MCCEE vs. USMLE – What’s the Difference? MCCEE stands for the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination, and USMLE stands for United States Medical Licensing Examination. These two exams are certainly similar, but the result is very different. Here’s what you need to know about the differences in the two examinations. The MCCEE The MCCEE, unlike the USMLE, is not a licensing examination. Rather, it’s a test that assesses your basic knowledge and readiness to enter your first year of postgraduate medical training in Canada. There are 180 multiple-choice questions that cover a broad range of medical topics, and it’ll take you four hours to complete. This exam is for individuals who attended a medical school outside of Canada or the United States or a US School of Osteopathic medicine. It can be taken in English or French, and it can be taken within 20 months of graduation, as well, allowing students time to prepare for their transition into a Canada-based postgraduate school. The MCCEE is a pass/fail examination, and it’s based on a benchmark score of 250. If you score 250, you have passed – the number of seats available is not limited to any set or predetermined number. You may attempt the MCCEE repeatedly with no limits on the number of attempts. The USMLE The USMLE exam is a licensing examination that is open to anyone who wishes to become a licensed physician in the United States, including those who attended school in the US, Canada, and other countries. Once students have successfully passed the USMLE, which is a three-step examination with each step consisting of multiple parts, they are officially licensed to practice medicine.
Step 1 – The USMLE Step 1 assesses your ability to apply scientific concept to practicing medicine at a basic level. It places much importance on the mechanisms and principles that are at the core of disease, healthy, and the various modes of therapy. It’s a one-day exam divided into seven one-hour blocks with as many as 280 total multiple choice questions. Step 2 – The USMLE Step 2 CS is divided into three parts that test your ability to speak English clearly, your ability to properly complete a physical examination, complete with diagnoses in order of likelihood and detailed notations, and your ability to communicate with the patient – otherwise known as soft skills. Step 3 – The USMLE Step 3 is the last part of the exam, and it assesses whether you can apply all the knowledge you have learned throughout the course of your education in an unsupervised manner. You’ll answer 233