IMPACT OF THE USMLE STEP-1 ON TEACHING AND LEARNING OF THE BASIC BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

Medical licensure in the United States is in transition. In June 1991, the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) made major modifications in the content, format, pass/fail standards, and score reports of the NBME Part I examination. This year, Part I became Step 1, the first of three components of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), which will shortly be the sole examination pathway to initial licensure for allopathic physicians. This essay describes Step 1, reviews the phase-in plans for the USMLE, and discusses the potential impact of both on medical schools' teaching and students' learning of the basic biomedical sciences. The authors recommend that medical schools (1) abandon the use of Step 1 as a sole criterion for student promotion to the third year and (2) carefully review other examination-related requirements for promotion and graduation.