Use of the National Board of Medical Examiners^® Comprehensive Basic Science Exam: survey results of US medical schools

Abstract

PurposeThe National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME) Comprehensive Basic Science Exam (CBSE) is a subject exam offered to US medical schools, where it has been used for external validation of student preparedness for the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE) Step 1 in new schools and schools undergoing curricular reform. Information regarding the actual use of the NBME CBSE is limited. Therefore, the aim of the survey was to determine the scope and utilization of the NBME CBSE by US medical schools.MethodsA survey was sent in May 2016 to curriculum leadership of the 139 US medical schools listed on the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME®) website with provisional or full accreditation as of February 29, 2016. Responses were received from 53 schools (38% response rate). A series of different follow-up questions were asked if respondents stated “yes” or “no” to the initial question “Does your institution administer the NBME CBSE prior to the USMLE Step 1?”.ResultsA total of 37 schools (70%) administered the NBME CBSE. In all, 36 of the 37 schools responded to follow-up questions. Of 36 schools, 13 schools (36%) used the NBME CBSE for curriculum modification. Six schools (17%) used the NBME CBSE for formative assessment for a course, and five schools (14%) used the NBME CBSE for summative assessment for a course. A total of 28 schools (78%) used the NBME CBSE for identifying students performing below expectations and providing targeted intervention strategies. In all, 24 schools (67%) of the 36 responding schools administering the NBME CBSE administered the test once prior to the administration of the USMLE Step 1, whereas 10 (28%) schools administered the NBME CBSE two or more times prior to the administration of the USMLE Step 1.ConclusionOur data suggest that the NBME CBSE is administered by many US medical schools. However, the objective, timing, and number of exams administered vary greatly among schools.

Predicting performance on the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge using results from previous examinations

“…Several investigators have postulated the use of objective data, such as the scores from one or several NBME Basic Science Subject Examinations9 and the performance on NBME Customized Assessment Service questions,10 to identify at-risk students. The NBME Comprehensive Basic Science Examination (CBSE) is administered by many medical schools to identify students performing below expectations11 or to test student progress,12 but more studies regarding its use as predictive tool for success in the USMLE are needed. Furthermore, specific data on this subject in Hispanic or Latino populations are currently scarce in the literature.…”

A national survey: use of the National Board of Medical Examiners® basic science subject exams and Customized Assessment Services exams in US medical schools

“…Survey methods have previously been described 3. Briefly, 139 Liaison Committee on Medical Education® schools with provisional (4 schools) or full (135 schools) accreditation as of February 29, 2016, were identified.…”

“…Survey methods have previously been described. 3 Briefly, 139 Liaison Committee on Medical Education® schools with provisional (4 schools) or full (135 schools) accreditation as of February 29, 2016, were identified. An e-mail message and link to the anonymous survey, hosted at SurveyMonkey®, was sent to the Associate Dean for Curriculum, or equivalent on May 3, 2016.…”

“…As we have previously reported, a National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME®) comprehensive basic science exam (CBSE) is used by US medical schools to identify students performing below expectations;3 however, the NBME® offers basic science subject exams and clinical science subject exams “for the purpose of assessing the educational achievement of individuals in specific subject areas.”4 The program was developed in the 1960s to measure basic and clinical science 5. In an effort to allow programs to develop exams consistent with changing medical school curricula, the NBME® created the Customized Assessment Services (CAS) program in 2007 which allows faculty to create integrated basic science or clinical science subject exams 5…”

Pre-clerkship National Board of Medical Examiners Subject Examinations Versus End-of-Semester Final Examinations: How Well Do They Assess Preparedness for the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1?

“…While the NBME-customized subject examinations and CBSE are relatively common in medical education, the end-of-semester final examinations are not widely used [ 11 ]. Several studies have suggested that cumulative exams could potentially improve a student’s overall learning and retention.…”