IN DECEMBER 2006, THE USMLE PROGRAM BEGAN PRODUCING SCHEDULING PERMITS AS AN ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT. THEREFORE, AN E-MAIL ADDRESS IS A MANDATORY FIELD THAT MUST BE COMPLETED ON THE STEP 3 APPLICATION FORM IN ORDER TO INSTRUCT YOU ON OBTAINING AND PRINTING YOUR SCHEDULING PERMIT. CHECK THE USMLE AND FSMB WEBSITES FOR THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION.

Once your application is registered and your eligibility status approved, an e-mail will be sent to you indicating your application has been approved and information regarding your electronic scheduling permit will be forthcoming. Within 3-5 business days, a subsequent e-mail will be sent to you with instructions on how to obtain and print your electronic scheduling permit. If you do not receive the subsequent e-mail(s) you are encouraged and instructed to go to the Candidate website for your scheduling permit.

Be sure that you provide an e-mail address that will accept an e-mail from usmle@fsmb.org. Many .edu's, hotmail, and other accounts block or place e-mails from fsmb.org into spam or junk e-mail folders.

NOTE: THE NAME ON YOUR UN-EXPIRED, GOVERNMENT-ISSUED PHOTO IDENTIFICATION THAT YOU ARE REQUIRED TO PRESENT AT THE TEST CENTER MUST MATCH EXACTLY THE NAME ON YOUR SCHEDULING PERMIT.

It is your responsibility to obtain and print your USMLE Step 3 electronic scheduling permit. Your permit will remain available until your Step 3 score report is released. Therefore, if your scheduling permit is misplaced or destroyed you can reprint it from the Candidate website. You will not be allowed to sit for the Step 3 exam without presenting your Scheduling Permit to the proctoring staff on each day of the exam.

Inability to present your permit may require you to cancel your current test date and reschedule your appointment. You may also incur a fee from Prometric if you are rescheduling within five business days of your exam date. If there is insufficient time remaining in your eligibility period to reschedule (or request and pay for an eligibility extension), you risk forfeiting your Step 3 exam fee.

NOTE: You should use the Candidate website to monitor the status of your application and the availability of your scheduling permit and score report.