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. 2021 Apr 22;13(4):e14636.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.14636.

Medical Community Perspectives Regarding the Egyptian Medical Licensing Exam: A Mixed-Method Study

Asmaa Abdel Nasser  1   2 , Asmaa F Sharif  3   4 , Fatma Alzahraa A Elkhamisy  5 , Hadeer Adel  1 , Ahmed Hussein  6 , Nesrin M Handoka  7 , Amira Farghaly  8   9 , Ahmed K Ali  10 , Enjy Abouzeid  1
Affiliations

Medical Community Perspectives Regarding the Egyptian Medical Licensing Exam: A Mixed-Method Study

Asmaa Abdel Nasser et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Background: Although national licensing examinations (NLEs) may be a costly process, they can predict performance of medical practitioners for many years following graduation. The current licensing requirements do not fulfill this function as there are no clear performance criteria for them. Therefore, new requirements should be developed and announced.

Objective: The study aims to develop a framework for the Egyptian Medical Licensing Exam (EMLE) by exploring the opinions and perceptions of Egyptian health practitioners and medical educators.

Methods: This study is a two-phase exploratory mixed-method study. An online discussion forum was conducted with medical practitioners and educators concerning the development of the EMLE. Then, an online survey was distributed to explore the opinions of medical practitioners and educators about the EMLE.

Results: Fifty medical practitioners and educators participated in the discussion forum about the development of the EMLE, while 266 participants responded to the online survey. The responses of the participants contributed to the development of a framework for the EMLE that is divided into two main sections, the exam logistics and the exam set up. The exam logistics included the exam committee, prerequisites for the exam, the admission criteria and fees, and validity of the license. The exam set up included exam setting, structure, pass marks, and exam retake policy.

Conclusion: The study concluded that medical practitioners and educators could contribute greatly to the planning for the EMLE. Their opinions are based on their experiences and include the timing of the exam, blueprinting, assessment methods, psychometrics and retake.

Keywords: egypt; emle framework; exam logistics; exam set up; national licensing exam.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. A Conceptual Model for the Study Phases
Figure 2
Figure 2. The Framework for the National Licensing Exam
EMLE: Egyptian Medical Licensing Exam
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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