LEARNING RESOURCES:
UNLOCKING ASSESSMENT SERIES
The Unlocking Assessment series helps students and residents learn how a panel of their peers and a team of licensed physicians approach NBME® test questions designed to measure clinical knowledge.
Each episode of the series focuses on a different patient scenario and includes an interactive discussion between medical students, residents and the physicians who play a key role in developing the questions on NBME exams. By watching the group examine the clinical vignette and option set, before discussing how they arrived at the correct answer, you can pick up new strategies as you prepare for your upcoming assessment.
Closed captioning is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. If you have suggestions for other languages for NBME to consider, please send us an email at learningresources@nbme.org.
Neuroanatomy
In this installment of Unlocking Assessment, student panelists alongside Drs. Paniagua and Nori explore a clinical vignette focusing on a patient with a history of poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy who comes to the office because of a “burning” sensation in her feet. Students discuss key elements of the vignette to figure out what a sural nerve biopsy specimen is most likely to show in this patient.
Viewers can also hear from peers about identifying the most relevant details of a question to help select the best answer option. They can learn from Dr. Nori about applying exam questions to communications with patients, and from Dr. Paniagua about how the content of questions is driven by the expected knowledge base of test-takers. Watch episode 5 now.
Acid-Base Physiology
Meet the patient: A 75-year-old woman with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease comes to the office because of shortness of breath and a cough. You'll learn even more about her by reviewing the patient's arterial blood gases and thinking about what's stabilizing her acid-base balance with regards to kidney function.
In addition, Dr. Nori will talk about the guidelines and best practices that are used by test development committees to create plausible answer options for examinees, and Dr. Paniagua will discuss how your peers performed on this test question. Watch the episode now.
Immunology
In this installment of Unlocking Assessment, Drs. Paniagua and Nori explore a clinical vignette focusing on a patient with a history of HIV who presents to the office because of an infection that's unresponsive to antibiotic treatment. Panelists discuss key elements of the vignette to figure out the reason for the patient’s unresolved infection.
Viewers can also hear from peers about situations that require examinees to decide between two likely answer options. They can learn from Dr. Nori about the composition of NBME committees who create test questions, exactly like the one discussed. Watch episode 3 now.
Pediatric Infectious Disease
In the first episode of the second collection of Unlocking Assessment, Miguel Paniagua, MD, and Priya Nori, MD, and student panelists discuss the elements of a vignette that focuses on pediatric infectious disease.
In the first part of the video, student panelists provide their initial thoughts on the mechanism causing the patient’s illness, and later on, they are asked to zero in on the exact diagnosis. Watch now to learn how the students and physicians unlock this NBME test question.
Obstetrics & Gynecology
In this episode of Unlocking Assessment, Tom and Miguel examine a two-part question on obstetrics and gynecology.
Join the student panel as they discuss the most appropriate pharmacotherapy for the patient and then determine the most likely reason for a recurring symptom four days later.
Gastrointestinal System
In the first episode of Unlocking Assessment, Tom and Miguel offer insights into a question on the gastrointestinal system.
Watch now to see if you reach the same diagnosis as the student panel and follow along with their discussion on strategies for approaching the patient scenario.
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