Seven Year Rule and the USMLE
Currently there are 8 States which do not
have a 7 year rule concerning the USMLE Examination. What is the 7
year rule? The seven year rule is measured by the total number of
years it took to pass the First Step of the USMLE by a physician
and the Final Step of the USMLE. If it took more than 7 years
between the two then most Boards will not issue a license to the
Physician. The Board which have this rule typically will require
that the Physician take one of three courses:
1. Retake the Steps of the USMLE which fall out of
the 7 year period from the passing of the last Step.
2. Sit and pass the SPEX examination
3. Apply for a waiver of the USMLE 7 year rule.
The Physician must provide a valid reason as to why it took longer
than 7 years. These typically include family crisis, health
issues, Civil Unrest, and Natural Disasters. The route is not
guaranteed. The Board can arbitrarily decide not to issue the
license.
The States which do not have a 7 year rule for the
USMLE are as follows:
This information is valid as of April 5th, 2007.
As with all information posted on this site, it is subject to
change. If you have any specific questions you can direct them
to the Staff of MedLicense.com or you can call the individual
Medical Board.
