While there is data assessing the test performance of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, including the Generative Pre-trained Transformer 4.0 (GPT 4) chatbot (ChatGPT 4.0), there is scarce data on its diagnostic accuracy of clinical cases. We assessed the large language model (LLM), ChatGPT 4.0, on its ability to answer questions from the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 2, as well as its ability to generate a differential diagnosis based on corresponding clinical vignettes from published case reports. A total of 109 Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) practice questions were inputted into both ChatGPT 3.5 and ChatGPT 4.0, asking ChatGPT to pick the correct answer. Compared to its previous version, ChatGPT 3.5, we found improved accuracy of ChatGPT 4.0 when answering these questions, from 47.7 to 87.2% (p = 0.035) respectively. Utilizing the topics tested on Step 2 CK questions, we additionally found 63 corresponding published case report vignettes and asked ChatGPT 4.0 to come up with its top three differential diagnosis. ChatGPT 4.0 accurately created a shortlist of differential diagnoses in 74.6% of the 63 case reports (74.6%). We analyzed ChatGPT 4.0\'s confidence in its diagnosis by asking it to rank its top three differentials from most to least likely. Out of the 47 correct diagnoses, 33 were the first (70.2%) on the differential diagnosis list, 11 were second (23.4%), and three were third (6.4%). Our study shows the continued iterative improvement in ChatGPT\'s ability to answer standardized USMLE questions accurately and provides insights into ChatGPT\'s clinical diagnostic accuracy.

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The introduction of a systematic framework for the licensing of health care professions, which is a crucial step in ensuring the quality of human resources for health (HRH), is still evolving in Lao People\'s Democraic Republic. The aim of this study was to review and document the evolution of Lao HRH policies and the development of its national licensing system.
A qualitative descriptive case study methodology was applied to document and describe how Lao People\'s Democratic Republic laid the foundation for the development of a licensing system. The results demonstrate that Lao People\'s Democratic Republic is currently in the process of transitioning the focus of its HRH policies from the quantity and deployment of services to remote areas to improvements in the quality of services. The key events in the process of developing the licensing system are as follows: (1) the systematic development of relevant policies and legislation, (2) the establishment of responsible organizations and the assignment of responsible leaders, (3) the acceleration of development efforts in response to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Mutual Recognition Arrangement for standard qualifications, (4) the strengthening of educational systems for fostering competent health care professionals, (5) the introduction of a 3-year compulsory service component in rural areas for newly recruited government servants, and (6) the introduction of a requirement to obtain a professional health care certificate to work in a private hospital. The Lao Ministry of Health (MOH) has endorsed a specific strategy for licensing to realize this system.
The need for licensing systems has increased in recent years due to regional economic integration and a shift in policy toward achieving universal health coverage. A national licensing system would be a significant milestone in health system development, helping to ensure the competency of health care professionals by means of a national examination, continuing professional development, and the revoking of licenses when appropriate.

Acupuncture is an alternative medical therapy and widely practiced in Northeast Asia. Although it is known as a safe procedure, complications including infection, pneumothorax, hemorrhage, and cardiac tamponade have been reported. The authors present a rare case of fatal acute peritonitis due to penetration of acupuncture needles directly into the abdominal and pelvic cavity. The victim was a 55-year-old woman who had a recent history of chemo-radiotherapy due to breast cancer. She was collapsed three days after receiving acupuncture. She had symptoms of fever and chilling sensation, general myalgia, and vomiting during three days. The autopsy revealed several needle marks in the lower abdomen and 180ml of bloody exudate in the abdominal cavity. There was no visible intestinal perforation, but hemorrhagic foci in the mesentery and paracolic area of sigmoid colon were noted. The deepest portion was 13.5cm from the needle marks on the abdominal skin. The practitioner had not a Chinese medical license. He was accused of illegal medical practice and manslaughter. Acute peritonitis associated with acupuncture might be caused by inadequate sterilization of skin and needle itself and/or direct mesentery injury.

BACKGROUND: A novel type of item sets, \"f-type\" testlets, was recently introduced on the United States Medical Licensing Examination. These testlets contain two or more questions associated with a common clinical scenario. In some cases, as the scenario unfolds, examinees are indirectly provided with feedback about their response to a testlet question. The effects of this format and of the provision of feedback to examinees about their performance are investigated.
METHODS: Examinee behavior is predicted using an item response model, and observed examinee responses are compared with model expectations for f-type testlets. Mean model-data discrepancies among specific examinee groups are compared to study the dependencies across within-testlet items (i.e., case-specificity) and the impact of providing feedback.
RESULTS: Findings showed that case-specificity effects were present (on average) for all examinee subgroups except examinees who both responded unsuccessfully to the initial item within an f-type testlet and received feedback. Case-specificity effects were negative for examinees who responded unsuccessfully to the initial testlet item but did not receive feedback. For those who responded successfully to the initial testlet items, case-specificity effects were positive.
CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that responses to test questions within an f-type testlet are not independent-even after accounting for examinee proficiency and item characteristics. Case-specificity effects (i.e., dependencies) were observed on average for all examinees except those who both responded unsuccessfully to the initial item within an f-type testlet and received feedback. Research into modeling these effects through the use of more general item response models is recommended.

BACKGROUND: The United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®) Step 3® examination is a computer-based examination composed of multiple choice questions (MCQ) and computer-based case simulations (CCS). The CCS portion of Step 3 is unique in that examinees are exposed to interactive patient-care simulations.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the following study is to investigate whether the type and length of examinees\' postgraduate training impacts performance on the CCS component of Step 3, consistent with previous research on overall Step 3 performance.
METHODS: Retrospective cohort study
METHODS: Medical school graduates from U.S. and Canadian institutions completing Step 3 for the first time between March 2007 and December 2009 (n = 40,588).
METHODS: Post-graduate training was classified as either broadly focused for general areas of medicine (e.g. pediatrics) or narrowly focused for specific areas of medicine (e.g. radiology). A three-way between-subjects MANOVA was utilized to test for main and interaction effects on Step 3 and CCS scores between the demographic characteristics of the sample and type of residency. Additionally, to examine the impact of postgraduate training, CCS scores were regressed on Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) scores. Residuals from the resulting regressions were plotted.
RESULTS: There was a significant difference in CCS scores between broadly focused (μ = 216, σ = 17) and narrowly focused (μ=211, σ = 16) residencies (p < 0.001). Examinees in broadly focused residencies performed better overall and as length of training increased, compared to examinees in narrowly focused residencies. Predictors of Step 1 and Step 2 CK explained 55% of overall Step 3 variability and 9% of CCS score variability.
CONCLUSIONS: Factors influencing performance on the CCS component may be similar to those affecting Step 3 overall. Findings are supportive of the validity of the Step 3 program and may be useful to program directors and residents in considering readiness to take this examination.

BACKGROUND: Physician shortages in the United States are estimated to reach as high as 85 000 by 2020. One strategy for addressing the shortage is to encourage physicians who left clinical practice to return to work, but few programs exist to prepare physicians to reenter practice. The Divisions of Continuing Medical Education and Graduate Medical Education (GME), Oregon Health & Science University, collaborated with clinical departments to establish a physician reentry program.
METHODS: A case-study of education designed to return nonpracticing physicians to clinical activity was undertaken.
RESULTS: Fourteen candidates were accepted into the program. Accepted candidates were appointed special fellows at the university and provided with restricted institutional license and liability coverage. Based on retraining assessment and planned scope of practice, applicants and program directors designed individualized curricula. As trainees demonstrated clinical proficiency, their level of independence increased in a condensed version of the residency training model. Of the 14 accepted candidates, 13 successfully completed the program and are actively engaged in clinical practice. One trainee did not successfully complete the program.
CONCLUSIONS: This reentry program reintroduced clinically inactive physicians into supervised direct patient care. Use of the GME model allowed acceptance of special fellows and provided institutional malpractice coverage for them.

Researchers at the Center for Public Genomics at Duke University analyzed how patenting and licensing affect clinical access to genetic testing in the United States. The research was requested by the Secretary\'s Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and Society. Conditions studied were breast and ovarian cancers, colon cancers, Alzheimer disease, cystic fibrosis, hearing loss, hereditary hemochromatosis, long QT syndrome, spinocerebellar ataxia, Tay-Sachs disease, and Canavan disease.

Information technology helps meet today\'s medical students\' needs by providing multiple curriculum delivery methods. Video streaming is an e-learning technology that uses the Internet to deliver curriculum while giving the student control of the content\'s delivery. There have been few studies conducted on the effectiveness of streaming video in medical schools. A 5-year retrospective study was conducted using three groups of students (n = 1736) to determine if the availability of streaming video in Years 1-2 of the basic science curriculum affected overall Step 1 scores for first-time test-takers. The results demonstrated a positive effect on program outcomes as streaming video became more readily available to students. Based on these findings, streaming video technology seems to be a viable tool to complement in-class delivery methods, to accommodate the needs of medical students, and to provide options for meeting the challenges of delivering the undergraduate medical curriculum. Further studies need to be conducted to continue validating the effectiveness of streaming video technology.

BACKGROUND: The 2000 Institute of Medicine report on patient safety brought renewed attention to the issue of preventable medical errors, and subsequently specialty boards and the National Board of Medical Examiners were encouraged to play a role in setting expectations around safety education. This paper examines potentially dangerous actions taken by examinees during the portion of the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 3 that is particularly well suited to evaluating lapses in physician decision making, the Computer-based Case Simulation (CCS).
METHODS: Descriptive statistics and a general linear modeling approach were used to analyze dangerous actions ordered by 25,283 examinees that completed CCS for the first time between November 2006 and January 2008.
RESULTS: More than 20% of examinees ordered at least one dangerous action with the potential to cause significant patient harm. The propensity to order dangerous actions may vary across clinical cases.
CONCLUSIONS: The CCS format may provide a means of collecting important information about patient-care situations in which examinees may be more likely to commit dangerous actions and the propensity of examinees to order dangerous tests and treatments.