Major changes in the content and format, standard-setting procedures, and score reporting policies in the National Board of Medical Examiners' comprehensive Part I examination are described. The phase-in of the United States Medical Licensing Examination and implications for score use are also discussed. (Author/MSE)

To estimate the predictive validity of the Chinese National Medical Examination, scores of a sample (n=1,717) of participating examinees were compared with program directors' ratings on nine aspects of clinical competence. Test scores were consistent with competence measures and overall, correlated significantly with ratings, while varying for…

A study compared the 1984-88 test performances of United States osteopathic medical school graduates and Canadian medical school graduates with those of U.S. and foreign medical school graduates during the same period. Findings, limitations, and implications for recruitment and training of internal medicine specialists are discussed. (Author/MSE)

The discussion of score reporting methods to be used in new versions of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) examination defines selected aspects of score reporting, outlines the use of scores, and examines the potential for misuse by medical schools and in resident selection. An NBME opinion poll is reported. (Author/MSE)

A study of the use of the Medical Education Evaluation Program, established by Ohio to evaluate clinical competencies of medical graduates of non-accredited schools, found the test to meet psychometric standards of certifying and licensing examinations. Potential problems with the test are discussed. (MSE)

Using a national sample of recent medical school graduates (n=12,213), a study of predictive validity of the National Board of Medical Examiners test parts I and II found strong correlations between performance on those parts and part III, supporting the test's use, at least in part, for selection of residency applicants. (MSE)

A study investigated test-taking patterns and pass rates on the National Board of Medical Examiners test (NBME) and Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in the Medical Sciences (FMGEMS), including trends in pass rates, proportion of candidates taking each test, and proportions of repeaters for each test. (MSE)

This collection contains research papers selected for presentation at a conference. Papers include the following: (1) "Morning Report: Focus and Methods over the Past Three Decades" (Z. Amin, J. Guajardo, W. Wisniewski, G. Bordage, A. Tekian, and L. G. Niederman); (2) "Context, Conflict, and Resolution: A New Conceptual Framework for Evaluating…

A survey of 21 internal medicine residencies in New York resulted in identification of 8 essentials of a feasible credentialing protocol, including 5 present in most of the protocols examined. The study produced a master list of procedures with corresponding certification criteria and suggested a uniform credentialing system is possible.…

Students from two medicine rotations were assigned to experimental and control groups. Instruction was the same except that the control group was assigned required readings. The groups were compared in terms of their performances on a final written examination and on the National Board of Medical Examiners Part II examination. (Author/MLW)

A study investigated the construct validity of three methods for assessing clinical performances of internal medicine clerks: a clinical evaluation form completed by faculty and residents, an objective structured clinical examination, and the National Board of Medical Examiners medicine subject test. Results suggest a significant but…

To investigate the validity of anesthesiologist certification, 146 anesthesiology program directors were asked whether they would permit each of their graduating residents to complete 3 increasingly complex anesthetic regimens to the directors themselves and rate residents on specific skills. Director responses generally correspond to…

The appropriateness of using Steps 1 and 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) to make individual academic decisions and the appropriateness of determining course grades with scores from the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) subject tests are examined. Underlying philosophical and psychometric assumptions are…

It is proposed that, despite the fact that no large body of data from the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is available, predictive validity of National Board of Medical Examiners test scores supports use of USMLE scores for screening potential new medical residents. (Author/MSE)

A survey of 12 constituencies (totaling 2,288 respondents) concerning the National Board of Medical Examiners' (NBME) comprehensive Part I and Part II examinations revealed support for more even distribution of fail rates across examinations, support for a fixed standard, and favorable reaction to setting standards based on review of examination…