The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine is committed to positioning our students for success in the residency matching process while meeting the obligation to be transparent with residency programs about our students’ ability to meet licensure requirements. The college has developed eligibility requirements for Year 4 students to accomplish these aims. These eligibility requirements are jointly overseen by the college’s Office of Educational Affairs and the Office of Student Experience.
Eligibility Requirements for USMLE Examinations
To be eligible to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and Step 2 CK, the college requires current enrollment. Per college graduation requirements, students must attempt the USMLE Step 1 and if successful, attempt Step 2 CK.
To be eligible to take USMLE Step 3, the USMLE requires:
- Passing Step 1 and Step 2 CK.
- An MD degree from an LCME-accredited medical school.
- Note: To take Step 3, the USMLE recommends that trainees “…should have completed, or be near completion of, at least one postgraduate training year…”
While passing USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK are not requirements to earn the MD degree at the college, they are prerequisites to take Step 3 during or just after the Post-Graduate Year 1 (PGY1) per the USMLE. Therefore, eligibility requirements for applying to residency and participating in the NRMP Match process are listed below. Note that all requirements outlined in the college’s USMLE Step Examination Policy precede these eligibility requirements.
Eligibility Requirements to Apply to Residency Programs
To be eligible to apply to residency programs, the college requires that students:
- Have successfully completed all LIC requirements and been promoted to Year 4.
- Have completed enough Year 4 credits by August 31 to be able to graduate the following May and enter a PGY1 program on July 1.
- A minimum of 36 weeks of credit are required to complete Year 4.
- Have a passing USMLE Step 1 score by August 31.
- If a student does not have a passing Step 1 score by August 31:
- The student’s access to the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) system will be revoked.
- For students applying via the SF Match or Residency CAS, revoking access is not an option; therefore, the student’s Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE), a required document for application to residency, will not be uploaded.
- If a student subsequently passes Step 1 by January 31, they will be eligible to participate in the Association of American Medical College Electronic Residency Application Services (ERAS) Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) process provided eligibility requirements for Step 2 CK below are met.
- Note: For students participating in the Military Match, the student’s military obligations may supersede the requirements outlined in this document as it relates to all aspects of the Military Match process.
Eligibility to Participate in the NRMP Match Process
To be eligible to participate in the NRMP Match Process, the student must pass Step 2CK by January 31.
- A student without a passing Step 2CK score by January 31 will not be eligible to participate in the NRMP Match Process.
- The college will not verify the student in the NRMP Match, making the student ineligible for both the Match and the ERAS Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) processes.