Getting to Know NBME

The Business of NBME

WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE DO & HOW WE DO IT

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Objectives

In this course, you can learn so much about NBME. Upon completion, you will be able to:

• Locate relevant resources about NBME Staff, structure, and organizational acronyms
• Demonstrate our Mission, Vision, and Values
• Identify opportunities to immerse yourself in NBME culture
• Reflect on NBME contributions to the Medical Education and Assessment Communities
• Recall our various products and services
• Paraphrase how our assessments are created (coming soon!)

Modules

Learn about our committees and the Staff who support them to create dynamic and powerful assessments.

HOW WE DO IT

NBME is a mission-driven organization that specializes in the creation of high-quality assessments and learning tools.

WHAT WE DO

Discover the people and the organizational structure that make NBME a powerful force within our communities and beyond.

WHO WE ARE

Start Here

MODULE 1

WHO WE ARE

NBME organizational structure is divided into three verticals:

NBME Business Cross-Cutting Strategic Functions Business Advisement and Enablers

Interactive Org Chart Please take a moment to visit and bookmark this resource.

STAFF DIRECTORY

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WHO WE ARE

We are a mission-driven that specializes in the creation of high-quality assessments and learning tools.

PRESIDENT

Our Mission

Our Mission

EXECUTIVE TEAM

NBME advances assessment of health care professionals to achieve optimal care for all.

EXTENDED LEADERSHIP TEAM

Our Vision

Our Vision

FRONT LINE MANAGERS

A highly effective, diverse and compassionate health care workforce.

INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS

Each one of us contributes to making NBME what it is.

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WHO WE ARE

NBME Values

Collaboration

Inclusion

Innovation

Integrity

Quality

We cultivate and thrive on rich interactions and relationships.

We value differences, foster belonging and advocate for equity.

We evolve to meet emerging needs.

We are committed to honesty and fairness.

We deliver excellence.

NBME values guide us in our work, our interactions with one another, and ultimately motivate us in how we further the overall mission and vision. All NBME Staff are expected to entrench these values in all we do.

All staff contribute to our culture and commitment to DEI. These teams help organize and lead the efforts

MODULE 1

WHO WE ARE

Culture and DEI

Our Culture team creates a framework that engages all of us in defining and living the culture we want and need at NBME. The Culture Team’s charge is to sense, measure, nurture, and enable the desired NBME culture and improve the employee experience.

Culture Team

The DEI Advisory Council helps to create and execute on our strategic initiatives and activities. Through the Council’s contributions, and the engagement of the entire organization, NBME can make tangible progress to foster a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment while also enhancing DEI efforts in our West Philadelphia neighborhood and in the medical education community.

DEI Advisory Council

NBME Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are voluntary, employee-led groups, sponsored by the organization, whose aim is to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace. Led and joined by employees who share a common identity and their allies, these ERGs aim to create a safe space where employees can learn, grow, connect, and bring their authentic selves to work.

ERGs

You are part of the rich community of passionate, dedicated, knowledgeable, and unique people here at NBME. We offer various opportunities to help you expand your internal network and become acclimated to our company culture. The NBME Community page is a great place to start. This site gives you an overview of the many opportunities available. Please take a few minutes to review the page, and bookmark it for later.

MODULE 1

WHO WE ARE

Passionate

Expanding your NBME Network

Dedicated

Knowledgeable

Unique

NBME COMMUNITY

NBME provides financial and assessment support to 5-10 grant projects, 9 fellows and 4 fellowship projects, and 10 medical student scholarships each year.

NBME engages with more than 15 organizations that advance pathway programs and promote health equity/access.

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WHO WE ARE

NBME in the Med Ed Community

Advancing Assessment and Medical Education Research

Supporting Learners with Programs and Resources

Promoting Health Equity and Access

OUR CONTRIBUTIONS

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Getting Familiar with NBME as a New Hire

New Hire Resources Site

New Hire Buddy Program

Managers' Resource Portal

NBME Reports & Resources

Virtual Scavenger HuntStaff, Services, Structure

Modules

Learn about our committees and the Staff who support them to create dynamic and powerful assessments.

HOW WE DO IT

NBME is a mission-driven organization that specializes in the creation of high-quality assessments and learning tools.

WHAT WE DO

Discover the people and the organizational structure that make NBME a powerful force within our communities and beyond.

WHO WE ARE

Continue Learning

NBME develops, scores, and supports the administration of more than 25 assessment programs for more than 1.2 million exams each year.

INSIGHTS Dashboard

SM

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WHAT WE DO

A Business That Reaches All

NBME is committed to helping learners build the skills they need to successfully navigate their medical education.

Medical educators and students use NBME assessments in 155 countries.

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WHAT WE DO

NBME PRODUCTS & SERVICES

In the following slides you will learn more about 4 key elements of NBME products and services.

Self Assessment Services

Customized Assessment Services

Subject Exams

Licensing Exams

Click each image to learn more about the products and services we provide. Once you have reviewed all 4 sections, move to the next slide.

Self Assessment Services

Hover over each icon to learn more.

IFOM Clinical Science Self Assessment

Clinical Science Mastery Series

Comprehensive Self Assessments

MORE DETAILS ABOUT NSAS

Customized Assessment Services

This unique offering allows educators to:

Use filters & keyword searches to easily find questions on a variety of topics

Combine functional and clinical science questions

Give students access to their results via our INSIGHTS Dashboard

View performance data at both the question and examinee level

...and so much more

Click here for more about CAS

Subject Exams

Click each icon for a description

Basic Science

Clinical Science

Advanced Clinical

Health Systems Science

Comprehensive

The Basic Science Subject Exams are used to assess student knowledge at the end of a discipline-based, pre-clinical course.

The Clinical Science Subject Exams are typically used to assess third-year student knowledge at the end of a clerkship.

The Advanced Clinical Science Subject Exams are typically used to assess fourth-year student knowledge at the end of a clerkship.

The Comprehensive Subject Exams are used to assess learning progress and readiness to take the USMLE Steps 1 and 2.

The Health Systems Science Subject Exam is used to assess knowledge of health systems science topics.

MORE ABOUT SUBJECT EXAMS

Licensing Exams

High-quality exams from NBME built in collaboration with content experts. Click each button to learn more.

United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE )

PLAS & SPEX

MORE DETAILS ABOUT LICENSING EXAMS

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WHAT WE DO

Health and Wellness Coach Certifying Examination

NBME collaborates with the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) to create and manage the Health & Wellness Coach Certifying Exam, which is based on extensive research and the training, education and assessment of coaches who attended an NBHWC-approved school.

Learn More About This Product

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WHAT WE DO

North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE)

NBME also collaborates with International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA) to score and administer the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE). We also score and administer the Veterinary Education Assesment (VEA)

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WHAT WE DO

MedVR Education

In 2024, NBME acquired MedVR Education, an organization specializing in healthcare training through extended reality simulations.

AI-powered immersive training scenarios with realism and dynamic facial expressions that infuse life into virtual characters for unique learning experiences.

MedVR's expansive library of healthcare simulations is always growing and evolving, reflecting our collective dedication to keep up with the latest in medical education.

Learn More About MedVR

MODULE 2

WHAT WE DO

INSIGHTS Dashboard

INSIGHTS is an interactive dashboard that enables users to track their progress. Review the INSIGHTS User Guide to gain a better understanding of how feedback is presented to examinees.

MORE DETAILS ABOUT INSIGHTS

NBME delivers around 25 Item-Writing Workshops to nearly 700 participants in the medical education community each year.

MODULE 2

WHAT WE DO

ITEM WRITING WORKSHOPS

NBME Item-Writing Workshops give instructors the tools to develop exam questions that more effectively test their students’ knowledge. These workshops provide value to individuals from across institutions, educational backgrounds, and health professions.

MODULE 2

WHAT WE DO

CONSULTANCY

NBME provides expert consultation for specialized projects and initiatives related to medical education, testing, and research for medical schools and health profession organizations. This includes making recommendations regarding the optimal mode for test delivery, and assuring high-quality, efficient, and timely scoring and analysis of exams.

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WHAT WE DO

Health Profession Services: A Summary

NBME also collaborates to score and or administer exams with.. American Board of Neurological Surgery (ABNS) American College of Physicians® (ACP®) American College of Rheumatology (ACR) American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)

NBME also American Society of Hematology (ASH) American Society of Nephrology (ASN) American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)

Want to know more about the road to becoming a Doctor? Click for a video!

MODULE 2

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Getting Familiar with the Language

ACRONYMGLOSSARY

(Also accessible via the General Interest Links section on the Intranet Homepage.)

MED EDDICTIONARY

(Also accessible via the Educational Strategy Sharepoint site.)

Modules

Learn about our committees and the Staff who support them to create dynamic and powerful assessments.

HOW WE DO IT

coming soon!

NBME is a mission-driven organization that specializes in the creation of high-quality assessments and learning tools.

WHAT WE DO

Discover the people and the organizational structure that make NBME a powerful force within our communities and beyond.

WHO WE ARE

Click here to complete the course

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Start course

Course Index

Course Objectives

Course Modules

Who We Are

What We Do

How We Do It

Organizational Structure

Introduction

Mission and Vision

Products & Services

Core Values

Health and Wellness Coach Cert.

Culture & DEI

NAVLE

Internal Community

Med VR

NBME in the MedEd Community

INSIGHTS Dashboard

Item Writing Workshops

New Hire Resources

Consultancy

Health Profession Services: A Summary

Additional Resources

Copyright © 2025 NBME. All Rights Reserved.

PLAS & SPEX

The FSMB and NBME also co-sponsor the Post-Licensure Assessment System, which is designed to measure the competence of currently and previously licensed physicians.The includes the Special Purpose Exam, for:

• Physicians seeking licensure reinstatement after a period of professional inactivity
• Physicians involved in disciplinary proceedings in which the state board finds the need for evaluation
• Physicians applying for licensure by endorsement who are several years beyond initial licensure

Click to Learn more

USMLE

Created through a collaboration between the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and NBME, the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) is a 3-step examination for medical licensure in the US. It measures an examinee’s ability to apply the knowledge, principles, and fundamental patient skills that are essential to safe and effective patient care. Passing each Step gets examinees closer to achieving their goal of obtaining a license to practice medicine in the United States. USMLE content is developed and reviewed by medical school faculty and practicing physicians from around the United States.

Click to Learn more

Medical Education Community

NBME is passionate about supporting the development of future physicians and medical education learners.

• Financial Resources
• Fee Assistance for USMLE
• NBME/NMF Scholarship

• Pathway Program Grants
• Association of Stemm Pathway and Bridge Programs
• Building the Next Generation of Academic Physicians
• Consortium of DEI Health Educators
• Center for Pathway Programs at Duke
• Health Career Collaborative

Click to Learn more

Promote Health Equity & Access

Change starts at home, and we engage with non-profit organizations to promote health equity and access in the Philadelphia region. Our collaborations and contributions extend to these local organizations:

• Maternity Care Coalition
• Vision to Learn
• Achieve Now
• Black Doctors Consortium
• Together for West Philadelphia

Click to Learn more

Medical Education And Assesment Communities

NBME’s contributions to medical educators and researchers include professional development, grants, and award opportunities.

• Fellowships & Professional Development
• Summer Assessment Science & Psychometric Internship
• Center for Measurement Justice - NBME Dissertation Fellowship
• Strategic Educators Enhancement Fellowship (SEEF)
• NBME Invitational Conference for Educators (NICE)
• Grants & Awards
• Emerging Innovators Grants
• Stemmler Grants
• Latin America Grants
• Hubbard Award

Click to Learn more