The effects of commercial coaching or the NBME Part I Examination

A total of 55 second-year medical students from the University of Alabama in Birmingham utilized the services of a commercial test-coaching company to assist them in preparations for the June 1977, 1978, and 1979 National Board of Medical Examiners Part I examination. These students scored significantly higher on the examination than students with comparable basic science grade-point averages. Students were surveyed to determine the nature of the course and to identify the salient points which they believed contributed to higher Part I scores. The study raises questions concerning the impact of commercial coaching on the licensure process for both domestic students and students of foreign medical schools entering the U.S. medical profession.