title: Usage of the National Board of Medical Examiners Subject Test in Psychiatry by U.S. and Canadian clerkships.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors explored psychiatry clerkship usage of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Subject Test.
  
  
  METHODS
  U.S. and Canadian psychiatry clerkship directors (N=150) were sent an 18-item questionnaire surveying evaluation and remediation practices.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 111 questionnaires (74%) returned, 76 (69%) reported using the NBME Subject Test. As part of the overall grade, the test was granted a mean weight of 31% and a median weight of 25%. Of 72 clerkship directors who use the test for grading, 42% convert the percentile score and 38% convert the subject score. Of 60 clerkship directors who use the test for passing, 72% convert the raw score (mean=58.3, median=58), and 28% convert the percentile score (mean=12.2(th), median=11(th) percentile).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most psychiatry clerkship directors use the NBME Subject Test, but no predominant method exists for weighing the test or converting it into a grade.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Medical Branch, Department of Psychiatry, 301 University Blvd., Route 0193, Galveston, TX 77555-0193, USA. rlevine@utmb.edu
authors.forename: Ruth E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.forename: Renate H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: Kathleen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Clegg
authors.forename: Ross D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Crosby
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D003334:Coroners and Medical Examiners / Q000193:education*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D013044:Specialty Boards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States