Thirty-five second-year medical students from the University of Alabama (Birmingham) used the services of a commercial test tutoring company to help them prepare for the National Board of Medical Examiners Part I examination. These students scored significantly higher than students who were considered to have comparable ability, based upon basic…

Seventeen medical school students who participated in a commercial test preparation course were matched with 17 other students judged to be of equal ability. These two groups were compared on the basis of their scores on Part I of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). The two groups were matched closely on both the grade point average…

The 55 medical students from the University of Alabama who used a commercial test-coaching company's services to prepare for the National Board of Medical Examiners Part I examination scored significantly higher than students with comparable basic science grade-point averages. The impact of such coaching on licensure is discussed. (Author/JMD)