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SCNM NPLEX Scores Continue to Rise
By Rick Eberst, PhD, Provost
Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine has been working hard to improve the passing rates that our students earn on the NPLEX board examinations and there is good news to report!
Since 2002, the average difference between the Biomedical Science scores for all of the Naturopathic medical colleges and SCNM has gone from SCNM being 10% below the average in 2002 to now being 18% above the average of all the colleges. This has been a slow but steady progress but has yielded great results. During the most recent NPLEX administration, the SCNM pass percentage for the five Biomedical Sciences scores ranged from a low pass rate of 95% to a high pass rate of 100%. For the mandatory Clinical Sciences scores the difference in passing rates has gone from as much as 11% below the average to now only 2% below. Most colleges support the fact that scores within one or two percentage points of the average is not significant.
Within the optional NPLEX examinations in Homeopathy, Minor Surgery, and Acupuncture, SCNM students have moved from a low point of 10% below the overall average in 2004 to our most recent scores of 4% higher.
Over all what does all this mean? In the Biomedical Sciences, SCNM students have not only closed the gap between the average of all the Naturopathic colleges but have also greatly surpassed the average over four of the past five years. With the Clinical Science scores, SCNM students almost completely eliminated the large gap between the average scores and the difference is getting smaller with every administration. With the optional examination, SCNM students continue to greatly surpass the average and have done so four out of the past five years.
So, when you see any students across campus who just took the Biomedical Sciences NPLEX examination, make sure to pat them on the back with congratulations and know that we fully expect that recently admitted students will not only match these outcomes but will continue to surpass these benchmarks in the future.
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