Second Collection of Unlocking Assessment Video Series Helps Medical Students With Test Questions on Foundational Science

Posted May 12, 2021
  • Understand how other medical students approach test questions when determining a response
  • Review a real, NBME-created test question 
  • Gain insights from physicians who authored cases and questions
  • Access all episodes on the NBME.org Learning Resources page

Medical students can gain insights from their peers about how to approach real NBME® foundational science test questions by watching a new Unlocking Assessment: Keys to Understanding Test Questions video.

"The Unlocking Assessment series is helpful because it shows multiple points of view from which students can approach questions,” Brittny Dike, a student at Meharry Medical College School of Medicine and a series panelist, said. “Not only does it offer insight into how other students may approach and correctly answer questions, but it also offers students the opportunity to learn from incorrect choices as well.”

Watch the newest episode below and access the complete video series on the NBME.org Learning Resources page. To read more of this story, scroll beyond the video. 

Episode 5: Neuroanatomy

 

The videos provide valuable information for examinees seeking to understand how to best demonstrate their knowledge on NBME exams such as the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®), NBME® Subject Examinations, medical school exams created using the NBME Customized Assessment System, and International Foundations of Medicine® exams.  

This collection features years 1 and 2 medical students interacting with physicians, including NBME Medical Advisor Miguel Paniagua, MD, and Associate Professor of Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine Priya Nori, MD. Each video spotlights an example test question for an interactive discussion about how exam items are created. The videos also illustrate how question authors analyze a clinical scenario when creating content for NBME exams.   

A variety of students from medical schools around the United States appear in each episode. They participate in interactive, decision-making discussions that viewers can learn from. 

Dr. Paniagua believes the video series can serve as an important resource for students as they continue their medical education, as well as for faculty. 

“We realized after the first series that, as physicians, we have an opportunity to relate back to the students and their current journey,” Paniagua said. “We truly ended up running the sessions like ‘attending rounds’ or a ‘problem-based learning’ session.”  

At the beginning of each episode, the student panel is presented with a multiple-choice question previously used in actual assessments. Following students’ discussion about the answer options, Drs. Paniagua and Nori analyze the clinical scenario from the point-of-view of a practicing physician and faculty member. Then, the doctors share skills with the participants on determining the best possible response.  

The series’ small group structure delivers answers to questions frequently asked by medical students about exams and test question development as well as the relevance to education and learning. 

To watch all Unlocking Assessment episodes, visit the Learning Resources page. 

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