The Relationship between NBME Subject Examination Scheduling and Performance on NBME Subject Examinations and USMLE Step 2

The purpose of this research is to determine the relationship between the scheduling of National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) subject examinations and performance on NBME subject examinations and performance on the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 2 Clinical Knowledge examination. Historically, the University of Mississippi School of Medicine administered all NBME subject examinations to the subjects of this research (medical students) at the end of the third year of the medical curriculum, just before the comprehensive USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge examination. Due in part to grading and accreditation concerns, the NBME subject examinations were moved in a phased fashion from the end of the third year to the end of the clerkship associated with each NBME subject examination. This change in scheduling was intended to allow for more timely final clerkship grading and better knowledge retention, but the results of the scheduling change needed to be carefully studied to ensure that there is no negative impact on student performance on either examination.;In this research, performance on these examinations was analyzed using a hierarchical multiple regression to determine the relationship between the scheduling of the NBME subject examinations and performance on NBME subject examinations and performance on the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge examination.;The statistical analysis showed that there is no significant relationship between NBME subject examination scheduling and performance on the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge examination. Also, the statistical analysis showed that there was a significant relationship between NBME subject examination scheduling and performance on the NBME subject examinations in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Surgery. There was no significant relationship between NBME subject examination scheduling and performance on the NBME subject examinations in Ob-Gyn and Psychiatry.;This research added to the base of knowledge in which there is currently a gap regarding the specific effect of scheduling of the NBME subject examinations on the performance on both types of examinations. This research is particularly valuable considering that these high stakes examinations are used in calculating final clerkship grades, as a requirement for promotion, as a requirement for graduation, and by residency program directors when evaluating residency applicants.;The conclusion of this research is that NBME subject examination scheduling does not significantly affect performance on the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge examination, and only affects performance on some NBME subject examinations.