{"id":"643e6106-7952-44c5-911f-5991eec3d650","slug":"considerations-regarding-the-future-of-step-2-ck-and-the-neurosurgery-residency-match","title":"Considerations regarding the future of Step 2 CK and the neurosurgery residency match","authors":["Taylor Reardon","Nolan J. Brown","Ryan S. Beyer","Daniel Streetman","Julian L. Gendreau","Michael Y. Oh"],"abstract":"Background: The transition of the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 to a pass/fail system has led to discussions about the increased emphasis on the Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) score for residency applications. This change raises questions about the impact on residency candidate selection if Step 2 CK also shifts to a pass/fail format, eliminating numerical scores for medical students. Summary: Without standardized exam scores, residency programs may struggle to filter through a large volume of applications, potentially leading to an influx of applicants in neurosurgery. The need for alternative metrics, such as research publications, may intensify the competition among applicants, further complicating the selection process. Additionally, the shift could disadvantage underrepresented groups in medicine, as reliance on nonstandardized metrics may perpetuate bias. Conclusion: Elimination of scored board exams would necessitate a complete restructuring of the residency application process, posing new challenges in selecting future physicians. Developing a standardized specialty-specific entrance exam for neurosurgery could be one potential solution, although its feasibility remains uncertain. Keywords: Step 2 CK, neurosurgery, residency match, standardized exams, medical education, applicant selection, underrepresented groups, research publications","thumbnailUrl":"https://sni-digital-videos.s3.amazonaws.com/placeholders/specialty/general-neurosurgery.png","publishDate":"2022-07-01T00:00:00.000Z","doi":"10.25259/SNI_511_2022","categories":["General Neurosurgery","Letter to the Editor"],"fullTextUrl":"https://surgicalneurologyint.com/api/articles/643e6106-7952-44c5-911f-5991eec3d650/pdf"}