The debate about the pros and cons of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 score reporting has been ongoing for over a decade. The issues are complicated and both positive and negative aspects of score reporting can be cited, depending on where you are positioned in the UME-GME continuum. In March of 2019, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), American Medical Association (AMA), the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) convened a multi-stakeholder Invitational Conference on USMLE Scoring (InCUS) to explore issues and concerns regarding the USMLE Step 1 exam and to consider recommendations specific to USMLE score reporting and the broader system of transition from UME to GME. A general consensus emerged: the current UME-GME transition system is flawed and not meeting the needs of stakeholders. As a result of further stakeholder discussions, the USMLE decided that beginning with the administration of Step 1 in 2022, the exam will be scored as pass/fail and no numeric score will be reported. Join IAMSE beginning January 7, 2021, as they present:
USMLE STEP-1 is Going to Pass/Fail
Now what do we do?
In this five-part series beginning Thursday, January 7, 2021, recognized experts from the various stakeholder groups will present and discuss the impact of this decision, identify challenges to their respective programs and explore creative ways to address the consequences of this important medical education milestone. These thought-provoking sessions will include the perspectives of allopathic and osteopathic residency program directors, basic science faculty, undergraduate medical education curriculum designers, clinical educators, and programs that involve international medical students matriculating to the United States.
Sessions in the Winter 2021 series include:
- January 7 at 12pm EST – Mark Jordan and Justin La present “The Challenges of Resident Candidate Assessment and Selection”
- January 14 at 12pm EST – Doug Gould presents “Pass/Fail Step 1: Implications for a Foundational Science Department”
- January 21 at 12pm EST – Jonathan Amiel presents “USMLE Step 1 P/F: A UME Curriculum Dean’s Perspective”
- January 28 at 12pm EST – Brenda Roman and Bruce Morgenstern present “Step 1 Going Pass-Fail: Are We Just Kicking the Can Down the Road?”
- February 4 at 12pm EST – Jack Boulet and Bob Can present “USMLE Step 1: Osteopathic and International Perspectives”
As always, IAMSE Student Members can register for the series for FREE! Email support@iamse.org for more information.