The USMLE is a highly reliable and relevant three-Step examination for medical licensure in the United States. It is sponsored by the FSMB and NBME. The USMLE assesses an examinee’s ability to apply knowledge, concepts, and principles, and to demonstrate fundamental patient-centered skills. The USMLE supports medical licensing authorities and physicians in the United States through development, delivery, and continual improvement of high-quality assessments across the continuum of physicians’ preparation for practice.
State medical boards use USMLE outcomes to inform licensure decisions and to help achieve their mission of public protection. The USMLE program, which is sponsored by the FSMB and NBME, adheres to professional testing standards to provide fairness and equity to examinees, while identifying important information to medical regulators.