How Does USMLE Step 1 Examination Performance Predict Short-term Wellness and Perceived Stress?

Authors

Nicole Deiorio, Virginia Commonwealth University

First Author Information

Nicole M Deiorio, MD, Curriculum Office, School of Medicine

Additional Author(s) Information

Nicole M. Deiorio, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, VCU School of Medicine

JK Stringer, PhD, VCU School of Medicine

Monica Cuddy, MA, National Board of Medical Examiners

Margaret Wolff, MD, MHPE, University of Michigan Medical School

Seetha Monrad, MD, University of Michigan Medical School

Roy Sabo, PhD, Department of Biostatistics, VCU School of Medicine

Kalissa Zhang, BS, VCU School of Medicine

Sally Santen, MD, PhD, Department of Emergency Medicine, VCU School of Medicine

Presentation Format

Poster

Type of Activity

Research

Original Presentation Date

2019

Date of Submission

March 2019

Abstract/Short Description

Purpose

Wellbeing and stress are areas of increasing concern in medicine. The three steps of the USMLE exam were originally developed as pass-fail requirements toward MD licensure, but their use has evolved to include eligibility for residency programs. There is increasing student distress around USMLE Step 1 performance, yet little is known about how Step 1 performance immediately impacts wellness. We examined the relationship between step 1 performance with perceived stress and wellbeing. We hypothesized that higher Step 1 scores would correlate with lower subsequent stress and improved wellbeing.

References

1. Cohen, Sheldon, T. Kamarck, and R. Mermelstein. "Perceived stress scale." Measuring stress: A guide for health and social scientists (1994).

2. Topp, C. W., Østergaard, S. D., Søndergaard, S., & Bech, P. (2015). The WHO-5 Well-Being Index: a systematic review of the literature. Psychotherapy and psychosomatics, 84(3), 167-176.

Rights

© The Author(s)

Is Part Of

VCU Medical Education Symposium