The USMLE and Licensure within the United States

In order for an individual to receive a license to practice medicine within the United States, the individual must have a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree, or another comparable degree and must have passed Step III of the USMLE. The individual must also have completed at least a one-year internship or a one-year residency program in order to receive licensure. The Step I Exam, the Step II Clinical Skills Exam, and the Step II Clinical Knowledge Exam, are not specifically required in order to obtain licensure, but an individual must pass all of these exams in order to take the Step III Exam. Passing each of these exams is also usually required by each university and medical program in order to receive a MD or DO degree. As a result, the individual must have completed all three steps of the USMLE, achieved a MD, DO, or other similar degree, and have completed at least a one-year internship or a one-year residency program in order to receive a license to practice medicine. Individuals that wish to become accredited as a specialist in a particular field of medicine or eligible to practice as a specialist in a particular medical field by the local medical board will usually be required to fulfill their residency performing the particular specialty they are interested in pursuing. However, there may also be other requirements in addition to these requirements in order for an individual to receive a license to practice medicine and/or to become Board Accredited or Board Eligible as a specialist depending on the regulations set by the local medical licensing authority.