BACKGROUND: To examine the effects of (1) examinee gender on United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 performance, (2) examinee gender on the relationships between prematriculation measures and Step 1 performance, and (3) medical school characteristics on the relationships between examinee characteristics and Step 1 performance. METHOD: A series of hierarchical linear models (examinees-nested-in-schools) was conducted predicting Step 1 scores. The sample included 66,412 examinees from 133 U.S. Liaison Committee on Medical Education-accredited medical schools/campuses. RESULTS: Controlling for prematriculation measures, men outperformed women slightly on Step 1. Undergraduate science grade point averages were more associated with Step 1 performance for women than men. Schools with higher mean Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) science scores had higher mean Step 1 scores, and MCAT science scores were slightly more associated with Step 1 performance for students from schools with higher percentages of female students. CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of gender-related performance differences on Step 1 generally mirrored those reported in earlier research. School-level variables provided some additional insight into these relationships, but additional research is needed to fully understand why men and women perform differently on the USMLE.
BACKGROUND: To examine the effects of (1) examinee gender on United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 performance, (2) examinee gender on the relationships between prematriculation measures and Step 1 performance, and (3) medical school characteristics on the relationships between examinee characteristics and Step 1 performance. METHOD: A series of hierarchical linear models (examinees-nested-in-schools) was conducted predicting Step 1 scores. The sample included 66,412 examinees from 133 U.S. Liaison Committee on Medical Education-accredited medical schools/campuses. RESULTS: Controlling for prematriculation measures, men outperformed women slightly on Step 1. Undergraduate science grade point averages were more associated with Step 1 performance for women than men. Schools with higher mean Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) science scores had higher mean Step 1 scores, and MCAT science scores were slightly more associated with Step 1 performance for students from schools with higher percentages of female students. CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of gender-related performance differences on Step 1 generally mirrored those reported in earlier research. School-level variables provided some additional insight into these relationships, but additional research is needed to fully understand why men and women perform differently on the USMLE.
Authors: Marion Luschin-Ebengreuth; Hans P Dimai; Daniel Ithaler; Heide M Neges; Gilbert Reibnegger Journal: Wien Klin Wochenschr Date: 2015-12-10 Impact factor: 1.704
Authors: Dorothy A Andriole; Donna B Jeffe; Heather L Hageman; Kimberly Ephgrave; Monica L Lypson; Brian Mavis; Leon McDougle; Nicole K Roberts Journal: Acad Med Date: 2010-07 Impact factor: 6.893
Authors: Petra M Casey; Brian A Palmer; Geoffrey B Thompson; Torrey A Laack; Matthew R Thomas; Martha F Hartz; Jani R Jensen; Benjamin J Sandefur; Julie E Hammack; Jerry W Swanson; Robert D Sheeler; Joseph P Grande Journal: BMC Med Educ Date: 2016-04-27 Impact factor: 2.463