Recent trends in devaluing common tests are having a negative impact on medical students. Given the prevalence of pass/fail systems in most medical schools and the recent move to a similar model for major licensure exams, it is difficult for highly talented students from diverse backgrounds to distinguish themselves. I feel it is difficult. In the absence of standardized performance evaluations, residency admissions committees are forced to rely on flawed rankings of medical schools and questionable metrics such as research publications, both of which ensure that students receive excellent patient care. It does not reliably correlate with the ability to deliver.
In addition to assessing clinical knowledge, high scores on standardized tests also serve as an indicator of a student’s proficiency in key areas of clinical practice, such as time management, self-discipline, and reasoning.
While it is imperative that medical exams undergo equity reforms, we should not throw out graded exams and instead preserve the elements that help us select the best doctors of the future.
Aamir Hussain, stone ridge, virginia
The author is a dermatologist and served on medical school and residency admissions committees.