DRIVING STUDENT SUCCESS WITH TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT

The Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University has a mission to train their students to meet the unique healthcare needs of rural West Virginia and Central Appalachia, a region from which many of their students originate. 

But this mission is not without its challenges. When it became clear that some students did well on in house assessments, but were struggling to pass standardized tests such as licensure exams or NBME® Clinical Science Subject Exams, Marshall University knew they needed a new solution.

We sat down with three representatives from the school to learn more. While their challenges are unique to their student body and their mission, their solutions curriculum changes, student support, and a robust program of assessment including both NBME and in house assessments to provide frequent feedback provide an excellent roadmap for other medical schools. With the changes they've made, not only have they increased their USMLE® Step 1 passing rates, they have exceeded the national average for the past 2 years.