Students assigned to community practices for their pediatric clerkship perform as well or better on written examinations as students assigned to academic medical centers

Background: Medical schools are increasingly using community practice sites (CPS) for clerkship training. Purposes: We compared the test performance of all students assigned to CPS with all students trained at an academic medical center (AMC) for their pediatric clerkship for the past 5 years. Methods: Baseline comparability of both groups was established by the group mean scores on 1st and 2nd year medical school grade point average (GPA) and the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step J and Step 2. Performance outcome was compared by group mean scores on a written clerkship exam and the National Board of Medical Examiners Pediatric Subject Examination. Results: There was no statistical difference between the two groups with regard to GPA or USMLE scores. Standardized test performance results: Conclusion: The CPS-trained students performed as well or better on standardized written tests compared with AMC-trained students. Community pediatric practices can provide a quality clerkship experience for junior medical students.