2 The Experience of the National Board of Medical Examiners

The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) provides examinations that are used to assess physicians in training. Parts I, II, and III and the FLEX (Federation Licensing Examination) examinations results are used by state licensing boards in licensing individuals on a uniform and reciprocal basis. Most of the medical schools in the United States also use NBME examinations to assess student achievement. The NBME has included questions on law and ethics in its examinations since 1923, but the present effort to enhance this area began in 1981. Recognizing the importance of the legal and ethical aspects of medical practice, the NBME's test committees in such disciplines as pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and psychiatry have specified within their exam content outlines that eth-