The UMSLE Step 1 exam going pass/fail in 2022 has been a huge change in medical education. In this episode, the OSA's Dr. John Allen talks through how the change has impacted our students at the UMSOM, the OSA's approach to residency and career advising, Step 2 CK prep, and the residency application process in general. This conversation is filled with wisdom to help students survive and thrive throughout med school and the transition to residency.
For more information on Step 1 P/F, check out episodes 54 and 108 of The OSA Insider.
Four years ago, we learned that the USMLE Step 1 exam would become graded on a Pass/Fail basis, rather than each student receiving a 3-digit score. We covered this change in episode 54 of The OSA Insider, featuring an interview with national expert Dr. J. Bryan Carmody. This change went live in January 2022, and we can't help but wonder: where do things stand today? Why did this switch to P/F happen in the first place? Are things better? How are med students feeling about Step 1, anxiety-wise? And how is the UMSOM responding to the current moment? Dr. Nirav Shah and Dr. Devang Patel answer all of these questions and more in their conversation with host Dr. Neda Frayha.
Resources:
UMSOM OME page on USMLE Prep
References:
Change to Pass/Fail Score Reporting for Step 1. United States Medical Licensing Examination. https://www.usmle.org/inCus/ (Accessed 15 Feb 2020)
Carmody JB. #USMLEPassFail: A Brave New Day. The Sheriff of Sodium. https://thesheriffofsodium.com. (Accessed 19 Feb 2020)
Carmody JB. Step 1 Mania: The Case for #USMLEPassFail. 28 April 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-V6dOWxNz0&feature=youtu.be (Accessed 19 Feb 2020)
Carmody JB, Rajasekaran SK. More on the Role of Step 1 of USMLE Step 1 in Resident Selection. Acad Med 2019; 94(7):921. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000002744
Carmody JB. On Residency Selection and the Quantitative Fallacy. J Grad Med Educ 2019; 11(4):420-421. doi: 10.4300/JGME-D-19-00453.
Carmody JB, Sarkany D, Heitkamp DE. The USMLE Step 1 Pass/Fail Reporting Proposal: Another View. Acad Radiol 2019; 26(10):1403-1406.
Carmody JB, Rajasekaran SK. On Step 1 Mania, USMLE Score Reporting, and Financial Conflict of Interest at the National Board of Medical Examiners. Acad Med 2019 Dec 17. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000003126. [Epub ahead of print]
People talk a lot about Step 1. But we don't always talk candidly about what happens when a student gets a disappointing score. In this episode, we do just that. Dr. Katy Eslami shares her USMLE Step 1 story, including the ways she moved past her test score (and the ways she's still working on it), how she talked about her score in residency interviews, and what she'd do differently now if given the chance.
Back in episode 4, we broke down the USMLE Step 1 exam and discussed resources and test-taking strategies with our school’s Academic Support Coordinator. For this episode, we sit down with Katie Mistretta, a current student who did wonderfully on the test. Her advice is positive and bright and funny, and also very real. Find out how how to stay sane and healthy throughout the weeks leading up to the exam, and some helpful strategies for game day itself.
Studying for (and taking) Step 1 can be one of the most stressful times in a medical student's life. Plus, there is so much information out there on how to prepare for this major exam. Sometimes, it's hard to know where to begin. In this episode, we break down the test and how to conquer it with Ms. Jennifer Llewellyn, Academic Support Coordinator at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She shares resources, tips, and strategies to make this chapter of med school a successful one.