Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36352441›Full record

ArticleBMC medical education2022

Development of an assessment technique for basic science retention using the NBME subject exam data.

Alexandra R Matus, Lyndsey N Matus, Adam Hiltz, Tian Chen, Bhavneep Kaur, Pamela Brewster, Zhen Sun, Deepa Mukundan, Lori M DeShetler, Jeremy J Laukka and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical education, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Alexandra R Matus *Department of Medical Education, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA.
Lyndsey N Matus *Department of Medical Education, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA.
Adam Hiltz *Department of Medical Education, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA.
Tian ChenDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA.
Bhavneep KaurDepartment of Medical Education, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA.
Pamela BrewsterDepartment of Medicine, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA.
Zhen SunDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA.
Deepa MukundanDepartment of Pediatrics, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA.
Lori M DeShetlerDepartment of Medical Education, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA.
Jeremy J LaukkaDepartment of Medical Education, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA. Jeremy.Laukka@utoledo.edu.
Bindu MenonDepartment of Medical Education, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA. Bindu.Menon@utoledo.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionOne of the challenges in medical education is effectively assessing basic science knowledge retention. National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) clerkship subject exam performance is reflective of the basic science knowledge accrued during preclinical education. The aim of this study was to determine if students' retention of basic science knowledge during the clerkship years can be analyzed using a cognitive diagnostic assessment (CDA) of the NBME subject exam data.

methodsWe acquired a customized NBME item analysis report of our institution's pediatric clerkship subject exams for the period of 2017-2020 and developed a question-by-content Q-matrix by identifying skills necessary to master content. As a pilot study, students' content mastery in 12 major basic science content areas was analyzed using a CDA model called DINA (deterministic input, noisy "and" gate).

resultsThe results allowed us to identify strong and weak basic science content areas for students in the pediatric clerkship. For example: "Reproductive systems" and "Skin and subcutaneous tissue" showed a student mastery of 83.8 ± 2.2% and 60.7 ± 3.2%, respectively.

conclusionsOur pilot study demonstrates how this new technique can be applicable in quantitatively measuring students' basic science knowledge retention during any clerkship. Combined data from all the clerkships will allow comparisons of specific content areas and identification of individual variations between different clerkships. In addition, the same technique can be used to analyze internal assessments thereby creating an opportunity for the longitudinal tracking of student performances. Detailed analyses like this can guide specific curricular changes and drive continuous quality improvement in the undergraduate medical school curriculum.

Indexed as

Clinical ClerkshipEducation, Medical, UndergraduateStudents, MedicalChildClinical CompetenceCoroners and Medical ExaminersCurriculumEducational MeasurementHumansPilot ProjectsBasic science knowledge retentionFoundational sciencesQuantitative analysis of assessmentsSubject examUndergraduate Medical Education (UME)

Identifiers

PMID36352441
PMCPMC9647915

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.