Posts presented in chronological order…
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Checking the references: the evidence in support of Step 1
- We’re told that Step 1 scores predict measures of physician quality. But do they? Let’s check the references.
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USMLE Step 1: leveling the playing field – or perpetuating disadvantage?
- Do students from “lower tier” medical schools benefit from a scored USMLE? Or would they be better off by playing a different game altogether?
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USMLE Step 1: the “antidote to implicit bias”?
- Under-represented minorities in medicine score lower on Step 1. So why do NBME executives think it’s a cure for bias?
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Raising the bar: encouraging trends in USMLE Step 1 performance, 1997-2017
- Are rising Step 1 scores just “score creep” – or a sign of improving physician quality?
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A peek inside the USMLE sausage factory: setting the Step 1 minimum passing score
- Why is the minimum passing score for Step 1 frequently increased? To understand why, we first need to understand how the passing standard for is set. Let’s find out how the sausages get made.
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A two-step plan for a better USMLE Step 1
- If you turned Step 1 over to me, here’s what I’m gonna do.
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A non-MBA’s guide to NBME revenue in 9 simple charts
- The NBME has a financial conflict of interest in maintaining a scored USMLE. Here’s why.
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- I’ve studied the business of the NBME. Ready to take the exam?
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- Since January 2019, USMLE score reports have looked different. What changed – and why?
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- What would happen if we asked medical students to memorize digits of pi?
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The intellectual opportunity cost of USMLE Step 1
- Students spend a lot of time studying for Step 1. What else could we do with that time?
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Symbiosis: the USMLE, ERAS, and medical education
- Step 1 Mania and Application Fever need each other.
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The mythology of USMLE Step 1 scores and board certification
- Do Step 1 scores predict success on the boards? Yes… but maybe not in the way you expect.
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The InCUS is coming – are we ready?
- The corporate sponsors of the USMLE have organized an invitation-only conference to determine the future of USMLE scoring. The InCUS is nigh.
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- What happened at InCUS? Who knows. Attendees have been asked to stay silent.
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- Physicians who took Step 1 more than 5 years ago honestly have no clue what’s on the exam. Want to remind yourself what’s really tested on Step 1?
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Stonewalled: A brief update on InCUS, the NBME, and financial COI
- I asked the NBME whether InCUS attendees received financial compensation. The answer? Silence.
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What can the NFL Draft teach us about residency selection?
- Getting into residency programs is competitive… but nowhere near as competitive as the NFL. What can we learn from the metrics used to select NFL players?
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Step 1 Mania: The Case for #USMLEPassFail
- Links to a video podcast of a Grand Rounds presentation with an overview of the case for a pass/fail USMLE.
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- Most of us do not interpret USMLE Step 1 scores appropriately. They’re not as precise and reliable as you might imagine.
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A Field Guide to USMLE Step 1 Apologists
- You know what you never hear in the USMLE Pass/Fail debate? The full-throated defense of USMLE Step 1 as a great test. Here’s your field guide to the various USMLE Step 1 Apologists.
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InCUS: The Conversation Continues
- Preliminary recommendations from InCUS were just released. Unfortunately, they don’t tell us much – and what they do tell us isn’t what I hoped to hear.
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How Much Does Step 1 Mania Cost Medical Schools?
- For one prominent U.S. medical school, it’s $495,000/year. Where does that money go? And more importantly, is it worth it?
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How is the three-digit USMLE score calculated?
- The NBME does not disclose how it generates an examinee’s three-digit USMLE score from the percentage of questions answered correctly. However, I stumbled on a key clue from the psychometric literature that sheds light on how this is done for USMLE Step 2 CK.
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#USMLEPassFail: A Brave New Day
- On February 12, 2020, the USMLE announced that Step 1 would become pass/fail as soon as 2022. After the initial shock wore off, I wrote about where we go from here.
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The Lecture that Never Got To Be
- How can residency program directors make the Match process better – in a post-Step 1 world?
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The Sheriff of Sodium 