Medical Education in the Caribbean: Variability in Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduate Certification Rates and United States Medical Licensing Examination Attempts

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.

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

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology ◽

10.1055/s-0040-1718569 ◽

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.

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