Today's episode is part 1 in our series with Dr. Chris Cimino, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Kaplan Medical, who discusses the USMLE/COMLEX exam writing process and science behind it. Students often wonder about those behind the curtain when it comes to the NBME and USMLE exams and materials. However, there is little transparency for students (and even instructors) may not be aware of the NBME test writing designs. Dr. Cimino helps to explain why the test-writers philosophy and those of your academic institution may vary greatly in regards to what material to prepare a student for. He also depicts the process of becoming a test-writer for the NBME and the different stages involved. Lastly, Dr. Cimino explains the process of finding board-relevant material and the process of consensus within question decision-making. Our practice question dissection comes from Kaplan's Step 2 CK Integrated Plan. Click the link below to sign up for a free trial. Question Dissection for Today 1:05 - A 55 year old male presents with a chief complaint of a sore on this foot. From the interview 3:30 Reasons for the Lack of Transparency within the NBME, USMLE, and Test-Writer Philosophy 08:40 Why do Schools and Test-Writers Differ on their Educational Focus? 10:45 Insights into the Credentials of a Test-Writer and the Sub-Committees Involved 14:30 The Process for Vetting Board-Relevant Questions 20:00:The Students Role in Choosing Board-Relevant Questions & The Importance of Student Teamwork  Check out all of ITB's Podcasts on our BRAND NEW Website ITB Audio Qbank and iOS Beta App The Audio Qbank by InsideTheBoards mobile app has both free and premium features and is available on both Android and iOS. To get started, first, create a Boardsinsider Account on our website insidetheboards.com Free Features All of our podcasts in one place organized into playlists for easy studying (also with less ads and exclusive content) Mindfulness meditations designed specifically for medical students A monthly offering of high yield content (questions dissections, audio qbank samples) available only on our mobile app. Premium Features Subscribe to an ITB premium account and get additional features Access to 500+ audio optimized board style practice questions in our Audio Qbank. The Step 1 version is powered by Exam Circle and the Step 2 Version is powered by OnlineMedEd. New questions added each month. High Yield Pharmacology (powered by Lecturio) with 100 of the top pharm questions you need to know for both Step 1 and Step 2 Audio Flashcards (coming soon) Our audio qbank is THE PERFECT companion for studying for the boards on the go. And we're adding content and improving it all the time.  Learn more about the Audio Qbank by InsideTheBoards mobile app here Legal Stuff and Credits InsideTheBoards is not affiliated with the NBME, USMLE, COMLEX, NBOME or any professional licensing body. InsideTheBoards and its partners fully adhere to the policies on irregular conduct outlined by the aforementioned credentialing bodies.

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