In the world of high-stakes exams, few are more stress-inducing than medical boards. A course developed at Carle Illinois College of Medicine could offer medical educators a blueprint for alleviating medical students’ stress in preparing for high-stakes medical board exams by coupling flexibility and individualized study plans with robust academic and student wellness support.
The Synthesis and Summary Course at CI MED was first implemented in 2020 to target medical student readiness and wellness while preparing for the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) Step 1 Exam. Step 1 is the first board exam taken during medical training, with CI MED students taking the exam immediately before they enter their major clinical year. Course co-designer and Teaching Professor Jaya Yodh, Ph.D., says the team based their design on studies of student experiences during the Step 1 dedicated study period. The result was a course that could serve as a template for other schools to improve students' experience in preparing for Step 1 and other licensure exams.
“This holistically designed course offers combined academic and wellness support for students, while still maintaining sufficient time and flexibility for targeted self-study through online participation,” Yodh explained. “Academic support elements include the Individual Study Plan, which is a course prerequisite, faculty-led interactive review sessions that offer content reviews on basic science disciplines and organ systems, as well as practice sessions and self-study with question banks.”
In the past, scores on the Step 1 exam played an important role in medical residency selection nationwide, resulting in heightened student exam anxiety. The USMLE and its partners have since changed to a pass/fail system, but Yodh says Step 1 is still a major source of stress among medical students.
CI MED’s Student Affairs team plays a key role in delivering the ‘wellness’ support associated with the course, with check-in meetings with staff and student reflection surveys that provide a snapshot of students’ exam preparedness and wellness. “This student-centered approach provides an optimal self-study environment for maximizing student progress, autonomy, flexibility, and well-being,” Yodh said.
CI MED has offered the course four times over the last few years, with a new group starting work in late January. Student feedback on the course has been positive, especially as it relates to the flexibility for students to individualize their preparation experience.
Yodh, along with course co-director and Clinical Sciences Assistant Professor Atif Jaleel, M.D., and CI MED’s Director of Academic Support Rob Wallon, Ph.D., have published a description of the course and their findings in the journal Medical Science Educator.
Improving Student Experiences During USMLE Step 1 "Dedicated Preparation Period" via a Course Designed to Holistically Support Academic and Wellness Needs. Medical Science Educator. 2023 Jun;33(3):653-658. DOI: 10.1007/s40670-023-01791-2. PMID: 375017960