Performance on the National Board of Medical Examiners. Part I Examination by men and women of different race and ethnicity
B. Dawson, C. K. Iwamoto, L. P. Ross, R. J. Nungester, D. B. Swanson and R. L. Volle
Department of Internal Medicine, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield 62794-9230.
OBJECTIVE--To investigate the performance of men and women from various
racial and ethnic backgrounds on the National Board of Medical Examiners
Part I examination, controlling for any differences in measures of
educational background and academic performance before entering medical
school. DESIGN--A retrospective analysis of existing records from the
National Board of Medical Examiners and the Association of American Medical
Colleges. SETTING--National Board of Medical Examiners. PARTICIPANTS--All
students taking the June administration of Part I for the first time in
1986, 1987, or 1988 and who were 2 years from graduation from an accredited
medical school. METHODS--Multiple regression methods were used to estimate
Part I examination group differences in performance that would be expected
if all students entered medical school with similar Medical College
Admission Test scores, undergraduate grade point averages, and other
prematriculation measures. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Performance on the Part I
examination. RESULTS--There were substantial differences in performance,
with white students scoring highest, followed by Asian/Pacific Islanders,
Hispanics, and blacks; within all racial and ethnic categories, women
scored lower than men. Controlling for dissimilarities in academic
background greatly reduced Part I differences among most racial and ethnic
groups, except Asian/Pacific Islander men; unexplained differences remained
between men and women. Results were consistent for the 3 years examined.
CONCLUSIONS--The results of this study do not imply that physician
performance varies among racial and ethnic groups or between men and women;
no written examination can measure all the abilities that may be desirable
to assess. Validity research investigating reasons for the reported gender
and racial and ethnic differences in performance on the National Board
examinations should be continued.
