The Dissolution of the Step 2 Clinical Skills Examination and the Duty of Medical Educators to Step Up the Effectiveness of Clinical Skills Assessment Comment

In this Invited Commentary, the authors explore the implications of the dissolution of the Step 2 Clinical Skills Examination (Step 2 CS) for medical student clinical skills assessment. The authors describe the need for medical educators (at both the undergraduate and graduate levels) to work collaboratively to improve medical student clinical skills assessment to assure the public that medical school graduates have the requisite skills to begin residency training. The authors outline 6 specific recommendations for how to capitalize on the discontinuation of Step 2 CS to improve clinical skills assessment: (1) defining national, end-of-clerkship, and transition-to-residency standards for required clinical skills and for levels of competence; (2) creating a national resource for standardized patient, augmented reality, and virtual reality assessments; (3) improving workplace-based assessment through local collaborations and national resources; (4) improving learner engagement in and coproduction of assessments; (5) requiring, as a new standard for accreditation, medical schools to establish and maintain competency committees; and (6) establishing a national registry of assessment data for research and evaluation. Together, these actions will help the medical education community earn the public's trust by enhancing the rigor of assessment to ensure the mastery of skills that are essential to providing safe, high-quality care for patients.

Automated summary

The authors discuss the implications of discontinuing Step 2 CS for medical student clinical skills assessment, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts to improve assessment standards and ensure graduates are ready for residency training. Their recommendations include defining national standards, creating a resource center for assessments, and enhancing workplace-based evaluations to earn public trust in medical education.