National Board of Medical Examiners
Encyclopedia
The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), founded in 1915, is a United States
examination board
which sets state recognised examinations for medical student
s. The NBME is an independent, not-for-profit organization and is headquartered on and adjacent to the University City Science Center
research campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. According to the board, its mission is to "protect the health
of the public through state of the art assessment of health professionals." The board emphasizes that "while NBME' mission centered on assessment of physicians, this mission encompasses the spectrum of health professionals along the continuum of education
, training and practice and includes research in evaluation as well as development of assessment instruments".
The board rose in prominence in the years after World War II. Prior to the war, states administered their own exams, and operated agreements to license doctors passed by other state exams. After the war, states began to use the results of an NBME exam to decide whether to award a license. This system meant students would sit the same exam.
The United States Medical Licensing Examination or USMLE, introduced in 1992, is a multi-part professional exam sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Boards
(FSMB) and the NBME, and must be passed before a Doctor of Medicine
can obtain a license to practice medicine in the United States.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
examination board
Examination board
An examination board is an organisation that sets examinations and is responsible for marking them and distributing results. Examination boards have the power to award qualifications, such as SAT scores, to students...
which sets state recognised examinations for medical student
Medical Student
Medical Student may refer to:*Someone studying at medical school*Medical Student Newspaper, a UK publication...
s. The NBME is an independent, not-for-profit organization and is headquartered on and adjacent to the University City Science Center
University City Science Center
The University City Science Center is the first and largest urban research park in the United States. It was established in 1963 with its headquarters in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia...
research campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. According to the board, its mission is to "protect the health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
of the public through state of the art assessment of health professionals." The board emphasizes that "while NBME' mission centered on assessment of physicians, this mission encompasses the spectrum of health professionals along the continuum of education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, training and practice and includes research in evaluation as well as development of assessment instruments".
The board rose in prominence in the years after World War II. Prior to the war, states administered their own exams, and operated agreements to license doctors passed by other state exams. After the war, states began to use the results of an NBME exam to decide whether to award a license. This system meant students would sit the same exam.
The United States Medical Licensing Examination or USMLE, introduced in 1992, is a multi-part professional exam sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Boards
Federation of State Medical Boards
The Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States is a national non-profit organization that represents the 70 state medical and osteopathic boards of the United States and its territories and co-sponsors the United States Medical Licensing Examination...
(FSMB) and the NBME, and must be passed before a Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
can obtain a license to practice medicine in the United States.