Brandon & Stephanie engage in a discussion on the Step 2 Clinical Skills Examination controversy with three special guests: Dr. Hillary Johnson a dermatologist from University of Iowa, Dr. Deland Weyrauch a resident physician at Yale University, and James Price a medical student from the Medical College of Wisconsin.

They discuss the history of the exam, the layout of the exam, pros and cons of the test, vast amounts of evidence regarding the test and student/patient outcomes along , the organizations and people behind the test, steps beyond state medical association for change, their opinion based on the evidence on a national  standardized skills exam in medical education, and much more!

United States Medical Licensing Examination Website: https://www.usmle.org/ 

Federation of State Medical Boards Website: http://www.fsmb.org/ 

National Board of Medical Examiners  Website: https://www.nbme.org/ 

AMA Council of Medical Education: https://www.ama-assn.org/about-council-medical-education 

American Medical Association Website: https://www.ama-assn.org/ 

Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education Website: http://www.accme.org/ 

References:

Archer J, Lynn N, Coombes L, et al. “The impact of large scale licensing examinations in highly developed countries: a systematic review”. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27543269 

Burdick et. al. ” Can We Increase the Value & Decrease the Cost of Clinical Skills Assessment” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28834846 

Winward et. al. “The Relationship between communication scores from the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills examination and communication ratings for first-year internal medicine residents”. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23524927 

Cuddy et. al. “Evaluating Validity Evidence for USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills Data Gathering and Data Interpretation Scores: Does Performance Predict History-Taking and Physical Examination Ratings for First-Year Internal Medicine Residents?”. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26397703 

Lehman and Guercio “The Step 2 Clinical Skills Exam: A Poor Value Proposition”. https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMp1213760?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%3Dwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 

Guest Contact Information: 

Hillary’s Email: hillary-johnson@uiowa.edu 

Deland’s Email: deland.weyrauch@yale.edu 

James’s Email: jsprice@mcw.edu

Hilary’s Biography:

Dr. Johnson received a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology with Highest Honors at the University of Iowa and then completed her medical education and doctorate in immunology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. After her research on the molecular pathways immune cells use to fight cancer, Dr. Johnson decided to focus on patients with a high risk of developing skin cancer. Following an internship in internal medicine in Boston and training in dermatology at the New York University School of Medicine, she completed a two-year fellowship in Mohs micrographic surgery and procedural dermatology at the Columbia University School of Physicians and Surgeons/New York-Presbyterian Hospital. While in training, she initiated one of the first research projects assessing patient safety and quality of care in the field of dermatology. Dr. Johnson’s collective research interests in cutaneous oncology, surgical reconstruction, and patient safety continue to grow. She is a published author of several peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, and is a frequent lecturer at universities and national meetings of multiple medical specialty associations.

Deland’s Biography: 

Deland Weyrauch is a pathology resident at Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, CT. He received his Doctorate of Medicine from University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND. He is from Ray, ND. Deland was successful in passing a resolution through the North Dakota Medical Association to advocate for the elimination of the USMLE Step 2 CS from state licensure requirements for physicians.  

Jame’s Biography:

James Price is a 4th year medical student at Medical College of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He discovered an immediate interest in health care policy upon starting medical school and has been an active member of the American Medical Association-Medical Student Section, the Wisconsin Medical Society, and the Benjamin Rush Institute. His career goals include increasing access to health care and prioritizing preventative health. He plans to practice Psychiatry and advocate for increased child and adolescent mental health resources