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. 2024 May 22;34(4):807-814.
doi: 10.1007/s40670-024-02072-2. eCollection 2024 Aug.

Many Paths to the Summit: Survey of Step 1 Study Methods with Pass/Fail Scoring

JiCi Wang  1 , Mary E Crumbley  1 , Santosh Nori  1 , Luca Borah  1 , Elizabeth Holman  1 , Seetha U Monrad  1
Affiliations

Many Paths to the Summit: Survey of Step 1 Study Methods with Pass/Fail Scoring

JiCi Wang et al. Med Sci Educ. .

Abstract

Introduction: After the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) shifted the Step 1 licensure exam to pass/fail, there have been limited studies to analyze changes in student study strategies.

Material and methods: Surveys were distributed to third- and fourth-year medical students at the University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS). The response rate was 66%.

Results: The largest proportion (18.81%) of students chose 8 weeks of study time. 40.59% of students increased the length of their study period. To determine time allocated for dedicated study, 37.26% of respondents consulted near-peers who had already taken Step 1. Students also considered prior experiences with standardized tests (15.57%), personal reasons (14.62%), and conversations with school advisors (13.21%). 44.55% of students studied for 9-11 h a day, and 42.57% studied for 5-8 h a day. 52.69% of students scored between 70 and 80% on their final practice NBME test before their Step 1 exam. One hundred percent of respondents passed the exam. Exam non-extenders achieved higher end average practice test scores with shorter study periods. No differences in Step 1 study time or intensity were found when comparing students by intended specialty competitiveness.

Conclusion: Our results demonstrated patterns in study strategies for the new pass/fail Step 1 exam that may prove useful for curriculum design and schedule plan for future cohorts.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-024-02072-2.

Keywords: Medical school; NBME; Standardized testing; USMLE Step 1.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing InterestsThe authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Overview of dedicated study time. a Dedicated study time in weeks. b Dedicated study time in hours per day. c Changes in Step 1 study period duration
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Amount of resources completed (%)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Range of percent correct for final NBME practice test prior to Step 1 exam
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
a Distribution of respondent specialty interest. b Distribution of respondent degree path
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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