APGO

Poster
Laura Sabo, MD

John P. Street, PhD

Introduction Last year we presented our experience with an obstetrics-based oral exam for interns. We introduced the ‘Resident Oral Review – Obstetrics’ in the 2009-10 academic year. At that time our intent was to create similar exams for each year of residency. And during the 2011-12 academic year we did administer oral exams for the PGY-2, 3 & 4 residents. This presentation provides information on the development and implementation of those new oral exams.

The ‘Resident Oral Review’ provides important educational support to resident development. The oral exam series complements the self-study efforts of residents by providing a study guide. Although these exams are not ‘high stakes’, they do serve as an end-of-the-year challenge to motivate further study. Residents are fully aware that oral exams allow for an exploration of the depth of their understanding on important facets of patient care. Since the final step in board certification is the oral boards, this process is a valuable learning experience for the resident as well.

Methods: Our goal was to create an integrated set of oral exams for each level of residency that covered the spectrum of patient care. The exam for first year residents focuses on obstetrics. Second year residents are tested on gynecology, while third year residents are examined on primary care. Fourth year residents experience a mock oral exam that mimics the format of oral boards.

The residency program provides support for PGY1 residents in the form of a highly-structured study guide. The intent is to provide a diminishing level of support for each subsequent year to enable residents to ‘fly solo’ in their final year. Prior to their exam 4th year residents submit a case list, which becomes source material for their oral exam. Although residents are not currently graded on their exam performance, they do receive detailed feedback.

Results: Informal feedback from faculty and residents involved with the first three years of oral exams has shown a relatively high level of satisfaction. A formal survey conducted with faculty and residents participating in the 4th year mock orals demonstrated a great deal of satisfaction with the exam. In addition to the 4th year residents, the mock orals also tested graduating fellows in Maternal Fetal Medicine and Gynecological Oncology. Since the mock orals proved to be so rewarding for participating residents and fellows, our department is now considering expanding the process to include junior faculty preparing for oral boards.

Conclusion: We believe the oral exam series has proven to be an effective way to support resident professional development. Our next step in the development of the oral exam series is to decide on the appropriate type of evaluation for the exams (e.g. written detailed feedback, graded performance, pass/fail).