PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

Medical students to begin taking clinical skills test

All new physicians must now pass the exam to get their medical license.

By Myrle Croasdale, AMNews staff. June 7, 2004.

The much-maligned clinical skills assessment examination is up and running, and every new physician in the United States from the class of 2005 forward will have to pass it to be licensed.

As of June 1, 2004, medical students will be required to take the test. The only open test site is in Philadelphia. A test site in Atlanta is expected to open in July followed by one in Los Angeles in August and ones in Chicago and Houston in September. Peak demand for the test is expected in October and November.

Some 7,000 U.S. medical students have registered for the exam, though only 2,300 have scheduled their tests to date, according to the National Board of Medical Examiners, co-sponsor of the test with the Federation of State Medical Boards. Some 17,000 U.S. and 10,000 international medical graduates are expected to take the test during the 2004-05 academic year, with total exams reaching 30,000 when about 3,000 expected retakes are included. The test is a day-long process and consists of clinical examinations of 12 standardized patients.

The American Medical Association and the American Medical Student Assn. have been vocal opponents of the test.

"For about 10 years we were on record in favor of it," said Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, speaker of the AMA House of Delegates. "The policy changed because it became clear that the logistics -- the high cost and the need to travel -- were really prohibitive. We are in favor of an exam but believe these skills should be tested at the medical schools."

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