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Biomedical subjects

Polina Harik

Publications and source records attributed to Polina Harik.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Relationships among subcomponents of the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills Examination, the Step 1, and the Step 2 Clinical Knowledge Examinations.

BACKGROUND: This research examined relationships between and among scores from the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK), and subcomponents of the Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) examination. METHOD: Correlations and failure rates were produced for first-time takers who tested during the first year of Step 2 CS Examination administration (June 2004 to July 2005). RESULTS: True-score correlations were high between patient note (PN) and data gathering (DG), moderate between communication and interpersonal skills and DG, and low between the remaining score pairs. There was little overlap between examinees failing Step 2 CK and the different components of Step 2 CS. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that combining DG and PN scores into a single composite score is reasonable and that relatively little redundancy exists between Step 2 CK and CS scores.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed2006

Use of the mini-clinical evaluation exercise to rate examinee performance on a multiple-station clinical skills examination: a validity study.

BACKGROUND: Multivariate generalizability analysis was used to investigate the performance of a commonly used clinical evaluation tool. METHOD: Practicing physicians were trained to use the mini-Clinical Skills Examination (CEX) rating form to rate performances from the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 2 Clinical Skills examination. RESULTS: Differences in rater stringency made the greatest contribution to measurement error; more raters rating each examinee, even on fewer occasions, could enhance score stability. Substantial correlated error across the competencies suggests that decisions about one scale unduly influence those on others. CONCLUSIONS: Given the appearance of a halo effect across competencies, score interpretations that assume assessment of distinct dimensions of clinical performance should be made with caution. If the intention is to produce a single composite score by combining results across competencies, the presence of these effects may be less critical.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2004

Scoring the computer-based case simulation component of USMLE Step 3: a comparison of preoperational and operational data.

PURPOSE: Operational USMLE(TM) computer-based case simulation results were examined to determine the extent to which rater reliability and regression model performance met expectations based on preoperational data. METHOD: Operational data resulted from Step 3 examinations given between 1999 and 2004. Plots were produced using reliability and multiple correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Operational testing reliabilities increased over the four years but were lower than the preoperational reliability. Multiple correlation coefficient results are somewhat superior to the results reported during the preoperational period and suggest that the operational scoring algorithms have been relatively consistent. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in the rater population, changes in the rating task, and enhancements to the training procedures are several factors that can explain the identified differences between preoperational and operational results. The present findings have important implications for test development and test validity.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2003

An examination of the relationship between clinical skills examination performance and performance on USMLE Step 2.

PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between performance on a large-scale clinical skills examination (CSE) and a high-stakes multiple-choice examination. METHOD: Two samples were used: (1) 6,372 first-taker international medical graduates (IMGs); and (2) 858 fourth-year U.S. medical students. Ninety-seven percent of IMGs and 70% of U.S. students had completed Step 2. Correlations were calculated, scatter plots produced, and regression lines estimated. RESULTS: Correlations between CSE and Step 2 ranged from .16 to .38. The observed relationship between scores confirms that CSE score information is not redundant with MCQ score information. This result was consistent across samples. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that the CSE assesses proficiencies distinct from those assessed by current USMLE components and therefore provides evidence justifying its inclusion in the medical licensure process.

Clinical Competence↗