The Day of the Examination
When you arrive at the CSA Center on the day of your assessment, please be prepared to present valid, government-issued photo identification and your admission permit. Arrive at the CSA Center no more than 30 minutes prior to your scheduled assessment. If you are traveling a long distance, consider arriving in Philadelphia at least a day before your CSA session.
Please do not bring anything other than necessary personal items with you to the Center. Coat racks are available, and each candidate will be assigned a small open storage cubicle in which personal belongings must be stored during the assessment. However, these cubicles are not secure, and ECFMG assumes no responsibility for your personal items. Luggage cannot be accommodated, so other arrangements must be made for its storage during the assessment. We also have no waiting facilities for spouses, family, or friends, so please plan on meeting them elsewhere after the assessment. Wear comfortable professional clothing and a white laboratory or clinic coat. The only piece of medical equipment you need to bring is your stethoscope. All other necessary medical equipment is provided in the examination rooms.
Throughout the assessment day CSA staff, who will be wearing identifying nametags, will direct you through the examination. Please follow their instructions at all times.
Each assessment session will begin with an orientation. This on-site orientation is in addition to this manual and the videotape that ECFMG will send you when you are registered for CSA. The orientation will familiarize you with the equipment in each examination room and the nature of typical encounters. It is also intended to inform you about examination procedures and regulations. During the orientation, you will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement. It stipulates that you, as a CSA examinee, will not reveal case information to anyone at any time. This agreement is a way to ensure that each examinee has the same opportunity as all others. If you disclose information to prospective candidates, there is no guarantee that the information you supply will aid them. In fact, it may confuse subsequent candidates because different sets of cases are used each day. In addition to the confidentiality agreement, there will be a demographic questionnaire for you to fill out before the assessment and a feedback questionnaire afterwards.
The CSA Center is a secured facility. Once you enter the secured area of the Center for orientation, you may not leave that area until CSA has been completed. Since the assessment lasts approximately eight hours, two breaks will be provided. The first break is thirty minutes long and takes place after your fourth encounter; the second break is fifteen minutes long and occurs after the eighth encounter. At break time, you are free to relax, use the rest rooms, and have refreshments. A light meal will be served, and there are vending machines available for drinks. You may also bring your own food provided that no refrigeration or preparation is required. Smoking is prohibited throughout the Center.
You cannot, during breaks or at any time, discuss the cases with your fellow candidates. Conversation among candidates in languages other than English about any subject is strictly prohibited at all times during these breaks. Examination proctors will be with you to monitor activity. To maintain security and quality assurance, each examination room is equipped with video cameras and microphones to record every encounter. Please conduct yourself as you would during a normal day in a clinic.
