A study compared the performance of six cohorts of family physicians (711 practice-qualified physicians certified in 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1,233 residency-trained physicians certified in 1977, 1978, 1979) recertified in 1977-1991. Results indicate declines in performance on each recertification examination and better performance by…

A study investigated the usefulness of a new ambulatory medicine clerkship design by randomly assigning students to it or to an existing traditional general medicine rotation, then comparing student performance on the licensing examination, a laboratory interpretation test, written work, and a problem-solving exam. Performances were the same…

A discussion of the National Board of Medical Examiners' (NBME) pass-fail grading for Part I and Part II examinations gives background on procedures previously used for setting criterion-based grading standards, gives an overview of research on standard-setting, and outlines NBME plans for determining new standards and incorporating improvements.…

A study compared two methods of rating medical students' performances on history and physical examination: using checklists completed by standardized patients (SPs) and databases completed by students. Results of each method were correlated with ratings of students by three physicians for each SP-student encounter. Results showed checklists…

A study assessed the usefulness of unannounced standardized patients to assess the skills of 284 physicians enrolled in a continuing medical education program in control of sexually transmitted diseases and human immunodeficiency virus. Significant discrepancies were found between physician-reported performance and actual performance, as found in…

A study of 309 African American college students in summer academic enrichment programs at the Medical College of Georgia from 1980-89 found the most significant predictors of medical school admission were the Scholastic Assessment Test math score, summer program grade point average, college grade point average, career aspirations, college type,…

A study of 192 medical students compared parental income, as declared on financial aid statements, and mean scores on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and United States Medical Licensing Examination, by gender and minority/majority status. Results showed significant positive correlations between test scores and parental income for all…

A 1990 survey of 102 directors of internal medical residencies with the largest numbers of foreign-born foreign medical graduates revealed the most important performance predictors were performance on the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination or National Board of Medical Examiners test, interviews, and U.S. postgraduate clinical experience.…

A study of 557 medical students investigated gender and age differences in: undergraduate science and cumulative grade-point averages (GPAs), medical college admission test scores, admissions interview ratings, medical school GPAs, and standardized medical achievement test scores. Dramatic differences were found in pre-admission performance, with…

A multistation clinical examination using standardized patients was used over 4 years to assess the interpersonal skills of 346 fourth year medical students, 51 internal medicine residents, and 71 foreign medical graduates seeking admission to graduate study. Results indicate that a reliable assessment of interpersonal skills can be achieved this…

This study examined academic performance, indebtedness, delayed graduation, and predictors of licensing exam performance of 140 Asian-American and 2,269 white graduates of the Jefferson Medical College (Pennsylvania). Results found that the Medical College Admission Test reading score was the major predictor of later performance for Asian-American…

A study of 12,388 entering medical students investigated the predictive validity of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) by comparing prediction errors for grade point average across racial/ethnic and gender groups. Results show no prediction errors for gender, overprediction of performance for racial/ethnic group, particularly Asians and…

A St. Louis University study compared performances of 602 regular medical students with 52 high-risk but promising students admitted through a special program. Results indicated that, despite some differences in performance, particularly in certain courses and on standardized and licensing exams, the latter group could complete professional degree…

A study of predictors of performance of 123 internal medicine residents at the University of Michigan found the most significant predictors to be internal medicine clerkship grade, honor society status, medical school reputation, and scores on the National Board of Medical Examiners, Part I examination. Results suggest that the intern selection…