title: Does the National Board of Medical Examiners' Surgery Subtest level the playing field?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We sought to determine if scores on the National Board of Medical Examiners' Surgery Subject Examination (NBME-SS) correlated with ward assessment of Fund of Knowledge and how the NBME-SS scores impacted surgery clerkship grade.
  
  
  METHODS
  Student evaluations from 4 academic years (1999-2003) were analyzed. Scores from the Fund of Knowledge subsection were compared with scores on the NBME-SS. Student final grades were calculated with (at a weight of 10%) and without NBME-SS score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were available for all 399 students who rotated on surgery during the study period. Fund of Knowledge score and NBME-SS scores correlated minimally (Pearson's r = 0.108, P = 0.031). Performance on the NBME-SS helped 11% of students' grades, but 64% of students' grades were hurt. Fifteen percent of the students missed receiving honors because of their performance on the NBME-SS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The NBME-SS negatively influenced the grades of a large proportion of students and correlated only minimally with Fund of Knowledge scores as assessed on ward evaluations.
authors.affiliation: Surgical Services, George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Brooke
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hermanson
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Firpo
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cochran
authors.forename: Leigh
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Neumayer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008007:Licensure, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D013044:Specialty Boards / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States