The Effect of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Curriculum Design on USMLE Step 1 Performance

Publication date: Available online 5 February 2019

Source: Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Author(s): Adam P. Fagin, Mark E. Engelstad

Purpose

Over the years, a few types of combined OMS/MD residency curricula have evolved that differ in how the MD is integrated. The purpose of this study was to look for a difference in USMLE Step 1 pass rates among these different curricula.

Materials and Methods

An anonymous electronic survey was emailed to the directors of all forty-six US based OMS/MD integrated programs, querying OMS curriculum type and USMLE Step 1 results over the years 2007 - 2017. Programs were then characterized by curriculum sequence, whether USMLE Step 1 was taken before or after starting medical school, and amount of dedicated test preparation time.

Results

32 of 46 (70%) OMS/MD program directors responded. There was no statistically significant difference in USMLE Step 1 pass rate between the four main types of OMS/MD curricula, (range 89 – 95%, p = 0.06). Doing some part of medical school before taking USMLE step 1 also had no effect on OMS residents' pass rates, (94 and 92%, respectively, p = 0.23). However, increasing weeks of dedicated test preparation time was significantly correlated with increasing USMLE Step 1 pass rates, (87% with no dedicated test preparation time, increasing to 96% with 6 or more weeks of dedicated test preparation time. p = 0.05). Finally, only 7 of 806 total residents (0.9%) dropped out of a program due to inability to pass USMLE Step 1.

Conclusion

The data shows a high overall USMLE Step 1 pass rate with a direct correlation between duration of dedicated test preparation time and pass rate. There was no observed difference in USMLE Step 1 pass rates based on the sequence of OMS/MD integrated curricula or the completion of some pre-USMLE medical school prior to USMLE Step 1 among OMS residents.

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