Just gonna give my flowers to Sean. I was straight up LOST in the middle of my journey to taking Step 1. He helped me make a plan, pass on my first attempt, got me then through all my clinical rotations to pass my Shelf exams on the first try, got me a good Step 2 score, coached me on my Interview season (where I got a good amount of interviews bc of my scores) and just matched into Residency. Literally one of the smartest people I know. When he’s been busy, he has other people who are extremely smart and helpful too. Some of the smartest people I know! Thankful for everything they have done for me and literally getting me to this point. I can honestly say I wouldn’t be at this point without him. They are people I know I can contact whenever I need advice
Nebraska has two MD schools, both in Omaha, and no DO school (school list). The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine (UNMC) is public and dates to 1880; Creighton University School of Medicine is private, dates to 1892 and also lists a Phoenix, Arizona site (school list). LCME lists both as accredited since before 1942 (LCME).
The two classes draw on different places. UNMC's entering class of 142 in 2025-26 was 84.5% from Nebraska; Creighton's class of 250 was 4% from Nebraska (AAMC FACTS, Table A-1).
Medical schools in Nebraska
| School | City | Degree | Founded | Type | Exam series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creighton University School of Medicine | Omaha | MD | 1892 | Private | USMLE |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine | Omaha | MD | 1880 | Public | USMLE |
Several of these schools teach students at more than one site: Creighton University School of Medicine also lists Phoenix, Arizona.
School list: LCME and COCA accreditation lists, via the list of medical schools in the United States, checked October 2026.
Teaching hospitals in Nebraska by city
- Omaha: The Nebraska Medical Center; CHI Health-Creighton Univ Med Center; Nebraska Methodist Hospital; CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center - Bergan Mercy; CHI Health Immanuel; CHI Health Lakeside; Madonna Rehab Omaha LTC Hospital; Children's Hospital & Medical Center
- Lincoln: Bryan Medical Center; CHI Health St. Elizabeth
- Kearney: CHI Health Good Samaritan
- Grand Island: CHI Health St. Francis
Facts about Nebraska
| School | City | LCME accreditation | Next full survey | 2025-26 applications | First-year places | Entering class from Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creighton University School of Medicine | Omaha | Full, since before 1942 | 2027-28 | 6,162 | 250 | 4% |
| University of Nebraska College of Medicine | Omaha | Full, since before 1942 | 2029-30 | 2,311 | 142 | 84.5% |
Accreditation: LCME directory; applications, places and in-state share: AAMC FACTS, Table A-1.
| City | Internal medicine residency program | First-time takers, 2023-2025 | Passed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha | University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine Program | 73 | 99% |
| Omaha | University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine Program (combined medicine-pediatrics) | 11 | 91% |
| Omaha | Creighton University School of Medicine (Omaha) Program | 71 | 93% |
ABIM internal medicine certification exam by residency program: ABIM residency program pass rates; ABIM says to read rates from under 25 takers with caution.
- The University of Nebraska College of Medicine requires students to complete Step 1 by the end of March of their second year; a student who fails must retake it within the 90-day test window. (University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine)
- At UNMC, a second Step 1 retake must come within one year of the first attempt, and a third failure ends enrollment. (University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine)
- Creighton students take Step 1 right after Component I and II coursework and before their first Component III clerkship, and may start clerkships in May; the policy allows three attempts within nine months of the school's exam period. (Creighton University School of Medicine)
- Creighton requires Step 2 CK by July 1 of the year Component III coursework is completed; passing it is not a graduation requirement. (Creighton University School of Medicine)
- In the 2025 Main Residency Match, programs in Nebraska offered 226 residency positions in 20 specialties, the most in internal medicine (58), family medicine (37), and anesthesiology (16). (NRMP)
Sources: LCME, directory of accredited U.S. programs (checked October 29, 2026); AAMC FACTS, Table A-1, 2025-2026 (checked October 29, 2026); University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Boards Preparation (checked November 1, 2026); Creighton University School of Medicine, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK Policy (checked November 1, 2026); NRMP, 2025 Main Residency Match by state and specialty (checked October 29, 2026); ABIM, residency program pass rates 2023-2025 (checked October 29, 2026).
Two Omaha schools, two Step 1 calendars
UNMC sets a deadline rather than a date: every College of Medicine student must complete Step 1 by the end of March of the second year, and passing it is a requirement for moving into the senior year (UNMC boards preparation). A first failure has to be retaken inside the 90-day test window and triggers an automatic review that can pull the student from junior-year clerkships or require a board review course.
Creighton ties Step 1 to the end of coursework instead. Students sit it immediately after Component I and II courses, within dates the school sets, and must take it before their first Component III clerkship; those who have tested may start clerkships in May while they wait for the result (Creighton USMLE policy). A failure reported before the start means a temporary withdrawal from the first clerkship, and a failure reported during it means finishing that block without its shelf exam.
Both schools therefore expect Step 1 at the turn from classroom to clerkships, but the pressure falls differently. A UNMC student has a hard March deadline and can still be moved out of clerkships later; a Creighton student can begin rotations before the score is back, which makes the last practice tests before the exam the deciding data. We set the target date from those practice scores, never from the calendar alone.
What happens after a failed Step 1 in Omaha
The two policies are written for the rare case, and a student should know them before test day. At UNMC, a second retake must come within one year of the first attempt and is paired with a leave of absence; failing three times ends enrollment (UNMC boards preparation). At Creighton, the second attempt should come within four weeks of leaving the clerkship schedule, eight with permission, and no later than six months after the school's Step 1 dates; three attempts are allowed, all within nine months of the end of the exam period (Creighton USMLE policy).
Both schools stop at three attempts, one fewer than the USMLE program allows, so the school rule is the one that binds while you are a student. Our guide for students who did not pass Step 1 covers how we rebuild the plan in that window.
Step 2 CK deadlines and Nebraska residencies
Creighton lets students take Step 2 CK only after passing all Component III courses, and requires it by July 1 of the year that coursework ends; passing is not a graduation requirement, though residency programs read the score (Creighton USMLE policy). UNMC asks every student to register for Step 2 CK before graduation (UNMC boards preparation).
In the 2025 Main Residency Match, Nebraska programs offered 226 positions in 20 specialties, led by internal medicine (58), family medicine (37), anesthesiology (16), pediatrics (15), psychiatry (14) and surgery (13) (NRMP). Internal medicine residents there later sit the ABIM exam.
Which board exams Nebraska students take
Both Nebraska schools, the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine and Creighton University School of Medicine, grant the MD, so their students take the USMLE: Step 1, reported pass/fail since January 26, 2022, then Step 2 CK, and Step 3 after graduation (USMLE).
Nebraska has no DO school of its own. DO students from other states who train in Nebraska hospitals sit COMLEX-USA instead: Level 1, Level 2-CE and Level 3. The licensing table below counts those Levels beside USMLE Steps (FSMB).
Residency adds board exams of its own: in internal medicine, 99% of 73 first-time takers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center program and 93% of 71 from Creighton's Omaha program passed the ABIM exam in 2023-2025 (ABIM).
Nebraska licensing rules that affect your exam plan
In Nebraska the USMLE and COMLEX are counted the same way: FSMB lists “4 attempts+” at each Step and each Level, and one 10-year window that starts when you pass your first Step or Level. It also lists one year of training before a first license, two for international graduates (FSMB).
| Rule | What Nebraska requires |
|---|---|
| Training before first license | 1 year; 2 years IMG |
| Exam attempts | 4 attempts+ at each USMLE Step; 4 attempts+ at each COMLEX Level |
| Time limit | 10 years to complete USMLE or COMLEX beginning with date first Step/Level is passed. |
Source: FSMB state licensure requirements, checked October 2026; confirm with the board before relying on them.
What Nebraska's rules mean for how you study
- FSMB lists “4 attempts+” at each Nebraska Step and Level, and the USMLE program bars any Step after four failed attempts at one. Plan on four; ask the board what the “+” adds (FSMB, USMLE eligibility rules).
- Nebraska's ten years start when you pass your first Step or Level, not at matriculation. Step 3 comes after graduation, so any research year or leave in between spends part of that window (FSMB).
- Nebraska lists one year of training before a first license and two for international graduates, so an IMG should not expect a first Nebraska license until a second training year is done (FSMB).
- DO graduates who train in Nebraska and stay face the same terms as MDs: one “4 attempts+” rule across Steps and Levels, and one ten-year window for USMLE or COMLEX (FSMB).
Many Nebraska students rotate, interview or match next door. Nebraska's neighbors on our list: Colorado (1 MD, 1 DO), Iowa (1 MD, 1 DO), Kansas (1 MD, 1 DO), Missouri (4 MD, 2 DO), South Dakota (1 MD, 0 DO), Wyoming (0 MD, 0 DO).
How much Nebraska searches for board prep
Nebraska's searches favor specific exams over the umbrella terms. Among the 50 states and DC, it ranks 9th for “USMLE Step 2” and 10th for “USMLE Step 1”, well above its 22nd for plain “USMLE” (Google Trends, five years to October 2026).
COMLEX ranks lowest at 42nd, which fits a state whose only medical schools are MD-granting, while the shelf exam, the test that closes each clerkship, ranks above every term here at 4th (Google Trends).
| Search term | Nebraska rank of 51 |
|---|---|
| USMLE | 22 |
| USMLE Step 1 | 10 |
| USMLE Step 2 | 9 |
| COMLEX | 42 |
| Shelf exam | 4 |
Source: Google Trends, United States, past 5 years, retrieved October 2026; ranks show relative interest, not student numbers.



