MEDICAL EDUCATION COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

By engaging directly with representatives from different segments of the medical education community, including students and faculty, we seek to better serve health professionals at every stage of their career.

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How We Work

How We Work

In addition to the Test Development Committees that play a key role in writing NBME exam questions, we collaborate with a number of groups to stay connected and maintain an open dialogue with the medical education community. These include faculty and student advisors, liaisons from medical schools throughout the United States, and international committees.

By actively listening and sharing across this network of representatives, we not only communicate important exam updates, but also collect feedback on how our assessments can be improved to better meet their needs.   

Where We're Engaged

From giving a voice to medical school students, faculty and administrators to providing insight into the challenges faced by health professionals around the world, each of the four groups below are essential in helping NBME better understand the community that we serve.

Download the NBME Committee Directory below to view other groups within the medical education community that collaborate with NBME.

Custom exams

The Advisory Committee for Medical School Programs

The Advisory Committee for Medical School Programs helps NBME improve communication and enhance relationships within the medical education community. It includes representatives from medical schools, academic and medical associations, and student organizations.

In addition to drawing on the knowledge and expertise of faculty representatives to inform the development of our assessments, NBME also collects feedback directly from students on the Advisory Committee to learn how we can better meet their needs. This collaboration has led to the development of new learning resources, including the Unlocking Assessment video series.

Self-assessments

Task Forces for NBME Subject Examinations

NBME collaborates with specialty clerkship societies to identify medical school faculty to participate on our Subject Examination Task Forces. Task force members help NBME align our assessments with national curricular standards, adjust content outlines, develop and review test questions, and facilitate collaborative research with NBME staff. 

These faculty groups ensure that NBME assessments continually reflect national curricular standards for each specialty and communicate important information to their schools. They also collaborate with NBME in developing innovative assessment methods to serve the changing needs of the medical education community.

Global programs

International Collaborators

NBME’s international collaborators represent the global medical education community and include the International Oversight Committee and the International Assessment Institute.

The International Oversight committee comprises a diverse group of international faculty, who advise NBME staff to ensure our global programs align with our vision of improving the quality of health care around the world. The International Assessment Institute is a new collaboration with the University of Minho in Portugal that enables health professionals to apply the latest innovations from medical education and assessment research to the specific challenges faced within their communities.

Workshops

Executive Chief Proctors and Medical School Liaisons

Each medical school appoints an Executive Chief Proctor and a Medical School Liaison, who work closely with NBME to fulfill a number of important roles. In many schools, one faculty member or administrator is appointed to both positions. 

Executive Chief Proctors play a key role in supporting the administration of NBME assessments at their schools, from placing the initial order to ensuring exam security on test day. Medical School Liaisons allow us to connect directly with medical schools and residency programs globally by sharing important information from NBME, such as product updates, with students and faculty. They also collect and share feedback from their school with NBME.