News for Academic Physicians

AMA-SMS meeting coming; have you registered yet?

Register today to attend the AMA Section on Medical Schools (SMS) Annual Assembly Meeting, which will take place June 15–17 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Log in and register online, then view more details about the meeting, which will take place in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates.

Hotel registration is due Friday. Be sure to make your reservation now; room availability cannot be guaranteed after this date.

View the agenda for the meeting, which includes a listing of education sessions that offer continuing medical education credit in the form of AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

If you have questions about the meeting, contact Jackie Drake of the AMA via email or at (312) 464-4389.

Learn more about the Annual Meeting.

Reviewers needed for meeting resolutions and reports

Physicians attending the AMA Section on Medical Schools (SMS) meeting in June are invited to help review resolutions and reports submitted for consideration during the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates.

Reviewers will develop a consent calendar of recommended actions and present suggestions to the section for a consensus vote. These actions will help guide the AMA-SMS delegates, alternate delegates and other representatives who will testify in AMA House reference committee hearings on June 17 during the Annual Meeting. A review meeting will take place June 15.

Email Jackie Drake of the AMA if you are interested in participating as a reviewer. Learn more about the Annual Meeting.

Changes coming to Step 3 exam

Step 3 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) soon will be divided into two separate daylong exams, focusing on different sets of competencies, under plans announced in April by the USMLE Composite Committee, the National Board of Medical Examiners and the Federation of State Medical Boards.

The change is one of several made in an effort to change the structure of the USMLE, and Step 3 will be the first exam affected. The proposed exams will continue to be administered by computer using multiple choice questions and computer simulations. They will be scored separately, and examinees will be expected to pass each.

Changes to the Step 3 exam won't take effect until 2014 at the earliest, according to the USMLE.

Different MCAT, different physician? New med school admissions test to debut in 2015

For successful medical practice in today's—and tomorrow's—rapidly changing health care environment, it's more critical than ever for the new generation of physicians to have the right knowledge and skills. These needs are part of the rationale for the newly approved Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®).

The first revision to the MCAT since 1991, MCAT2015 features a new section, Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior, which is designed to measure students' understanding of "behavior, perception, culture, poverty, and other concepts from psychology and sociology." A second new section, Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, will ask students to "analyze passages from a wide range of disciplines, including ethics, philosophy, cultural studies, and even population health."

Read more in the May issue of AMA MedEd Update, and discuss your opinions on MCAT's new direction in the AMA's New Horizons in Medical Education online community.