Educational Videos Versus Question Banks: Maximizing Medical Student Performance on the United States Medical...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Student Performance
• Licensing Examinations

Background:

• Active learning strategies are crucial for medical education.
• The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 assesses foundational science knowledge.
• Evaluating study methods' impact on USMLE Step 1 performance is vital for student success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the association between using practice questions versus watching educational videos and USMLE Step 1 scores.
• To compare the efficacy of active (practice questions) versus passive (video watching) study methods.
• To identify optimal study strategies for medical students preparing for the USMLE Step 1.

Main Methods:

• Correlational study design involving two cohorts of medical students (N=164, N=163).
• Retrospective data collection on practice questions completed, videos watched, and exam scores.
• Statistical analysis including correlation and regression to assess the relationship between study methods and USMLE Step 1 performance.

Main Results:

• Watching educational videos showed a significant negative correlation with USMLE Step 1 scores in both cohorts.
• Completing practice questions demonstrated a positive correlation with USMLE Step 1 scores.
• Practice questions were significant positive predictors, while videos were significant negative predictors of Step 1 scores.

Conclusions:

• Answering practice questions is a more effective study strategy than passively watching educational videos for USMLE Step 1 preparation.
• This study uniquely identified a negative correlation between video consumption and medical licensing exam scores.
• Medical students are advised to prioritize practice questions and limit video-based learning to maximize study efficiency and exam performance.