Medical licensing examination-based reform of medical microbiology teaching.

The implementation of the National Medical Licensing Examination (NMLE) System in China in 1999 was a significant milestone for the medical profession. The NMLE serves as a standard for competence as well as an important indicator for evaluating and guiding Chinese medical education. However, the National Medical Examination Center reports that the annual NMLE pass rate is only around 20%. Moreover, a failing grade constitutes a major obstacle to future employment for medical graduates. Medical microbiology is an essential part of basic medical science, accounting for a considerable fraction of the written portion of the NMLE. Unfortunately, the current NMLE syllabus for medical microbiology comprises 33 chapters of unrelated facts that most students find boring to memorise and difficult to understand. To improve teaching outcomes and prepare undergraduates for future success, we initiated a NMLE-based education reform in medical microbiology teaching in the sophomore class at our university.