Ophthalmology Program Director Perspectives of Scoring Step 1 Pass/Fail

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

article

Saif A. Hamdan¹  Alan T. Makhoul¹  Brian C. Drolet²  Jennifer L. Lindsey⁴  Janice C. Law⁵ 

[1] Vanderbilt University School of Medicine;Department of Plastic Surgery, Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society, Vanderbilt University Medical Center;Department of Biomedical Informatics, Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society, Vanderbilt University Medical Center;Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center;Division of Retina, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

关键词: medical education;    residency selection;    SF match;    match process;    USMLE;    Step 1;    program directors;   

DOI  :  10.1055/s-0040-1718568

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Thieme

【 摘 要 】

Background Scoring for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 was recently announced to be reported as binary as early as 2022. The general perception among program directors (PDs) in all specialties has largely been negative, but the perspective within ophthalmology remains uncharacterized.Objective This article characterizes ophthalmology residency PDs' perspectives regarding the impact of pass/fail USMLE Step 1 scoring on the residency application process.Methods A validated 19-item anonymous survey was electronically distributed to 111 PDs of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited ophthalmology training programs.Results Fifty-six PDs (50.5%) completed the survey. The median age of respondents was 48 years and the majority were male (71.4%); the average tenure as PD was 7.1 years. Only 6 (10.7%) PDs reported the change of the USMLE Step 1 to pass/fail was a good idea. Most PDs (92.9%) indicated that this will make it more difficult to objectively compare applicants, and many (69.6%) did not agree that the change would improve medical student well-being. The majority (82.1%) indicated that there will be an increased emphasis on Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) scores, and many (70.4%) felt that medical school reputation will be more important in application decisions.Conclusion Most ophthalmology PDs who responded to the survey do not support binary Step 1 scoring. Many raised concerns regarding shifted overemphasis on Step 2 CK, uncertain impact on student well-being, and potential to disadvantage certain groups of medical students including international medical graduates. These concerns highlight the need for reform in the ophthalmology application process.

【 授权许可】

CC BY|CC BY-NC-ND