additional md requirements

CSI and Step 2CK info for MD-PhD students

Info and scheduling tips provided here based on a typical Penn MD-PhD curriculum (eg 6 months of clerkships and step 1 completed before the PhD; return to the clinics in the fall semester the year before anticipated MD graduation).

CSI – Clinical Skills Inventory

• Overview:  Clinical Skills Inventory is a school run 8 to 12 station standardized patient exam which is taken after the vast majority of clerkships have been completed. The test assesses clinical skills. You will interview and examine SPs and write a patient note after each encounter.  CSI is very similar to the OSCE exam, except you won’t get immediate feedback from the SPs. You will, however, receive a written score report a few weeks after the exam.  You will receive more information in an email from the SP Program about a week prior to your scheduled exam date.
• Timing of exam:  Jan-April of penultimate year or fall of MS4 year
• Info about scheduling:  handled by the Registrar’s office through OASIS

Step 2CK

• Overview:  Step 2 CK assesses medical knowledge, skills, and understanding of clinical science.  It is a one-day examination, administered in a 9-hour testing session.  All students need to complete the Step 2CK exam as a graduation requirement.
• Timing of exam:  Now that Step 1 is Pass/Fail, it is recommended that students take Step 2 CK by mid-August at the start of MS4 if their schedules permit.  The deadline for taking the exam is in mid-November.  If a student is unsure whether to prioritize an additional clinical elective vs. taking step 2 in the summer before residency applications go out, they should seek faculty advice from specialty advisors and/or UMELT advisors Dr. Jen Kogan and Dr. Prithvi Sankar.
• Info about scheduling:  recommended deadline to register is no later than August 1
• Study time:  With Step 2 becoming more important now that Step 1 is Pass/Fail, many students will study ~5-7 weeks for this exam.