LIBRARY GUIDE MCAT AND MEDICAL LICENSING EXAMINATIONS CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES Part I: what are MCAT and licensing examinations
1. ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS AND APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOR MEDICAL SCHOOLS MCAT (Medical College Admission Test): This test is required for entrance by the majority of medical schools in Canada and the United States. Since 1999, applicants to the University of Ottawa are no longer required to write the MCAT to be eligible for admission. For further information about MCAT see the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) website at http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/. Testing is offered twice a year, usually in April and August. In Canada, medical school application procedures are individual to the schools, except in Ontario where the Ontario Medical School Application Service (OMSAS) centralizes the procedure (see http://www.ouac.on.ca/omsas/index.html). In the United States, the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) offers centralized applications to many U.S. medical schools (see http://www.aamc.org/audienceamcas.htm)
2. LICENSING EXAMINATIONS IN CANADA LMCC (Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada): This is a qualification granted to Canadian graduate physicians who have passed the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examinations (MCCQE) Parts I and II, and who have completed one year of post-graduate training. It is required for licensing in all provinces and territories, except Quebec.* Graduates of non-Canadian medical schools must successfully complete the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination (MCCEE) before trying the MCCQE. The exception to this is physicians who are graduates of medical schools in the United States which have been accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). These examinations are held twice a year, in March and in September and are offered in English and in French. Computer-adaptive testing has been put in place since the fall of 1999. For more information see the Medical Council website, http://www.mcc.ca/english/examinations/evaluating.html. *For information about Quebec Licensing Examinations contact the Collège des Médecins du Québec in Montreal, Quebec, www.cmq.org. (You can click on English for the English interface) NOTE: In addition to the LMCC requirement, many provinces and territories have additional requirements for licensing such as specialty certification from either the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or the College of Family Physicians of Canada, or, an internship. Contact the medical licensing body in the province in which you wish to be licensed for more information.
3. LICENSING EXAMINATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination): This is required in all states.** This examination is given in three steps, As of November 1999, all steps 1-3 are computer-based tests (CBT) available throughout the year. Step 1 assesses whether medical school students or graduates understand and can apply important concepts of the sciences basic to the practice of medicine. Step 2 assesses whether medical school students or graduates can apply medical knowledge, skills and understanding of clinical science essential for provision of patient care under supervision. Step 3 assesses whether medical school graduates can apply medical knowledge and understanding of biomedical and clinical science essential for the unsupervised practice of medicine. For more information about the USMLE see http://www.usmle.org/. Clinical Skills (CS): since June 2004, USMLE Step 2 CS has replaced the former ECFMG CSA as a requirement for Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certification for graduates from non-American and non-Canadian medical schools. Information about this requirement can be obtained from http://www.ecfmg.org/usmle/step2cs/index.html **Note that some U.S. states will accept LMCC designation; contact the state licensing authority for specific information about this and any other requirements for state licensure.
Part II: library resources and Web sites of interest 1. Reserve list A list of documents has been created by the Faculty of Medicine for people preparing for the LMCC examinations. To obtain the Reserve list, go to the Reserve module of the catalog: http://137.122.27.60/search/r and type Medical exam Canada at either the “Prof” or the “Course” prompt Direct link to the list: http://137.122.27.60/search/r?SEARCH=medical+exam+canada&sort=
2. Library resources grouped by type of documents Here are titles and call numbers for printed documents available in the Health Sciences library (RGN); you can retrieve them on the shelves by call number in the appropriate section of the library. (Ref is the Reference, Res the Reserve and Gen the General Collection, our regular book section. AV means audiovisual document, you have to ask for these at the circulation desk)
Practice Exams and review notes (comprehensive)
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Canada LMCC PRACTICE EXAMINATIONS
TITLE Medical Council of Canada. (1994). Multiple-choice Question Practice Examination. Ottawa: author (this is the most recent edition).
CALL NUMBER Res R834.5 .M84
Unpublished MCCQE References LMCCQE Exam Practice 1991-93 LMCCQE Exam Practice 1994-97 LMCCQE Exam Practice 1998-2000 LMCCQE Exam Practice Complete copy 1991-2000 Examen pratique français LMCC 2004 (FAEMQ) Res ZZH 90007 A Res ZZH 90007 B Res ZZH 90007 C Res ZZH 90007 Res ZZH 90008
The Toronto notes: A comprehensive medical review textbook for the Medical Council of Canada qualifying exam Res R 834.5 .M34 (latest ed) Gen R 834.5 M34 (previous editions) AV R 834.5 .M34 (CD-ROM) N.B.: This book used to be called MCCQE review notes up until 2003.
United States USMLE For General Information: United States medical licensing examination [online]. Search this in the catalogue`s title index and click on the link below the mention Electronic Access Pasley, James N. USMLE road map [electronic resource] :
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physiology Search this in the catalogue`s title index and click on the link below the mention Electronic Access Step 1 Lange outline review USMLE step 1 (2nd ed.) Reinheimer, B. A. USMLE step 1 recall : Buzzwords for the boards First aid for the USMLE step 1, 2004: A student-to-student guide USMLE step 1 secrets Basic science color atlas: Step 1 Step 2 Lange outline review USMLE step 2 (5th ed. ed.) Van Kleunen, J. P. Step-up to USMLE step 2 Blueprints Q&A step 2 medicine Blueprints Q & A step 2 surgery (2nd ed. ed.) Blueprints Q&A step 2 obstetrics & gynecology Blueprints Q&A step 2 pediatrics (2nd ed. ed.) Blueprints Q&A step 2 psychiatry (2nd ed. ed.) First aid for the USMLE step 2 CS Appleton & lange review for the USMLE step 2 (4th ed.) Clinical science color atlas : Steps 2 & 3 Gen R 834.5 L362 2006 Gen RC 58 .V36 2006 Gen R 834.5 .B58 2005 Gen RD 37.2 .B58 2005 Gen RG 111 .B58 2005 Gen RJ 48.2 .B58 2005 Gen RC 457 .B58 2005 Gen R 834 .F572 2004 Res R 834.5 .A6629 2003 Gen RC 59 .C55 2003 Gen R834.5.L36 2006 Gen R834.5 R44 2005 Res R 834 .F57 2004 Gen R834.5 U85 2004 Gen RB120 B37 2003
Step 3 First aid for the USMLE step 3 Appleton & lange's outline review for the USMLE step 3 (3rd ed) NMS Medicine Gen R 834.5 F52 2005 Gen R 834.5 A662 2003 Gen RC59 M44 2005
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AV ROM50469 Blueprints Q&A step 3 medicine (2nd ed. ed.) Blueprints Q&A step 3 pediatrics (2nd ed. ed.) Blueprints Q&A step 3 obstetrics & gynecology Blueprints Q&A step 3 psychiatry (2nd ed. ed.) Blueprints Q&A step 3 surgery (2nd ed. ed.) Clinical science color atlas : Steps 2 & 3 Review for USMLE : United States Medical Licensing Examination, Step 3 Other USMLE resources: You can find more USMLE resources by searching the word USMLE (or usmle, it is not caps-sensitive) in the Keyword index of the library catalogue. Gen R 834.5 .B582 2005 Gen RJ 48.2 .B582 2005 Gen RG 111 .B582 2005 Gen RC 457 .B582 2005 Gen RD 37.2 .B582 2005 Gen RC 59 .C55 2003 Res R 834.6 R676 2003
Practice Exams and Review Questions (Subject Specific)
Other multiple choice questions books published by commercial publishers are not officially linked to any particular US or Canadian examination, but they are good tools to help you review global knowledge in the basic sciences. To locate the materials on specific topics, such as Obstetrics & Gynecology, Microbiology, Pharmacology, etc., please check University of Ottawa Library catalogue. At the HS Library home page (http://www.biblio.uottawa.ca/health/index-e.php), click on Catalogue under Search. Click on the Keyword tab. You can then type your subject in the 1st box (for instance, microbiology). If you want you can also use the drop down menu to select the subject index. Type the word examinations in the 2nd box. Also limit this search to the subject field. If you scroll down the screen, you will see that you can limit your search to a certain year or a year range. You can limit your location to the Health Sciences Library. Click on Submit. Feel free to ask the person at the reference desk, should you need further explanations.
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Web sites of interest
Practice Examinations on the Web LMCC Practice examination - part 1: sample questions are available at http://www.mcc.ca/english/examinations/qualifying_e1_practice.html Self Administered Evaluation Examination (SAEE) (Registration required, $) Put out by the Medical Council of Canada, intended for graduates of international medical schools wishing to test their level of preparedness for the MCCEE. https://www.mcc.ca/SelfAdministered/english/Introduction.html
EXAM MASTER (preparation for USMLE) http://www.exammaster.com/ (registration required, $) Orientation and Practice Materials, USMLE Step 1, Step 2 (CK and CS), and Step 3: http://www.usmle.org/Orientation/menu.htm
Associations or organizations
Canada Canadian Resident Matching Service www.carms.ca Canadian Medical Placement Service www.cmps.ca Canadian Federation of Medical Students http://www.cfms.org/index.cfm
United States Federation of State Medical Boards http://www.fsmb.org Medical Practice in the USA http://www.shusterman.com/medguide.html Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates http://www.ecfmg.org/ NLM - FAQ Medical Education and Career Information http://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/medicaled.html
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Printed Directories
TITLE Canada Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Accredited Residency Programs (latest ed.) CALL NUMBER
Ref R 749 A6 R69
List of all the residency programs in Canada. Also available in electronic format from the Library catalog record. Click on the link below the mention Electronic access. United States American Medical Association. Graduate Medical Education Directory (latest ed.) This is the list of Residency programs available in the United States. Association of American Medical Colleges. Directory of American Medical Education. (latest ed.) Ref R 745 .A863 Res R 840 D56
This lists all the Medical Schools in the United States with main contacts. International
World directory of medical schools. Geneva: WHO, 2000
Ref 735 A4 W67
This edition is also available on the WHO Web site, with regular updates : http://www.who.int/hrh/documents/wdms_upgrade/en/print.html
Handbooks & Guides
Canada Objectives for the Qualifying Examination. Available online. http://www.mcc.ca/pdf/Complete_Objectives-e.pdf
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Canadian Medical Association. (1998). MedGuide: An Information and Licensure Handbook for Canadian and Foreign Physicians, 5th ed. (This is the latest available edition, verified March 2007)
Ref RA 396 .C2 B76
United States American Medical Association. State Medical Licensure requirements and Statistics (latest ed.) Washington, D.C.: author Association of American Medical Colleges. Medical School Admission Requirements: United States and Canada (latest ed.) Washington, D.C. : author Ref RA 396 .A3 U2
Ref R 745 .A8
Periodicals JAMA : Journal of the American Medical Association publishes its Reference Directories, a few times a year. This includes a listing of organizations of medical interest, State Medical Associations, and details on examinations and licensure. Please note that since April 2003, JAMA is available in electronic version only. Search JAMA : Journal of the American Medical Association in the Journal Title index of the library catalog. http://orbis.uottawa.ca/search In the notice for JAMA, click on the link for the electronic full text. You can then run an Advanced Search on the journal search interface, please feel free to ask for help with this.
Mleblanc\MedExamE0704_paper.doc
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