Do Resources and Study Strategies That Medical Students Use to Prepare for National Board of Medical Examiners Subject Examinations Predict Their Actual Scores?

• In Event: 63.084 - Roundtable Session 22
  In Roundtable Session: 63.084-20 - Division I Roundtable B: Use of Exams for Education in the Professions

Abstract

This study investigated medical students’ study strategies and resource usage when preparing for NBME subject exams and the predictive effects on actual scores. Sixty participants from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine were surveyed for Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, OB/GYN, Surgery, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Behavioral Science. The UWorld, assigned non-assigned texts, and lecture materials were consistently used across clerkships and were generally rated as helpful. Other resources were selectively used. The most common study strategies were individual study, question-answer practice sessions, repetition, and mnemonics. Peer teaching and peer quizzing were moderately used while concept-mapping and pictorial representation were least used. Responses were linked to actual NBME subject exam scores to determine which resources and strategies predicted higher scores.

Authors

• Angellar Manguvo, University of Missouri

• Jennifer Quaintance, University of Missouri - Kansas City

• Stefanie Ellison, University of Missouri - Kansas City

• Megan Litzau, University of Missouri - Kansas City