Browsing by Subject "Medical Education"

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Medical students' test anxiety as they face the USMLE Step 1 exam
(2020-05-06) Han, Audrey Sol; Schallert, Diane L.
Test anxiety is a well-researched topic in educational literature. However, despite knowing the high prevalence amongst learners and negative consequences of test anxiety, this body of research has not had much effect on medical education. Medical students face high rates of burnout compared to their peers, sometimes attributed to the high-stakes career defining board examinations, called the United States Medical Licensing Exams (USMLE), they must take. Of these exams, the USMLE Step 1 exam is considered the most important in applications to residencies. In this paper, the factors that lead to high levels of anxiety surrounding the Step 1 exam and the educational literature on test anxiety is analyzed. The limited literature on test anxiety in medical students is discussed, and recommendations grounded in educational research are made on how to identify and alleviate such anxiety.