Educational and Practical Implications of Step 1 Timing in the Context of COVID-19

Abstract

Events of 2020 have brought significant disruption to the world, as well as to medical student education and assessment [1, 2]. One major area of disruption surrounds the US Medical Licensing Examinations (USMLEs). In February 2020, the Invitational Conference on USMLE Scoring (InCUS) prompted several changes to Step 1, including the change to pass/fail scoring expected in January 2022 [3]. The intention was to reduce the current overemphasis on USMLE performance, while also retaining the use of the exam for its primary purpose of medical licensure eligibility. Shortly after the announcement about the upcoming Step 1 score change, disruption from COVID-19 on medical school curricula, student learning, Step 1

The Neurosurgery Match: COVID-19 Comparison and Bibliometric Analysis

“…One major changed that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic was the announcement that the scoring system for Step 1 will change from being graded to pass/fail, likely due to a goal of decreasing the emphasis put on USMLE scores. 21 While this change did not have an impact on the applicant pool that was analyzed in our study, the change will likely have significant impacts on future applicants. 22 Interestingly, Yu et al 20 found that the differences in Step 2 CK scores between matched and unmatched applicants have diminished over time while research output, work experiences, and letters of recommendation have grown in importance as a differentiator between matched and unmatched neurosurgery applicants.…”