Contact Information:
International Programs
215.590.9296
Internationalprograms@nbme.org
In the fall of 2004, NBME entered into agreement with the Medical Council of Canada for provision of psychometric consultation services. The initial purpose of this contract was to provide psychometric oversight of its operational and developmental programs during the sabbatical of their Director of Evaluations. Due to the success of this initial phase, the scope of this work was expanded to include continued review of examination results and the Dean’s bi-annual report. Negotiations are underway to define further collaborative activities.
Collaborative work with the University of Panamá began in 2002 and continues today. An initial pilot examination was administered to the graduating class of the University’s medical school. This successful pilot project led to the creation of the Residency Selection Process Examination (RSPE) in Spanish. The RSPE became mandatory during 2003 for all medical graduates seeking residency placement in Panamá. It has been administered annually since the initial administration in January 2003.
The following year, the Panamanian government passed a law requiring all medical graduates to pass an independent examination as part of the requirements to obtain an initial license to practice medicine. NBME staff members actively collaborated with the Panamanian exam committee on all phases of the examination process from developing the examination blueprints to identifying an item selection process to training proctors for the exam administration. Administration is twice annually.
In October 2005 the first high-stakes examination for licensure to practice medicine in Panamá was administered to 202 candidates. Subsequent administrations and the standard setting exercise were canceled. NBME psychometric staff were to conduct a standard-setting exercise in Panamá to assist the Examination Oversight Committee in setting a standard for this new certification examination, following the second administration. Consequently, the office of the Minister of Health suspended the legislation and has not indicated a desire to reinstate the exam.
There have been a variety of discussions with representatives of the various Royal Colleges. The Federation of Royal Colleges of Physicians (RCP) in London entered into agreement with the NBME for provision of psychometric consulting services. Work on this project continued throughout 2006.
The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) has extended the item-sharing project in operation since May, 2003. The purpose of the project was to allow RCPI to select and use NBME pool items in their examinations assessing a candidate’s knowledge and understanding of the basic sciences relevant to medical practice and of the common or important disorders for entry into specialty training in Ireland.
The NBME has also entered into agreement with the Royal College of Radiologists for the provision of psychometric consultation services including standard setting exercises. Additional services such as item-writing workshops and consultation services related to the development of exam blueprints and the test development process were also provided.
The NBME entered into a large scale two-year pilot program in Italy in which an Italian comprehensive multiple choice examination was constructed from NBME item banks according to an examination design determined by faculty at the collaborating schools: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Gemelli Hospital), Universitá degli studi di Bologna, Università Degli studi di Ferrara, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Universitá degli studi di Milano, and Università degli Studi di Parma.
The exam items were first translated into Italian and subsequently reviewed by representatives from each of the collaborating universities. Students have also been provided with a purpose statement and sample questions, all in Italian. The first administration of this exam took place in the spring 2007.
Through this pilot study, the NBME hopes to gain further experience working in the European educational culture, and to determine if the patient-centered MCQ format used in North America can be used in Europe. The results of this pilot project will be considered to identify the potential market for NBME services with other European universities and governments.
The NBME, with the support of the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER), and in collaboration with the National Medical Evaluation Centre (NMEC) of China, developed a fellowship program that allows Chinese scholars to be exposed to an array of assessment activities through visits to the NBME headquarters in Philadelphia. Because of the interest in assessment of clinical skills, the most recent fellow participated in a faculty development workshop on clinical skills and worked closely with staff members at the Clinical Skills Evaluation Collaboration (CSEC) to become familiar with case development procedures, quality assurance processes, and scoring procedures.
In late August 2006, several NBME staff members were invited to participate in the NMEC’s annual conference in Chengdu, China. The plenary sessions focused on a range of medical education and measurement topics. NMEC leadership presented a five-year collaborative plan which included an increased level of consultation from NBME, extension of the fellowship program and expressed interest in exploring the NBME’s computer-based testing expertise.
Staff members from the International Collaborations unit and FAIMER have begun collaborative efforts that will support and advance the missions of both organizations. NBME and ECFMG have in common the mission of protecting and enhancing the health of the public. NBME achieves this mission by supporting educational programs through the development and delivery of high quality assessment tools for use by the health care professions. ECFMG attains it through FAIMER, which focuses on improving international medical education through faculty development and research. Given these complimentary missions, the purpose of this agreement is to formalize the productive and cooperative relationship between NBME and ECFMG/FAIMER around international medical education.
The NBME is currently exploring opportunities in Mexico for pilot testing of various products. Several NBME staff members were invited to the National Conference on Medical Education in Puebla, Mexico to participate in a symposium panel on certification of doctors as well as offer item-writing workshops to attendees.