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The OSA Insider

A podcast about medical student life and the journey to becoming a physician. Featuring survival tips, wellness strategies, the inside scoop on major milestones, and interviews with inspirational faculty members, residents, and students. Join host Dr. Neda Frayha and find out what doctors wish they knew when they were in medical school. From the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Office of Student Affairs.
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Now displaying: Category: Step 1
Jul 25, 2024

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. 

Feb 25, 2024

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:

Feb 20, 2020
On February 12, 2020, we learned that the USMLE Step 1 exam is going pass/fail in 2022. What does this mean? How will this affect medical students? How will residency program directors evaluate applicants? How should medical schools approach their curricula? Our own Dr. Neda Frayha sat down with Dr. J. Bryan Carmody, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Eastern Virginia Medical School and a pediatric nephrologist at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, VA, to ask these questions about #USMLEPassFail and many others. Dr. Carmody is a leading voice on this subject nationwide; you can find him on Twitter and via his blog, The Sheriff of Sodium.
 

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] 

Aug 8, 2019

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. 

May 2, 2017

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. 

Mar 21, 2017

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. 

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