graduate of a US medical school transferring into a program at level PGY 2 or above must pass the exam by the end of the second year of training.   All international medical graduates transferring into a program at level PGY 2 or above must pass the third part of the licensing examination by the end of their 30th month of training.  

All applicants to fellowship training programs or applicants who are applying for a second training program (e.g., second core training program) must document passing scores in all three parts of the appropriate medical licensing examinations to be eligible for entry into any program.  A letter of appointment will not be valid without satisfying this requirement. Alternate examination systems may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

In extraordinary circumstances, the program director may ask the GMEC Executive Committee of the GMEC for approval of an extension period for a resident to pass the medical licensing examination.  This committee may award an extension of not more than 1 year for the resident to pass the examination.  Extensions will be determined on a case-by-case basis.  

It will be the responsibility of each individual resident to register, take, and pass the examination in the timeframe given above.  A program director statement verifying the trainee’s ability to practice without direct supervision will not be issued until documentation of compliance is available. 

Programs have the right to impose more stringent requirements, but not less than those contained in this policy. 

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Reason for Policy

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Procedures

All residents must provide documentation of their examination scores to the Office of GME for their records. 
 
If the resident fails to satisfy these requirements, non-renewal of the letter of appointment will occur.  

Please note there are exceptions enacted due to Covid-19.

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Definitions

ACGME is the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. 

A resident is an IUSM resident or fellow, or a non-IUSM resident or fellow electively rotating through IUSM and provides clinical care as part of a GME program. 

USMLE is the United States Medical Licensing Examination. 

COMLEX is the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination.   

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Implementation

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Oversight

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History

1. Policy gme-adm-0042 approved by GMEC and published on 27 March 2017. 
2. Policy reviewed, updated, and approved by GMEC on 01 July 2017. 
3. Policy updated for formatting 06 March 2018. 
4. Policy updated for formatting 27 June 2018. 
5. Policy updated to add history of COVID exception 1 November 2021.
6. Policy updated 15 July 2024.
7. Policy approved by GMEC 21 August 2024.

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