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Board exam preparation resource trends in academic health sciences libraries serving colleges of osteopathic medicine programs.

Background: The study seeks to identify the board exam preparation (prep) resources made available to medical students by academic health sciences libraries and other departments within U.S. colleges of osteopathic medicine (COM) programs, and the extent to which these resources are utilized by medi...

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Published in:Journal of the Medical Library Association Vol. 114; no. 3; pp. 255 - 266
Main Authors: Muellenbach, Joanne, Robinson, Kyle, Chen, Hsin-liang, Bright IV, Harold S., Fitterling, Lori
Format: research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: University of Pittsburgh, University Library System Jul2026
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jul2026
      vid: 114
      iid: 3
      pid: 60406
      pub: University of Pittsburgh, University Library System
      place: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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        195364673
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        10.5195/jmla.2026.2320
        195364673
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        atl: Board exam preparation resource trends in academic health sciences libraries serving colleges of osteopathic medicine programs.
      aug:
        au:
          Muellenbach, Joanne
          Robinson, Kyle
          Chen, Hsin-liang
          Bright IV, Harold S.
          Fitterling, Lori
        affil: Director of Library Services, Health Sciences Library, California Health Sciences University, Clovis, CA
      sug:
        subj:
          Libraries, Academic
          Libraries, Health Sciences
          Osteopathic Medicine Education
          State Board Examinations
          Resource Allocation
          Program Evaluation
          Human
          Male
          Female
          Students, Medical Psychosocial Factors
          Health Educators Psychosocial Factors
          Questionnaires
          Semi-Structured Interview
          Educational Measurement
          Information Services
          Library Services
          Collection Development
          Access to Information
          Information Resources
          Librarians
          Organizational Policies
          Decision Making, Organizational
          Budgets
          Artificial Intelligence
          Educational Technology
          Multimethod Studies
          Qualitative Studies
          Content Analysis
          Descriptive Statistics
          United States
          Videoconferencing
          Data Analysis Software
          Male
          Female
      ab: Background: The study seeks to identify the board exam preparation (prep) resources made available to medical students by academic health sciences libraries and other departments within U.S. colleges of osteopathic medicine (COM) programs, and the extent to which these resources are utilized by medical students and educators. Methods: The study was conducted in two phases. In phase one, forty-two COM library directors were invited to complete a survey regarding their usage, funding, and access models for available board prep resources. In phase two, semistructured interviews were conducted via Zoom to explore the library's role in providing access to these resources. Results: In phase one, thirty-five out of a possible forty-two survey respondents shared the top board exam prep resources to which their COM programs subscribed, as well as the top library resources that included board prep elements. In phase two, thirteen directors participated in Zoom interviews, which were recorded and transcribed to identify key trends in funding responsibility, resource selection, and librarian involvement. It was revealed that governance matters, digital format rules, partnerships drive impact, telling the data story is key, and one-stop guidance works. Conclusion: The two-phase study provided a comprehensive review of the specific resources that academic health sciences libraries and other departments offer for board prep within COM programs. Through analyses of survey and semi-structured interview data, this study identifies trends in resource availability and use, informing strategic planning for libraries, medical school administration, and library science education, ultimately enhancing student outcomes.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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