Strategies to stop Step 2 Clinical Exam

[gtb]

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This week I realized how little money I have, and considered how many meals I'll have to miss as a result of paying for both the fee and the travel to take Step 2 clinical exam component. And I began considering ways to prevent this from happening. One strategy I thought of was a lawsuit against NBME claiming something along the lines of "Undo financial hardship," since they have yet arrived at a way to administer the exam in a financially equitible way to all students. Another strategy might be, "Unfair advantage." By this I mean, the medical students attending the schools located at the testing sites will not be taxed with the additional stress of travel before taking the exam. They will not have their sleep cycles disrupted by travel and theoretically they will perform better on the exam vs. those required to travel. As I understand it, there is no method of scaling the exam scores based on whether one had to travel or not. So, my argument is that everybody who travels is at risk of scoring lower than those who do not travel. Lower scores potentially equate to more difficulty matching in competitive residencies.

Am I just getting pissy in the middle of 3rd year or are other people getting nervous about the extra cost of the exam?

G

 

[gtb]

So, is everybody else out there OK with paying the extra $ for travel and the extra fee for the test? Nobody else is worried about the unfair advantage for those students living at the testing sites? What about the inherent disadvantage that IMG's have if English is not their primary language?

G

 

[Teufelhunden]

It's total bullsh|t...but what can you do?

 

[Wednesday]

The test is pass/fail, so I don't think your "lower scoring travellers" argument is going to work. As far as the English speaking thing, that's actually part of the test. They want to make sure that doctors can speak English before they move on. All IMGs are required (and have been for a while) to take this type of clinical skills test in order to get lisenced in the US.

I think we just have to suck it up (at least for now, perhaps in the future it will improve, and hey, petitions to the NBME might help students in the future, but probably not us). What I would do is make sure your school is preparing you to pass the test the first time around so you don't have to take it (and pay for it) twice.

 

[gtb]

Yeah I forgot about the pass/fail grading. Even so, there still exists a disadvantage for those traveling than those residing at a testing site. Certainly that issue will not be resolved until statistics are compiled from a few years of testing. It's the money that has me frustrated. The money and the lack of wide scale testing of the test. Maybe I'd be less frustrated if they required testing for class 2005, but did not charge us to validate their exam. In other words, I'm mad that we are all paying to help NBME refine their testing procedure, their testing centers, and their test. How screwed up is this? I honestly think they should pay us to solidify their newest money making venture? It's all about the money (and the hassle). For them it's making money, for me it's spending money I just don't have.

 

[Jalby]

Having just come from the AMA_MSS meeting, here are some updates. They are having a hard time setting up the three sites they promised for the first test, so they might ask the schools and residencies not to require it.

As the the original questions, here are some stratagies being employed: Ask the med schools and the residencies not to require the CS Exam for graduation/enrollment into residencies.

Prove that the test will disporpotionally hurt minorities after it is in effect, then sue.