NBME presents prestigious medical education award to Dr. Rachel Yudkowsky

Rachel Yudkowsky, MD, MHPE, was selected as the recipient of NBME’s 2025 John P. Hubbard Award. For more than 40 years, this annual award has recognized significant contributions in the field of medical education and assessment.

Dr. Yudkowsky, a psychiatrist by training, discovered her passion for teaching during her residency and ultimately focused on the science of medical education assessment. Now a Professor Emerita in the Department of Medical Education at the University of Illinois College of Medicine (Chicago), she has dedicated her career to improving assessment methodologies using standardized patients and simulations. Her research explores assessment of key clinical skills, including clinical reasoning and physical examination, communication and basic procedural skills. Her work also addresses setting passing standards for performance tests to ensure fair, structured and competency-driven assessment decisions. 

“It is an incredible honor to receive the Hubbard Award,” Dr. Yudkowsky said. “I have long admired past recipients and the impact they’ve had on medical education. To be recognized among them is deeply meaningful. This award affirms that the work I love — researching and refining assessment practices — has made a real difference.”

Dr. Yudkowsky’s contributions include groundbreaking research on structured performance assessments, particularly through the use of standardized patients — trained actors who simulate medical conditions to evaluate students' diagnostic and communication skills. She has also investigated the unintended consequences of traditional assessments, advocating for methods that encourage clinical reasoning rather than checklist-based memorization.

“Assessments should reflect the real-world complexities of patient care,” Dr. Yudkowsky explained. “It’s important for medical students to learn how to think critically and adapt to each patient encounter, rather than just checking off boxes on a list as they study.”

Dr. Yudkowsky is a past recipient of NBME’s Stemmler Grants, another program that supports medical educators looking to advance assessment. Through her work with these grants, Dr. Yudkowsky has developed hypothesis-driven physical examinations and standardized patient assessments that distinguish clinically relevant diagnoses, making assessments more rigorous and reflective of real-world medical decision-making. Additionally, her efforts toward machine-scoring of students’ post-encounter notes have helped streamline faculty workloads while maintaining high standards of assessment and feedback. 

“NBME is proud to support and be part of a community of esteemed educators, researchers and clinicians committed to advancing assessment science,” NBME President and CEO Peter J. Katsufrakis, MD, MBA, said. “Dr. Rachel Yudkowsky embodies the highest standards of excellence in medical education and research, and her commitment to enhancing patient care is evident. We are honored to recognize her outstanding contributions with the prestigious Hubbard Award.”

Looking ahead, Dr. Yudkowsky hopes her research on clinically discriminating checklist items and competency-driven assessment methods will continue to influence medical education. She remains committed to advocating for patient-centered assessment practices, including the application of patient safety principles in standard-setting for procedural skills.

Established in 1982, the John. P. Hubbard Award recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to the pursuit of assessment excellence within medical education. Dr. Yudkowsky becomes part of this esteemed group of individuals whom NBME has recognized throughout the years.