USMLE Step 1 & pathway to US residency..need guidance please 🙏

Hi everyone,

I’m currently a 2nd-year medical student in Europe and I’m seriously considering doing my residency in the US. I’ve started looking into the process, but I’m still a bit confused about the exact steps and timeline.

From what I understand, I need to take USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 (CK?), and possibly more depending on the pathway.

I would really appreciate some clarification on a few things:

How exactly can I pursue residency in the US as an international medical student? What are the main steps and requirements I should be aware of?

What exactly is Step 1 ?

How should I start preparing for it?

When is the best time to take Step 1? I’ve seen some people say at the end of 2nd year, while others say at the end of 3rd year. What would you recommend?

If you have any advice or study tips for Step 1, I would really appreciate it.

I know this is a lot of questions, so thank you in advance to anyone willing to share their experience. I’m just trying to understand how to plan ahead properly.

Any guidance would be really appreciated 🙏