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The relationship between second‐year medical students’ OSCE scores and USMLE Step 2 scores
Author(s) -
Simon Steven R.,
Bui Anh,
Day Shelley,
Berti David,
Volkan Kevin
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of evaluation in clinical practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.737
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1365-2753
pISSN - 1356-1294
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2753.2006.00768.x
Subject(s) - objective structured clinical examination , competence (human resources) , medicine , united states medical licensing examination , medical school , educational measurement , medical education , psychology , curriculum , social psychology , pedagogy
Rationale, aims and objectives A valid tool to measure clinical competency early in medical school could identify students who may require special educational attention. The overall aim is to assess the relationship between students’ scores on an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) given in the second year of medical school and their subsequent performance on Step 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE Step 2). Methods Participants were 390 second‐year medical students participating in a required OSCE; complete data (Medical College Admission Test, OSCE, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 scores) were available for 340 students (87%). Univariate correlations and linear regression analyses were performed. Results Total OSCE score was moderately correlated with USMLE Step 2 score ( r = 0.395, P < 0.001), as were two skills subscores of the OSCE, differential diagnosis ( r = 0.343, P < 0.001) and identification of abnormality ( r = 0.322, P < 0.001). In linear regression analysis, neither OSCE total score nor any of the subscores independently predicted Step 2 scores; only Step 1 score (β = 0.687, P < 0.001) and female sex (β = 0.152, P < 0.001) remained independent correlates of Step 2 score. Conclusion OSCEs early in medical school can be useful in the early assessment of clinical competence.