DUE TO THE EXPECTED DELAY IN THE AVAILABILITY OF SCORES FOR COMPUTER-BASED STEP 2, ECFMG WILL ALLOW APPLICANTS WHO HAVE NOT PASSED STEP 2 (OR ITS EQUIVALENT) TO TAKE CSA, FOR A LIMITED PERIOD OF TIME AND UNDER SPECIAL CONDITIONS, AS DESCRIBED BELOW. THIS CHANGE TO THE CSA ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. THEREFORE, EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOT PASSED STEP 2 (OR ITS EQUIVALENT), YOU MAY APPLY FOR AND TAKE CSA IF YOU MEET THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL CONDITIONS:
* You must have passed Step 1 (or its equivalent) and the English language proficiency test;
* The medical education requirements for CSA have not changed. You must meet the CSA medical education requirements listed in the ECFMG Information Booklet;
* Your completed CSA application must be received at ECFMG no later than December 1, 1999. The ECFMG Information Booklet contains the official CSA application form (Form 706) and detailed instructions for completing this form. You must include full payment of the CSA fee with your application. If you are a medical school graduate, you must send with your application two photocopies of your medical diploma and three current, full-face photographs, if you have not sent these items previously. If your application is not complete or does not include full payment, it will not be processed;
* If ECFMG determines that you are eligible, it will send your notification of registration, which will include a date by which you must schedule your CSA. You must schedule your CSA by this date; and
* You must take CSA no later than January 15, 2000.
CSA scores for examinees who take CSA on or before January 15, 2000 will be available by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Rank Order List Deadline in mid-February 2000. If you have not passed Step 2 (or its equivalent), this change may provide additional opportunities for you to take CSA in time for your CSA score to be available by this deadline. Based on last year's experience, the number of applicants who want to take CSA in time for their scores to be available by the NRMP Rank Order List Deadline may be larger than the number of spaces available to take CSA during this time period. Moreover, this change to the CSA eligibility requirements will increase demand for CSA in the months before the NRMP Rank Order List Deadline.
YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY FOR AND TAKE CSA AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED FOR COMPUTER-BASED STEP 2 OR WAITING FOR YOUR COMPUTER-BASED STEP 2 SCORE REPORT, YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY FOR CSA NOW. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT SPACE WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO TAKE CSA IF YOU WAIT UNTIL YOU RECEIVE YOUR COMPUTER-BASED STEP 2 SCORE REPORT.
If you apply for CSA under these special conditions, you should note that:
* This change to the CSA eligibility requirements is temporary. The eligibility requirements for applications received after December 1, 1999 may include passing Step 2.
* Acceptance of your application by ECFMG does not guarantee that space will be available for you to take CSA by January 15, 2000. Space for CSA examinees is available on a "first-come, first-served" basis.
* If you are registered under these special conditions, but you decide not to schedule and take CSA by the dates indicated on your notification of registration, your registration will expire, and you will need to reapply and submit a new assessment fee to take CSA. This policy applies even if you receive notification that you have passed Step 2 after you are registered for CSA.
To participate in the NRMP Match, you must have passed all examinations required for ECFMG certification by the NRMP Rank Order List Deadline in mid-February 2000. This includes Step 1 (or its equivalent), Step 2 (or its equivalent), the English language proficiency test and the Clinical Skills Assessment (if required for ECFMG certification). To enter a program of graduate medical education in the United States, you must be certified by ECFMG. Passing performance on CSA is valid for three years from the date passed for the purpose of entering graduate medical education.
IF YOU HAVE ALREADY PASSED STEP 1 (OR ITS EQUIVALENT), STEP 2 (OR ITS EQUIVALENT) AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TEST AND YOU MEET THE MEDICAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR CSA LISTED IN THE INFORMATION BOOKLET, THE SPECIAL CONDITIONS IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DO NOT APPLY TO YOU. REFER TO THE INFORMATION BOOKLET FOR INFORMATION ON CSA REGISTRATION AND SCHEDULING.