Benefits of Mock Oral Examinations in a Multi-institutional Consortium for Board Certification in General Surgery Training

2009 ◽  
Vol 75 (9) ◽  
pp. 817-821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gokulakkrishna Subhas ◽  
Stephen Yoo ◽  
Yeon-Jeen Chang ◽  
David Peiper ◽  
Mark J. Frikker ◽  
...  

The Southeast Michigan Center for Medical Education (SEMCME) is a consortium of teaching hospitals in the Greater Detroit metropolitan area. SEMCME pools its resources for several educational means, including mock oral board examinations. The educational and cost benefits to mock oral examinations on a multi-institutional basis in preparation for the American Board of Surgery (ABS) certifying examination were analyzed. Ten-year multi-institution data from the mock oral examinations were correlated with ABS certifying examination pass rates. Mock oral examination scores were available for 107 of 147 graduates, which included 12 candidates who failed their certifying examination on the first attempt (pass rate = 89%). Four of 31 examinees who had a low score (4.9 or less) in their mock oral exams failed their certifying examination in their first attempt. The cost of running the mock examination was low (approximately $35/resident for 50 residents). When graduates from the last 10 years were surveyed, the majority of respondents believed that the mock oral examination helped in their success and with their preparation for the certifying examination. Thus, the many benefits of administering the examination with the resources of a consortium of hospitals result in the accurate reproduction of real-life testing conditions with reasonable overall costs per resident.

SICOT-J ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Jonathan L. Ajah

Surgical postgraduate examiners and examinees in Nigeria complain of the low pass rate at all levels of the postgraduate surgical training examinations to which several factors are contributing. For several years there has been being a persistently low surgeon workforce in the country despite having two surgeon producing institutions been for at least 37 years. A review of the probable causes was carried out to shed more light on the matter. At the time of writing there are 52 National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) and 46 West African College of Surgeons (WACS) accredited post graduate surgery training programs in Nigeria compared with 99 in the United Kingdom (UK) and 1056 in the United States (US). Based on available data Nigeria has approximately 572 surgery residency training slots yearly compared with approximately 646 in the UK and 4225 in the US. Examination pass rate was less than 40% for primary WACS compared with 98% pass rate in USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) 3, pass rate at part I was 28.8% for WACS compared with 37% at MRCS (Membership Royal College of Surgeons) part A and 57% for MRCS part B. For the exit examination or part II WACS pass rate was 31.5% (general surgery) while it was 64% for Fellowship Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) cumulative and 70% in the American board of surgery (ABS). Surgeon per 100 000 population was 0.69 for Nigeria compared with 11.7 and 25.6 for the UK and US respectively. In the last 35 years WACS has produced 1638 surgeons (2.8 times more than NPMCN) in surgery and NPMCN has produced 572. The frequency of examination were twice per year for both WACS and NPMCN examinations, 3 times per year for the USMLE step 3, MRCS (A & B) and Fellowship Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) general surgery. The American Board of Surgery (ABS) is once per year for Qualifying Examination (QE) and 5 times per year for Certifying Examination (CE).


2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 398-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel L. Dent ◽  
Mohammed J. Al Fayyadh ◽  
Jeremy A. Rawlings ◽  
Ramy A. Hassan ◽  
Jason W. Kempenich ◽  
...  

It has been suggested that in environments where there is greater fear of litigation, resident autonomy and education is compromised. Our aim was to examine failure rates on American Board of Surgery (ABS) examinations in comparison with medical malpractice payments in 47 US states/ territories that have general surgery residency programs. We hypothesized higher ABS examination failure rates for general surgery residents who graduate from residencies in states with higher malpractice risk. We conducted a retrospective review of five-year (2010–2014) pass rates of first-time examinees of the ABS examinations. States’ malpractice data were adjusted based on population. ABS examinations failure rates for programs in states with above and below median malpractice payments per capita were 31 and 24 per cent ( P < 0.01) respectively. This difference was seen in university and independent programs regardless of size. Pearson correlation confirmed a significant positive correlation between board failure rates and malpractice payments per capita for Qualifying Examination ( P < 0.02), Certifying Examination ( P < 0.02), and Qualifying and Certifying combined index ( P < 0.01). Malpractice risk correlates positively with graduates’ failure rates on ABS examinations regardless of program size or type. We encourage further examination of training environments and their relationship to surgical residency graduate performance.


1996 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 636-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna Hannum ◽  
Kerrie Cycan ◽  
Linda Jones ◽  
Melinda Stewart ◽  
Steve Morris ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectives:To determine the effect of different methods of training on the ability of hospital workers to wear respirators and pass a qualitative fit test, and to compare the direct cost of the training.Design:179 hospital employees were recruited for study and were stratified into three groups based on the type of training they received in the use of respirators. Employees in Group A received one-on-one training by the hospital's industrial hygienist and were fit tested as part of this training. Employees in Group B received classroom instruction and demonstration by infection control nurses in the proper use of respirators, but were not fit tested as part of training. Employees in Group C received no formal training. Each participant in our study underwent a subsequent qualitative fit test using irritant smoke to check for the employee's ability to adjust correctly the fit and seal of the respirator. The direct cost of each method of training was determined by accounting for the cost of trainers and the cost of employee-hours lost during training.Setting:775-bed Veterans' Affairs hospital.Results:94% of Group A participants (49 of 52) passed the qualitative fit test, compared to 91% of Group B participants (58 of 64) and 79% of Group C participants (50 of 63; P=.036, 2 × 3 chi-square). Group A had a significantly higher pass rate than Group C (P=.043), but Group B did not differ significantly from Group A or Group C. Location or professional status did not affect pass rate, but prior experience wearing respirators did. When the study groups were compared after stratifying for prior experience, we found no difference in pass rates, except when Groups A and B (those with any training) were combined and compared with Group C (107 of 116 versus 50 of 63, P=.05, Mantel-Haenszel chi-square).We estimate that the method of training involving individual instruction followed by fit testing took 20 minutes per employee to complete, compared to 10 minutes per six employee class for the method of classroom demonstration. The difference in direct cost between the two methods, applied to the training of 1,200 employees at our hospital, would be approximately $19,000 per year.Conclusion:Our study indicates that training in the proper use of respirators is important, but the method of training may not be, as the two methods we evaluated were nearly equivalent in their pass rates on fit testing (94% versus 91%). Fit testing as part of training may have enhanced the performance of our participants marginally, but was more time consuming and accounted for most of the excess cost.


2016 ◽  
Vol 211 (2) ◽  
pp. 416-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rana M. Higgins ◽  
Rebecca A. Deal ◽  
Daniel Rinewalt ◽  
Edward F. Hollinger ◽  
Imke Janssen ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
I Made Suarta

Local knowledge (local genius) is the quintessence of our ancestors thinking either oral or written traditions which we have received to date. Thought that, in the context of real archipelago has the same thread, which has a valuable values and universal to strengthen the integrity of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia. Through our founding genius thought that we should be able to implement it in real life to be able to reach people who "Gemah ripah loh jinawi", no less clothing, food, and shelter!Some of the many concepts of mind for the people of Bali are reflected in the work of puppeteer Ki Dalang Tangsub contributed to the development of Indonesia and has a universal value is the concept of maintaining the environment, save money, and humble. Through mental attitude has not always feel pretty; like not smart enough, not skilled enough, and not mature enough experience, make us always learn and practice. Learn and continue lifelong learning will make a man more mature and a lot of experience. Thus, the challenges in life will be easy to overcome. All that will be achieved, in addition to the hard work is also based on the mental attitude of inferiority is not proud, haughty, arrogant and other negative attitudes. Thought care environment, managing finances, and humble as described above, in Bali has been formulated through a literature shaped geguritan, namely Geguritan I Gedé Basur Dalang Tangsub works, one of the great authors in the early 19th century.  Keywords: Local knowledge, a cornerstone of, the character of the archipelago


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-152
Author(s):  
Caroline Breese Hall ◽  
Harold S. Margolis

We appreciate the concerned letter of Dr Jacobs and his thoughtful questions arising both from his knowledge of the recommendations and public health issues, as well as those of private practice. The cost of vaccines is an issue with which we must all be concerned. By highlighting the importance of childhood immunization the Clinton administration has engendered interest and, thus, optimism that efforts toward reducing the cost will be successful. However, we should remember that the many excellent studies that have analyzed the reasons why children are not being vaccinated have shown that cost is not the major factor, but access, difficulties, and obstacles, real and perceived, to obtaining immunizations are.


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