PHILADELPHIA, PA — The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) has announced Dr. Rachel Yudkowsky as the recipient of the 2025 John P. Hubbard Award. This accolade, which has been awarded annually for more than four decades, recognizes individuals for their significant contributions to the advancement of medical education and assessment.
Dr. Yudkowsky, a Professor Emerita in the Department of Medical Education at the University of Illinois College of Medicine (Chicago), has spent her career transforming medical assessment practices. A psychiatrist by training, she discovered her passion for teaching and assessment during her residency and has since become a global leader in developing innovative methods to evaluate clinical competencies.
Revolutionizing Medical Assessments
Dr. Yudkowsky’s research and innovations have focused on the use of standardized patients and simulations to assess critical skills such as clinical reasoning, communication, physical examinations, and basic procedural tasks. Standardized patients, trained actors who mimic medical conditions, have become a central element in her work, helping educators evaluate how medical students interact with and diagnose their patients in real-world scenarios.
Her work has gone beyond traditional assessment methods, seeking to replace reliance on rigid checklists with tools that encourage critical thinking and adaptability. “Assessments should reflect the real-world complexities of patient care,” Dr. Yudkowsky has emphasized. “It’s important for medical students to learn how to think critically and adapt to each patient encounter, rather than just checking off boxes on a list as they study.”
Her dedication has also led to the development of hypothesis-driven physical exams and competency-driven testing methods. By integrating rigorous, clinically relevant scenarios into tests, Dr. Yudkowsky has ensured that students are prepared for genuine medical challenges rather than rote memorization.
Commitment to Standardized Patient Programs
One of her notable achievements includes refining performance assessments using standardized patients to better evaluate diagnostic and communication skills. She has worked tirelessly to not only ensure these assessments are effective but also to shape how passing standards are determined, making them both fair and competency-driven. For her, these methods are essential to producing well-rounded physicians who can meet the complexities of patient care.
Additionally, Dr. Yudkowsky has worked on machine-scoring solutions for post-encounter notes, reducing faculty workloads while maintaining high evaluation standards.
Her groundbreaking efforts have been supported in part by NBME’s Stemmler Grants, which she has previously received. These grants fund innovative projects aimed at improving medical assessment practices, and her use of them has helped elevate the standards of medical education across the field.
Recognized Excellence
Dr. Yudkowsky expressed gratitude for being named the recipient of the 2025 John P. Hubbard Award. “It is an incredible honor to receive the Hubbard Award,” she said. “I have long admired past recipients and the impact they’ve had on medical education. To be recognized among them is deeply meaningful. This award affirms that the work I love — researching and refining assessment practices — has made a real difference.”
NBME President and CEO Peter J. Katsufrakis, MD, MBA, praised her contributions, stating, “Dr. Rachel Yudkowsky embodies the highest standards of excellence in medical education and research, and her commitment to enhancing patient care is evident. We are honored to recognize her outstanding contributions with the prestigious Hubbard Award.”
A Legacy of Advocacy and Innovation
Looking ahead, Dr. Yudkowsky remains dedicated to advancing competency-driven assessments that prioritize patient-centered care. Her research into clinically relevant evaluation methods continues to shape medical education, ensuring new generations of physicians are equipped to address the complexities of modern healthcare.
Established in 1982, the John P. Hubbard Award celebrates individuals who have profoundly impacted medical assessment and education. Dr. Yudkowsky now joins an esteemed group of past recipients whose work has elevated medical training worldwide. With her forward-thinking approaches and lifelong commitment to education, her contributions promise to leave a lasting impact on healthcare for years to come.
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