USMLE

For those of you who may not know, USMLE stands for United States Medical Licensing Examination. It is a 3-step examination which is mandatory for medical graduates to have passed in order to practice medicine in the States. So basically, this is my first official post on my journey of sitting for USMLE - Step 1. When did this thought first manifest? I would have to turn the clock back to the year of 2008, when I was just wrapping up with my PreU exams at INTI. I was fortunate enough to get into 3 of the medical universities which I applied to: IMU, Monash Malaysia and University of Adelaide but I also knew inside my heart that I didn't want to burden my parents unnecessarily. And so, if that meant choosing the cheaper option of doing the local programme at IMU - so be it. I was determined to find out more about opportunities to further my studies abroad at the post-graduate level least. I knew choosing medicine would be no easy choice - choosing medicine would mean my parents have to fork out a substantial amount of RINGGIT to pay for the tuition fees, not to mention accommodation, allowance, food, travel, etc. Going overseas would just be multiplying that value by as much as 3-6 times the cost it would take to do it local - and it was this thought which made it easier to at last tick the box "local" instead of "PMS" when applying for IMU. Some may have just chosen a different course just so that they could have gone overseas - but what would be the point? Truth be told, I enjoy what I'm doing and what i'm learning. And if I had to do this my entire life - I wish to welcome it with my hands comfortably slipped into a pair of surgical gloves. So as I gave it more thought - I really wouldn't mind settling down here in Malaysia, after all my family is all here. Nevertheless, the thought of getting more experience overseas never stopped permeating in my mind - not even a second. Thus, led me to my decision to take USMLE.

USMLE, no doubt - is not for the faint-hearted. It is widely known that the North American curriculum covers a wider array of topics and dives into greater depths than other countries' medical programmes (let alone, IMU). And no doubt, it will be one year of my life completely dedicated to the preparation of this rough exam - but the way I see it, there could be no wrong from it.

Worst case scenario?
Ans. I fail or pass meagerly with a score which won't land me a place in any American teaching hospital - but having had gone through that I accumulate more knowledge along the way than if I had chosen the path that didn't involve me taking USMLE.

Best case scenario?
Ans. I pass exceedingly well and get into my dream specialty thus gaining entrance into the North American medical system and giving me a chance to gain that overseas experience that i've had my mind set on.

There has been worst 'worst-best case scenarios' pitted against one another and even then I dared to take them - so why not this?

Most definitely, i've still quite a lot to learn about USMLE before I can start giving advice but one thing is certain I will take this path that's less traveled and hopefully by the end of it I will be able to give advice on it just as i've received advice from my fantastic seniors over the past few days. I'm grateful for the knowledge they've shared - and this blog then will also be the way I document one of my greater hurdles in med school thus far.