Understanding COMLEX-USA Level-1 as a Pass/Fail examination: impact and opportunities.

Context: In late 2020, the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) announced that the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA) Level 1 would discontinue reporting numeric scores, only providing a Pass/Fail designation. The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) changed the core reports for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step-1 to Pass/Fail in early 2020. Subsequently, residency program directors were reported to migrate toward increased reliance on COMLEX-USA Level 2CE and USMLE Step 2CK scores, the prestige of medical schools, and the status of the authors of letters of reference during their review of residency applicants.

e-Portfolios and Self-Assessment in Dental Hygiene Education: A Pilot Study.

Purpose: Self-assessment and critical thinking skills are required for students to reflect on the knowledge and skills they acquire in a dental hygiene program. The Commission on Dental Accreditation states that all graduates must be competent in the knowledge, skills, and values needed to practice as a new practitioner. In order to foster self-assessment, an e-portfolio incorporating a graduate competency template was implemented into a newly designed seminar course.

Impact of Implementing a Competency-Based Clinical Curriculum: Transitioning a Dental Hygiene Program.

Purpose: Competency-based education is employed to ensure students are prepared to perform tasks required by entry-level practitioners. The American Dental Education Association's curriculum for dental hygiene programs states that students should learn skills consistently performed by dental hygienists to the level of competence. The purpose of this study was to assess the implementation of a competency- based dental hygiene clinical program at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.