This is one school’s experience with NBME assessments. Results or outcomes may vary and depend on factors beyond NBME’s control, such as student participation, individual study habits, faculty support and engagement, and/or variations in curriculum, among other things.
Through its needs assessment, Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG) School of Medicine identified opportunities to strengthen assessment quality, faculty development, and alignment between curricular assessments and USMLE® content expectations. To address these needs, the school collaborated with NBME to provide Item-Writing Workshops for approximately 95% of faculty members, including newly appointed faculty. The training focused on evidence-based item-writing principles, item analysis, and strategies for developing high-quality assessment items. Areas of emphasis included improving the construction of distractors, enhancing assessment quality, and supporting greater consistency across examinations.
Following the workshops, UAG implemented several enhancements to its assessment program, including revisions to examination formats, expanded faculty development efforts, additional student preparation resources, and increased use of problem-based learning (PBL) to promote clinical reasoning and critical thinking. Faculty also worked to strengthen alignment between course assessments and USMLE content expectations while refining assessment practices across the curriculum.
These efforts reflect UAG's commitment to educational quality and continuous improvement. The institution regularly reviews curriculum, student learning, and academic programs to support ongoing growth and development.
I am pleased about how the UAG medical education initiative on assessment strengthening has been shaped in the last three years. Together with enhancing student success strategies, it has paved the way for better outcomes on student success rates. I am grateful to have worked directly with NBME and I am so thankful for their ongoing assistance.
Kashif Ahmad, MD, MSc, MS, PhD Dean UAG School of Medicine
I was given the faculty development initiative in 2023 and was assigned the task of working with NBME to offer Item-Writing Workshops. These have been exceptionally helpful. We realized how much NBME has to offer in the process, and we will continue using its excellent resources.
Ennid Duran, MD, MPH, MHA, Director of Curricular and Faculty Affairs
The NBME training has had a direct impact on our curriculum by helping us create assessments that are better aligned with national standards and that promote deeper learning among our students.
Rodrigo Vivar, MD, MBA, Director of Block 9 and 10 (Semester 4)
NBME Portfolio Parts Used
- Item Writing Workshop: UAG collaborated with NBME to provide faculty development focused on item writing principles, assessment quality, and examination design. Faculty participants received training in best practices for creating and evaluating assessment items, supporting greater consistency and alignment across the curriculum.
- Faculty Development: NBME supports medical schools through a variety of faculty development opportunities designed to strengthen assessment expertise and educational practices. In addition to Item-Writing Workshops, they include assessment-focused training, educational resources, and complimentary learning courses through NBME Academy.
Supporting Data
- Article: Abdulghani, H. M., et al. (2015). Faculty development programs improve the quality of multiple-choice question item writing. Scientific Reports, 5, Article 9556. https://www.nature.com/articles/srep09556
- Article: Naeem, N., van der Vleuten, C., & Alfaris, E. A. (2012). Faculty development on item writing substantially improves item quality. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 17(3), 369–376. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21837548/
- Article: Downing, S. M. (2005). The effects of violating standard item writing principles on tests and students: The consequences of using flawed test items on achievement examinations in medical education. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 10(2), 133–143. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16078098/
- NBME Academy Course: Using Item Analysis Results to Improve Assessment Quality
- Best Practices: NBME Item Writing Guide
- NBME Speakers Bureau
More to Discover
Join our educator community, explore assessment research fellowship opportunities, and see how your peers are innovating assessment best practices.
