NBME VIRTUAL Summer Internship in Measurement and Data Science

Measurement and Data Science Internship

June 1 - July 24, 2026

NBME invites applications for multiple full-time internship positions, all fully remote, for the Summer of 2026. Over an 8-week period, interns will have the opportunity to collaborate with NBME staff and interact with fellow graduate students as they complete a research project. The expected deliverable is an internal research presentation. Specific projects for the summer of 2026 will be discussed with applicants as part of the interview process; examples of recent summer internship projects are listed below.

At NBME, we continue to innovate and improve how we fulfill the evolving needs of the health care community. This commitment starts and ends with the people at NBME. By recruiting and empowering talented individuals from various disciplines and backgrounds, which includes professionals with diverse life experiences, abilities, and perspectives, NBME can take a well-informed, robust approach to advancing medical education and assessment for years to come.

Compensation

• Interns will be compensated at $48.64 per hour, amounting to a total stipend of $12,600 for full-time interns (35 hours per week).


• Additionally, all interns are eligible to receive up to $1,000 to support their attendance at a conference. This is not conditional on presenting at the conference.

Requirements

• Active enrollment in a doctoral program in measurement, statistics, computer science, cognitive science, educational psychology, I/0 psychology, medical education, or related field.


• Completion of at least one year of your PhD program by Summer 2026.


• Experience or coursework in one or more of the following: statistics, measurement theory, natural language processing, data science, data science, research design, IRT, and test development.


• Working knowledge of statistical software (e.g., R, Python, C#).


• Interns will be assigned to one or more mentors and must be able to work independently.


• Must be authorized to work in the US for any employer. If selected, F-1 holders will need to apply for Curricular Practical Training authorization through their school's international student office and have a social security number for payroll purposes.


• Must not have any competing employment throughout the duration of the internship.


• Must be available between NBME core hours (10am-3pm Eastern Time).


• Must be eligible to work June 1 - July 24, 2026. We are unable to shift the timeline of the internship program.

Application

Candidates may apply by going to https://nbme.applicantpro.com/jobs/. A current CV is required. Applications that include a cover letter outlining relevant experience and specific research programs or topics of interest will be given priority. When writing your cover letter, please highlight your specific role on projects / when working with faculty. It can be difficult to infer this information from short CV entries. Please help us learn more about your skills and interests!

Please note that the deadline for applications is Sunday, February 1, 2026, at midnight PST.

Applicants will be informed of the selection decisions on or before Friday, February 27, 2026.

NBME's mission is:

NBME advances assessment of health care professionals to achieve optimal care for all.

At NBME, we are dedicated to advancing the assessment of health care professionals to achieve optimal care for all. While centered on assessment of physicians, this mission encompasses the spectrum of health professionals along the continuum of education, training and practice and includes research in evaluation as well as development of assessment tools.

Realizing this mission requires several continuous large-scale research projects across multiple divisions at NBME. These research projects usually fall into one of the following categories:

Operational Research

This research supports NBME's current portfolio of assessments. Utilizing already defined capabilities and focusing on established constructs, this foundational programmatic research improves our existing measurement capabilities or gathers validity evidence for our assessments.

Example projects:

• Evaluation of Scoring Models for a New Assessment Format


• Testing Security: Problems and Possible Solutions


• Using Process Data to Improve Examinee Ability Estimation Precision


• The Utility of Nonfunctioning Distractors for Credentialing Tests


• Modeling the Conditions That Influence Response Time and Performance


• Examining USMLE Step 1 Feature Usage: A Response Process Validity Study


• The Association between USMLE Step 2 CK Scores and Patient Mortality: A Validity Study

Capabilities Research

This research advances NBME's abilities to develop deeper insights into assessment performance and examinee behavior, while improving processes for test development and evaluation. NBME has a dedicated Data Science and AI team that utilizes innovative methodologies, technologies, and tools to enhance how assessments are designed, delivered, and interpreted. In addition to doing work in data science and artificial intelligence, projects in this area include developing score reports and web-based applications.

Example projects:

• Automated Short Answer Question Scoring with Adversarial Training


• Automated distractor generation for clinical MCQs


• Automatic Item Generation for Medical Assessment with Large Language Models: Challenges of Accuracy and Novelty


• Using NLP to Explore Item Language Patterns as Part of Test Bias and Test Validity


• Clinical Reasoning Scoring and Analysis


• Automatic Enemy Item Detection Using Natural Language Processing: Latent Semantic Analysis

Constructs Research

This research focuses on the development of complex constructs for which novel, innovative assessments in medical education are needed to facilitate learning and practice. Examples of such constructs include communication, clinical reasoning, and teamwork.

Example projects:

• Defining constructs and identifying the underlying skills and behaviors


• Designing and prototyping new task types


• Developing theories of action to guide assessment use


• Articulating arguments and claims related to validity, fairness, and efficacy


• Conducting qualitative and quantitative studies to gather evidence supporting assessment interpretations and intended uses

About NBME

NBME is a not-for-profit organization that specializes in the creation of assessments and learning tools for physicians and health professionals. Our mission is to advance assessment of these professionals to achieve optimal care for all, supporting the development of a highly effective, diverse and compassionate health care workforce.

Founded in 1915, NBME develops and manages the United States Medical Licensing Examination® with the Federation of State Medical Boards. We offer a comprehensive portfolio of assessment products for every stage of the medical school journey and provide assessment services to various health profession organizations.

We are dedicated to advancing innovative assessment approaches through research, collaboration and contributions to the medical education and assessment communities. In 2024, we expanded our assessment capabilities to include simulation through the acquisition of MedVR Education.

Learn more on NBME's website.

NBME's Community Collaborations and Contributions

NBME believes that a key path to meeting our mission is collaborating with and supporting our communities. Our Community Collaborations and Contributions programs provide resources and recognition to medical educators and researchers advancing the field of assessment throughout their careers. In addition, we invest in fee assistance, scholarships and pathway programs to aid learners and help support increased representation in health care. Headquartered in Philadelphia, NBME also gives to local organizations that advance health equity and access and positively impact social determinants of health.

NBME is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race; color; sex; gender identity; sexual orientation; religious practices and observances; national origin; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; status as a protected veteran or spouse/family member of a protected veteran