In stage three of NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s MD curriculum, you take Step 2 of the U.S. Medical Licensure Exam (USMLE) and pursue individualized exploration in specialty and subspecialty areas of interest through post-clerkship elective and selective courses, advanced clinically integrated science selective (ACISS) courses, and the advanced clinical skills module.

USMLE Step 2

The USMLE Step 2 CK, the second part of the three-step exam for medical licensure, assesses medical knowledge and scientific concepts as they are applied to patient diagnoses and care, health maintenance and management, and disease prevention. It is administered in 8 hour-long blocks during a single day, with 45-minutes of break time and a 15-minute tutorial session.

Comprehensive Clinical Skills Examination

During phase three, you also take our comprehensive clinical skills exam (CCSE). This performance-based exam ensures proficiency in core clinical skills at the completion of clerkship year. Our CCSE is a series of mock patient encounters that assess your skills in communication, taking patient histories, conducting physical examinations, and clinical reasoning.

In addition to preparing for exams, you take selective and elective courses in areas of interest. You must also complete at least one ACISS course, which you can take during stage three or four of the curriculum. You may also begin a scholarly concentration, which is a research project completed with guidance from experts in your chosen field.