Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals, Inc.
Wisconsin Licensing and USMLE Step 3 Timeline
Prepared by the Office of Graduate Medical Education
NOTE: IN ORDER TO PRINT THIS GUIDE, USE PRINT OPTION JUST BELOW MCW PHOTO ON THIS PAGE (RIGHT-HAND SIDE), THEN CLICK PRINT ON THE DISPLAY PAGE (RIGHT-HAND SIDE)
This timeline is for housestaff who are currently in an initial year of accredited Graduate Medical Education (GME) in the United States/Canada and are planning to take USMLE Step 3 through the State of Wisconsin.*
*Housestaff planning on sitting for Comlex Part III and are applying for a Wisconsin License are considered Endorse/Reciprocity candidates and need to pursue the Comlex Examination separately. Housestaff who have taken USMLE Step 3 or plan on taking it through a State other than Wisconsin are also considered Endorse/Reciprocity candidates.
OCTOBER
Housestaff should print the “Licensure Process Guide” found on the MCWAH website under Administrative Resources at www.mcw.edu/gme and begin the Step-By-Step process. The guide provides instructional information for housestaff regarding downloading forms from the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) website and the completion of those forms.
LATE OCTOBER/EARLY NOVEMBER
The DSPS representative’s arrive on campus for informal meetings at FMLH and CHW auditoriums. An email will be sent in early October regarding the date and times of meetings. It is beneficial for housestaff to have printed the various forms and bring those and any specific questions to one of the meetings. The completed forms should be mailed to the DSPS no later than November 30th. Allow 15-20 working days for processing your paperwork. You may view your checklist via the DSPS website.
JANUARY/APRIL
Check the DSPS website at http://drl.wi.gov for the status of your application; attend to any outstanding items that may delay the USMLE Step 3 process.
APRIL
After appropriate requirements have been met, the DSPS will forward the USMLE Step 3 Application to the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB). Allow 2-4 weeks for processing.
MAY/JUNE
A permit to schedule the USMLE Step 3 Examination is received allowing housestaff 90 days in which to schedule and sit for the USMLE Step 3 Examination. Housestaff in their initial year of GME may not sit for USMLE Step 3 in the State of Wisconsin prior to completion of their 10th month of GME training. Ideally, housestaff should sit for USMLE Step 3 in June of their first year of GME.
JUNE/JULY
Housestaff sit for the USMLE Step 3 Examination. Allow 3-6 weeks for the FSMB to report your scores to the DSPS. Scores are reported to the DSPS directly by the FSMB and an additional 15-20 days are required for the DSPS to process the scores and update the online checklist.
JULY/AUGUST
Housestaff are to submit the Certificate of Postgraduate Training (CPGT) Form 2165 to their Program Coordinators for completion after they have passed USMLE Step 3. The completed form should be forwarded to the MCWAH Office. The MCWAH Office affixes the seal and forwards the CPGT to the DSPS. Allow 15-20 days for the DRL to update the website.
SEPTEMBER
Housestaff continue to monitor their online checklist until Wisconsin licensure is obtained. If outstanding issues are not responded to in a timely manner, various forms may need to be resubmitted as well as additional forms that the DSPS may request (i.e., NPDB, an updated CPGT form, etc).
Refer to MCWAH’s Licensure Process Guide for additional information and downloading of appropriate forms. (http://www.mcw.edu/GME/AR/LicensureProcessGuide.htm)
