Clerkship Curriculum Design and USMLE Step 2 Performance: Exploring the Impact of Self-Regulated Exam Preparation.

On the surface, the absence of regularly spaced, high-stakes testing from clerkship performance evaluation appears to "do no harm" to students' certification exam scores. Students already performing better academically may excel due in part to effective learning self-regulation strategies. However, a clerkship curriculum that does not scaffold self-regulation via cumulative knowledge assessment could further disadvantage students already earning lower scores. Evaluating the impact of curriculum reforms should continuously examine changes to learners' experience in context.