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When the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) suspended and then permanently cancelled the Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) test, the decision was celebrated widely by medical students across the country.
But for international medical graduates (IMGs), the change has left many scrambling to meet new requirements some of which present challenges that could ruin their chances of matching with a U.S. residency program, they say.
When the Step 2 CS was temporarily suspended last May for safety reasons related to the pandemic, the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) which certifies international students for residency in the U.S. subsequently announced in August that students would be required to take a new exam to assess their English proficiency, called the Occupational English Test (OET). They would also have to perform a clinical skills assessment via one of five pathways, ECFMG said.
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The O-1A is a nonimmigrant classification that allows employers and agents to temporarily employ individuals who have “extraordinary ability” in the areas of science, education, business, or athletics in the United States. It initially allows up to three years of employment in the US, and it can be extended in one year terms. The category is reserved for those who have “sustained national or international acclaim and recognition” and are acknowledged as “one of the small percentage who have arisen to the very top of the field of endeavor.” Recent trends in requests for evidence (RFEs) in this classification, as well as the unique benefits of the O-1A for foreign nationals, merit further discussion.