Security is, by necessity, very tight. Candidates are monitored by security cameras at all times, and videotapes of each testing day are stored for a month in case of discrepancies. At least two proctors are on duty in the center at any time a medical student is testing. According to Trissell, since answers are transmitted electronically, the new system itself has the potential to be more secure than sending paper through the mail around the world. In addition, the delay between the test and the return of test results is considerably reduced.
Convenience is the new center's major drawing card.
The nearest academic testing site is at Creighton University, Omaha, Neb, although since physicians are licensed nationally, these tests may be taken at any Sylvan center in the United States. The three-credit course, with no prerequisites, is offered in collaboration with the Department of Preventive Medicine and WSU's Elliott School of Communication. The class is team taught by Linda Frazier, M.D., M.P.H, associate professor, Preventive Medicine, and Amanda Golbeck, Ph.D., director of WSU's MPH program. Frazier and Golbeck also consult with members of the Elliott School of Communication in teaching course material. Because health educators generally speak at a 14th grade reading level, we felt this course was necessary to give communicators the tools they need to craft more effective health messages.