The impact of Plato and Aristotle is felt more than ever on the current COMLEX and USMLE examinations. In the world of information technology, wherein everyone feels that they know it all, the art that distinguishes physicians from others was already alluded to almost 2500 years ago! Plato praised knowledge, and Aristotle, the ability to classify and categorize scientific information as the top pillars of human understanding.

I trust that the COMLEX and USMLE examinations are well-aware of all these matters. Currently, there is an increasing emphasis on test items that emphasize wisdom and knowledge of medicine over memorization of facts. Along the same lines, biostatistics is becoming a powerful tool for sorting medical facts from fictions.  

Presently, the medical board prep industry appears to be lagging behind on this matter. However, I trust that they will be able to catch up gradually as the new paradigm of test preparation evolves.