Presented By: Peyton Sakelaris, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Co-Authors: Miriam Borvick, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Kencie Ely, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Gemma Lagasca, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Daniel Levine, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Dale Netski, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Edward Simanton, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Jennifer Young, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Purpose 
Historically, the USMLE Step 1 examination has served as a metric for determining residency candidate competitiveness and for program directors in identifying exceptional candidates. Nevertheless, the emphasis on Step 1 scores required that students sacrifice a well-rounded medical school experience to excel in this single assessment. To address this, Step 1 was transitioned to a pass/fail grading system with hopes that residency programs would reprioritize what was important on applications. Initial observations suggest this transition has had conflicting consequences. In light of this unpredictability, this study will explore the impact of the pass/fail format on medical students at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV (KKSOM). 

Methods 
The student data from KKSOM that will be assessed includes volunteering hours, research participation, and self-reported stress levels. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) will be performed to identify any substantial distinctions between cohorts. A correlation analysis will be used to discover the relationship between student stress levels and the time allocated to academic pursuits. To investigate the linearity between these variables, a regression analysis will be performed to chart the data points and identify any trends.

Results 
The anticipated findings will be an increase in volunteering and research. Simultaneously, the stress reduction originally anticipated will instead be shifted to Step 2, along with the uncertainty of what residency program directors will now be looking for on applications.

Conclusion
It is expected that the trend towards increased volunteering and research will continue to rise among future cohorts. It is also possible that the perceived stress levels may stabilize as residency programs refine the extracurricular items that they deem the most advantageous for future applicants.