2002 Highlights

Assessing Clinical Skills

In 2002, ECFMG and the National Board of Medical Examiners continued their collaboration to develop an examination of clinical skills for incorporation into the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). In connection with this collaboration, the organizations established a Clinical Skills Assessment Center in Atlanta, Georgia, which opened in September 2002. Like ECFMG's Philadelphia Clinical Skills Assessment Center, which has been in operation since July 1998, the Atlanta test center is a state-of-the-art facility consisting of fully-equipped doctor's office examination rooms, designed for encounters between examinees and standardized patients, lay persons trained to accurately portray patients with common medical problems.

During the second half of 2002, the Philadelphia and Atlanta test centers served as sites for pilot studies conducted by the two organizations using the ECFMG Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA). More than 800 U.S. students from seven medical schools participated in the studies. International medical graduates (IMGs) pursuing ECFMG Certification continued to take the ECFMG CSA in both Philadelphia and Atlanta. From September through the end of the year, 1,300 IMGs took the CSA in Atlanta. IMGs were randomized between the test sites, allowing ECFMG to study inter-site variability and performance. During 2002, nearly 9,000 assessments were scheduled at the two centers.

The pilot studies conducted in 2002 represented the final stages of development and testing for the new exam. In January 2003, the sponsoring organizations of the USMLE voted to require that students of U.S. and Canadian medical schools [schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)] pass the new exam. The USMLE sponsoring organizations plan to implement the new exam in 2004. The Philadelphia and Atlanta centers will serve as regional test sites for the new exam. Three additional test centers will be established in 2004.

Like the ECFMG CSA, the new exam will use encounters with standardized patients to assess clinical and communication skills, which are critical to safe and effective patient care. The new exam will complement the assessment of medical knowledge and analytical skills currently measured by the USMLE.

For detailed information on the ECFMG Clinical Skills Assessment and on assessments administered in 2002, refer to Clinical Skills Assessment.

Atlanta Clinical Skills Assessment Center

On September 25, 2002, ECFMG President, James A. Hallock, M.D., cut the ribbon to open the Atlanta Clinical Skills Assessment Center. Dr. Hallock was accompanied by Ronald C. Agresta, M.D., President of the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, Inc., and Donald E. Melnick, M.D., President of the National Board of Medical Examiners.

The Atlanta Clinical Skills Assessment Center was established jointly by ECFMG and NBME in connection with their collaboration to develop a clinical skills component for the USMLE. In the fall of 2002, the Atlanta test center served as a site for pilot studies for the new clinical skills component. The Atlanta center also provided an additional site for administration of the ECFMG CSA to IMGs pursuing ECFMG Certification.