Please note recent publication from ECFMG:
The ECFMG(r) Reporter

An E-Newsletter for International Medical Graduates Pursuing Graduate
Medical Education in the United States

Issue 144 - September 11, 2009


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IN THIS ISSUE:

- ON-LINE POSTING OR DISCUSSION OF USMLE CONTENT CONSTITUTES IRREGULAR
BEHAVIOR

If you post or discuss United States Medical Licensing Examination
(USMLE) examination content via the Internet, you will be in violation
of the USMLE Rules of Conduct, as outlined in the USMLE Bulletin of
Information. Examination content includes, but may not be limited to,
questions, case content, and answers.

The Bulletin specifically advises that, "you will maintain the
confidentiality of the materials, including the multiple-choice items,
and the case content for Step 2 CS and Primum CCS. You will not
reproduce or attempt to reproduce examination materials through
memorization or any other means. Also, you will not provide information
relating to examination content that may give or attempt to give unfair
advantage to individuals who may be taking the examination. This
includes postings regarding examination content and/or answers on the
Internet."

The USMLE program continuously monitors Internet forums and chat rooms.
Examinees who post information about examination content are identified
and referred to the USMLE Committee on Irregular Behavior. If the
Committee finds that you posted examination content, your scores may be
delayed and you may be subject to the following sanctions:

- Permanent annotation of your USMLE transcript (such annotations will
read "Irregular Behavior/Security Violation" and will be seen by any
entity that receives your transcript, i.e., residency training programs,
state licensing authorities, etc.);

- A report to the Federation of State Medical Boards Board Action
Databank (a central repository for formal actions taken against
physicians and available to licensing and disciplinary boards, the
military, governmental and private agencies, and organizations involved
in the employment and/or credentialing of physicians);

- A bar from taking future administrations of USMLE.

A determination of irregular behavior can put your medical career in
jeopardy. Do not endanger your career: Do not post information from
exams you have taken and do not solicit others to provide such
information.

For more information, refer to Testing Regulations and Rules of Conduct
and Irregular Behavior in the USMLE Bulletin of Information, available
on the USMLE website at www.usmle.org.


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ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION

As an organization, ECFMG is committed to providing information on
issues of importance to international medical graduates. We realize that
many individuals would like updated information on developing issues
related to ECFMG Certification and entry into graduate medical education
in the United States. As a result, ECFMG has developed The ECFMG(r)
Reporter to provide international medical graduates worldwide with
timely, objective information on current topics of interest. It is our
hope that this newsletter will allow physicians educated outside the
United States and Canada to make informed choices on issues that shape
their careers.

Previous issues of The ECFMG(r) Reporter are available on the ECFMG
website. Subsequent issues will be posted to the ECFMG website as they
are published. To access previous issues, visit the ECFMG website at
www.ecfmg.org/reporter/.

Interested individuals can join or leave The ECFMG(r) Reporter mailing
list at any time. To join or leave, visit The ECFMG Reporter home page
at www.ecfmg.org/reporter/.

To the proprietors of this website:
I notice you have not removed the words ‘Discussion of Step 3 exam content’ from your website.
Pride goes before a fall.
Lets hope your plan ‘to realize our dream of helping all the future candidates wishing to excel in their USMLE scores and looking for a bright future ahead.’ does not turn into a nightmare for your customers, because of your arrogance.
Just remove the words that you are discussing USMLE content and tell people not to memorize & bring specific questions to your forums.
When I visit again and find that these changes have not been made then that will be my last visit. Thank you.

The ECFMG(r) Reporter

An E-Newsletter for International Medical Graduates Pursuing Graduate
Medical Education in the United States

Issue 154 - May 7, 2010


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IN THIS ISSUE:

- SHARING OR DISCUSSION OF USMLE CONTENT CONSTITUTES IRREGULAR BEHAVIOR

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SHARING OR DISCUSSION OF USMLE CONTENT CONSTITUTES IRREGULAR BEHAVIOR

Examinees are advised in the USMLE Bulletin of Information that USMLE
policies and procedures governing examinations have been established to
ensure that no examinee or group of examinees receives unfair advantage
on the examination, inadvertently or otherwise, thus jeopardizing the
standard conditions and the principles on which the examinations are
developed and scored. Provision of information relating to examination
content by examinees may provide such advantage to individuals who have
yet to take the examination. Examinees are directed to maintain the
confidentiality of the Step examinations and are directed not to provide
information relating to examination content that may give or attempt to
give unfair advantage to individuals who may be taking the examination.

The following is a statement from an examinee who disseminated content
from a Step 1 examination and, as a result, was determined to have
engaged in irregular behavior.

To Whom It May Concern:

As a student at American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine,
I received excellent training and direction as a future physician. I was
taught the importance of medicine academically, but failed to realize
its importance professionally.

After having taken my USMLE Step 1, I made a nearly career-ending
mistake. I returned home, went through my study aid book, and noted from
memory any question topics and specific test questions I could remember
to help my friends prepare for their upcoming exams. Earlier that
morning, I had signed a document stating I will not reproduce, by any
means, secure USMLE content. Through my actions, I failed to uphold the
integrity of our profession, not appreciating the importance of my
signature to the USMLE pre-exam agreement.

After having done so, I was called before the USMLE Committee on
Irregular Behavior for a review of my case. I faced a lifetime ban from
ever taking a USMLE exam again. I was fortunate enough to be banned for
two years, however with permanent annotation of my USMLE transcript of
Irregular Behavior, as well as notification to ECFMG and FSMB. I am
genuinely grateful for the lesson I have learned. However, I wish I did
not have to learn my lesson in this way. My transgression had the
potential of undermining the validity of other examinees' Step 1 scores
and, on a broader scale, licensing and other decisions made based on
those scores. While I thought I was simply helping my friends, I was
actually doing them and our profession a disservice.

I want to bring this to your attention, so as to emphasize adherence to
the rules, with preservation of integrity and professionalism. I want to
remind all AUC students to take USMLE's rules regarding the integrity of
its testing process seriously for failure to do so, as in my case, could
have dire consequences on your future as a physician.

Sincerely,
Recent AUC Graduate


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ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION

As an organization, ECFMG is committed to providing information on
issues of importance to international medical graduates.