Race/Ethnicity in Medical Education: An Analysis of a Question Bank for Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey Ripp ◽  
Lundy Braun
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Medical Licensing ◽  
Licensing Examination ◽  
Race Ethnicity

scholarly journals The Relationship Between the American Board of Anesthesiology Part 1 Certification Examination and the United States Medical Licensing Examination

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard F. Dillon ◽  
David B. Swanson ◽  
Joseph C. McClintock ◽  
Glenn P. Gravlee
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Pass Rates ◽  
Certification Examination ◽  
Medical Licensing ◽  
Licensing Examination ◽  
Areas Of Interest ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background The graduate medical education community uses results from the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) to inform decisions about individuals' readiness for postgraduate training. Objective We sought to determine the relationship between performance on the USMLE and the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) Part 1 Certification Examination using a national sample of examinees, and we considered the relationship in the context of undergraduate medical education location and examination content. Methods Approximately 7800 individuals met inclusion criteria. The relationships between USMLE scores and ABA Part 1 pass rates were examined, and predictions for the strength of the relationship between USMLE content areas and ABA performance were compared with observed relationships. Results Pearson correlations between ABA Part 1 scores and USMLE Steps 1, 2 (clinical knowledge), and 3 scores for first-taker US/Canadian graduates were .59, .56, and .53, respectively. A clear relationship was demonstrated between USMLE scores and pass rates on ABA Part 1, and content experts were able to successfully predict the USMLE content categories that would least or most likely relate to ABA Part 1 scores. Conclusions The analysis provided evidence on a national scale that results from the USMLE and the ABA Part 1 were correlated and that success on the latter examination was associated with level of USMLE performance. Both testing programs have been successful in conceptualizing many of the knowledge areas of interest and in developing test content to reflect those areas.

scholarly journals Ophthalmology Program Directors' Perspectives on the Impact of the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 Change to Pass-Fail Scoring

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (02) ◽  
pp. e277-e283
Author(s):  
David Cui ◽  
Ingrid U. Scott ◽  
Heidi Luise Wingert
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Basic Science Knowledge ◽  
Medical Licensing ◽  
Usmle Step 1 ◽  
Licensing Examination ◽  
Usmle Step ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose This article investigates the perspectives of ophthalmology residency program directors (PDs) regarding the impact of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 change from graded to pass-fail scoring on ophthalmology resident selection and medical education. Methods The PDs of all United States ophthalmology residency programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education were identified using a public, online database. An anonymous web-based survey constructed using REDCap was emailed to each PD in February 2020. Results Surveys were completed by 64 (54.2%) PDs, with the majority (81.2%) disagreeing with the change to pass-fail scoring. The majority of PDs believe this change will negatively impact the ability to evaluate residency applicants (92.1%) and achieve a fair and meritocratic match process (76.6%), and will decrease medical students' basic science knowledge (75.0%). The factors identified most frequently by PDs as becoming more important in evaluating residency applicants as a result of the Step 1 scoring change include clerkship grades (90.6%), USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge score (84.4%), and a rotation in the PD's department (79.7%). The majority of PDs believe the Step 1 grading change to pass-fail will benefit applicants from elite medical schools (60.9%), and disadvantage applicants from nonelite allopathic schools (82.8%), international medical graduate applicants (76.6%), and osteopathic applicants (54.7%). Conclusion The majority of ophthalmology PDs disagree with the change in USMLE Step 1 scoring from graded to pass-fail and believe this change will negatively impact the ability to evaluate residency applicants and achieve a fair and meritocratic match process, and will decrease medical students' basic science knowledge.

scholarly journals The Route to the USMLE: The Shibboleth of Modern Medical Licensure

2014 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 21-28
Author(s):  
Howard Wainer
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Supreme Court Decision ◽  
The United States ◽  
British Raj ◽  
Medical Licensing ◽  
History Of ◽  
Licensing Examination ◽  
Multiple Choice Exam ◽  
The Cost

ABSTRACT The formal licensing of physicians in the United States began with the 1889 Supreme Court Decision Dent v. West Virginia. From that time forward, tests, in one form or another, have played a crucial role in medical licensing. In this essay we trace the history of testing from its beginnings in Xia dynasty China, 4000 years ago, though its adoption for the Indian civil service system by the British Raj, and finally ending with the 1992 introduction of the modern United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). The focus here is on the most important development in testing since the Jesuits introduced written exams to the West in 1599 — the substitution of a large number of objectively scored multiple choice exam questions for a relatively small number of essays or interview questions. This approach provided increased reliability and validity of score, broadened the number of topics that could be addressed, diminished the cost of the exam, allowed results to be calculated almost instantly, and, through the use of computerized test administration, provided the opportunity for tests to be individually tailored for each examinee while maintaining comparability of scores across all examinees.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a course to prepare international students for the United States Medical Licensing Examination step 2 clinical skills exam

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel B. Levine ◽  
Andrew P. Levy ◽  
Robert Lubin ◽  
Sarah Halevi ◽  
Rebeca Rios ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
The United States ◽  
International Medical ◽  
Pass Rate ◽  
Pass Rates ◽  
Medical Licensing ◽  
Licensing Examination ◽  
Usmle Step

Purpose: United States (US) and Canadian citizens attending medical school abroad often desire to return to the US for residency, and therefore must pass US licensing exams. We describe a 2-day United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) step 2 clinical skills (CS) preparation course for students in the Technion American Medical School program (Haifa, Israel) between 2012 and 2016.Methods: Students completed pre- and post-course questionnaires. The paired t-test was used to measure students’ perceptions of knowledge, preparation, confidence, and competence in CS pre- and post-course. To test for differences by gender or country of birth, analysis of variance was used. We compared USMLE step 2 CS pass rates between the 5 years prior to the course and the 5 years during which the course was offered.Results: Ninety students took the course between 2012 and 2016. Course evaluations began in 2013. Seventy-three students agreed to participate in the evaluation, and 64 completed the pre- and post-course surveys. Of the 64 students, 58% were US-born and 53% were male. Students reported statistically significant improvements in confidence and competence in all areas. No differences were found by gender or country of origin. The average pass rate for the 5 years prior to the course was 82%, and the average pass rate for the 5 years of the course was 89%.Conclusion: A CS course delivered at an international medical school may help to close the gap between the pass rates of US and international medical graduates on a high-stakes licensing exam. More experience is needed to determine if this model is replicable.

scholarly journals The Use of COMLEX-USA and USMLE for Residency Applicant Selection

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 358-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeanne M. Sandella ◽  
John R. Gimpel ◽  
Larissa L. Smith ◽  
John R. Boulet
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
The United States ◽  
Medical Licensing ◽  
Usmle Step 1 ◽  
Licensing Examination ◽  
Usmle Step ◽  
Level 1 ◽  
State Medical Boards ◽  
Phi Coefficient

ABSTRACT  The Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA) and the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) are recognized by all state medical licensing boards in the United States, and the Federation of State Medical Boards has supported the validity of both examinations for medical licensure. Many osteopathic medical students take both examinations.Background  The purpose of this study was to investigate performance on COMLEX-USA Level 1 and USMLE Step 1 of students from colleges of osteopathic medicine where the majority of students took both examinations.Objective  Data were collected on the entering classes of 2010 and 2011. Relationships between the COMLEX-USA Level 1 and the USMLE Step 1 were quantified using Pearson correlations. The correlation between outcomes on the 2 examinations was evaluated using the phi coefficient. A contingency table was constructed to look at first-attempt outcomes (pass/fail).Methods  Data for 2010 and 2011 were collected from 3 osteopathic medical schools, with 795 of 914 students (87%) taking both examinations. The correlation between first-attempt COMLEX-USA Level 1 and USMLE Step 1 scores was statistically significant across and within all 3 schools. The overall correlation was r(795) = 0.84 (P < .001). Pass/fail status on the 2 examinations was moderately correlated (ϕ = 0.39, P < .01).Results  Our study found a strong association between COMLEX Level 1 and USMLE Step 1 performance. Additional studies to accurately compare scores on these examinations are warranted.Conclusions

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