Medical student non-modifiable risk factors and USMLE Step 1 exam score
Med Educ Online. 2024 Dec 31;29(1):2327818. doi: 10.1080/10872981.2024.2327818. Epub 2024 Mar 13.ABSTRACTFor diversity to exist in the medical graduate workforce, students from all backgrounds should have equitable opportunities of employment. Specialties have utilized a minimal threshold for USMLE Step 1 score when screening applicants for residency interviews. The OHSU SOM class of 2021 completed a 14-question voluntary survey on their Step 1 score and the following non-modifiable risk factors: Adverse Childhood Experience score (ACEs), sex, gender, Underrepresented in Medicine status (URiM), family income during adolesc...
Source: Medical Education Online - March 14, 2024 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Jenna M Davison Margot B Taylor Tracy N Bumsted Source Type: research

Evaluating Urology Program Directors' Perception on Resident Application Parameters Following the Transition of USMLE Step 1 to Pass/Fail
To investigate how the shift of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 to a Pass/Fail (P/F) scoring system impacts the perceptions of Urology Program Directors (PDs) on evaluating urology residency applicants. (Source: Urology)
Source: Urology - March 14, 2024 Category: Urology & Nephrology Authors: Soorya Rajendran, Om U. Patel, Will Haynes, Ishant Yadav, Kaitlin Burge, Nicholas Van Wagoner, Adam Baumgarten Source Type: research

Optimization of a standardized letter of recommendation for faculty who wish to support candidates applying to surgical training programs
Letters of recommendation (LORs) play an important role in applicant selection for graduate medical education programs. LORs may be of increasing importance in the evaluation of applicants given the recent change of the USMLE Step 1 to pass/fail scoring and the relative lack of other objective measures by which to differentiate and stratify applicants. Narrative letters of recommendation (NLORs), although widely used, have certain limitations, namely variability in interpretation, introduction of gender/race bias, and performance inflation. (Source: American Journal of Surgery)
Source: American Journal of Surgery - March 8, 2024 Category: Surgery Authors: Clare Zipf-Sigler, Alisha L. Nguyen, Amber Huang, Ryan De Leon, Shannon Helbling, Eliza B. Littleton, Anjali S. Kumar Tags: Review Article Source Type: research

Commentary on Effect of USMLE Score Cutoffs on Recruitment of Underrepresented Applicants in the Urology Match by Kaldany et al.
In the labyrinthine world of medical education, pathways to success are often delineated by standardized test scores. Kaldany et al. focus on USMLE scores as a litmus test for applicants matching into Urology. This single institution study delves into the numbers game, concluding that USMLE score cutoffs may disadvantage underrepresented minority (URM) applicants, and subsequently proposes that a Pass/Fail system may enhance diversity to address disparities in urology residency admissions. One must also realize the inherent unconscious bias lurking in the shadows. (Source: Urology)
Source: Urology - February 27, 2024 Category: Urology & Nephrology Authors: Pamela W Coleman Source Type: research

Effect of USMLE Score Cutoffs on Recruitment of Underrepresented Applicants in the Urology Match
To determine how the use of United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) score cutoffs during the screening process of the Urology Residency Match Program may affect recruitment of applicants who are underrepresented in medicine (URM). (Source: Urology)
Source: Urology - February 9, 2024 Category: Urology & Nephrology Authors: Alain Kaldany, Hiren V. Patel, Aditi Gore, Haris Ahmed, Saum Ghodoussipour, Ji Hae Park, Danielle Velez Leitner, Thomas L. Jang Source Type: research

Effect of United States Medical Licensing Examination Score Cutoffs on Recruitment of Underrepresented Applicants in the Urology Match
To determine how the use of United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) score cutoffs during the screening process of the Urology Residency Match Program may affect recruitment of applicants who are underrepresented in medicine (URM). (Source: Urology)
Source: Urology - February 9, 2024 Category: Urology & Nephrology Authors: Alain Kaldany, Hiren V. Patel, Aditi Gore, Haris Ahmed, Saum Ghodoussipour, Ji Hae Park, Danielle Velez Leitner, Thomas L. Jang Tags: Education Source Type: research

A Novel USMLE ® Step 1 Based Approach to Introducing Radiation Oncology to Second-Year Preclinical Medical Students
We present a novel approach to implementing an introductory RO didactic lecture to second-year medical students by interweaving associated oncological and ionizing radiation content represented on the United States Medical Licensing Exam ® (USMLE®) Step 1 examination. Students had synchronous and asynchronous opportunities to engage with the 1.0-h didactic lecture administered by an attending Radiation Oncologist faculty member. Students were electronically invited to anonymously rank the effectiveness of the lecture materials on a 5-point Likert scale. Performance on standardized board-style questions regarding radiatio...
Source: Journal of Cancer Education - December 12, 2023 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research

Child Neurology and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Program Directors ’ Opinions on Preference Signaling in the 2023-2024 NRMP Match: A Survey
Major changes in the residency match process occurred as a result of or concurrent with the COVID-19 pandemic. Most importantly traditional in-person interviews were replaced by virtual interviews1,2. The United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 2 Clinical Skills exam was also discontinued by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) because of the pandemic. Occurring just prior to the pandemic in the US was the decision to convert the USMLE Step 1 quantitative scoring system to pass-fail3,4. (Source: Pediatric Neurology)
Source: Pediatric Neurology - December 5, 2023 Category: Neurology Authors: Quinton Mandle, Margie Ream Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Perceived Barriers to Career Advancement: Medical Students and Resident Physicians
CONCLUSIONS: The lack of a home program was an important barrier to pursuing a specialty or fellowship of choice for both medical students and resident physicians, respectively, and may have been heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(11):e17-e20    doi:10.36849/JDD.7005e.PMID:37943261 | DOI:10.36849/JDD.7005 (Source: Journal of Drugs in Dermatology)
Source: Journal of Drugs in Dermatology - November 9, 2023 Category: Dermatology Source Type: research