How do Medical Student Self-Assessments Compare With Their Final Clerkship Grades?

The purpose of this study was to determine how a medical student\u27s self-assessment at the completion of the third-year Ob/gyn clerkship compares with the institution\u27s final grades at Lehigh Valley Hospital. From November 2002 to November 2003 at completion of each six-week Ob/gyn clerkship rotation, 47 medical students assessed themselves on the following parameters: fund of knowledge, personal attitude, clinical problem-solving skills, written/verbal skills, and technical skills. Additionally, they were asked to predict their performance on the NBME Shelf Exam. Their assessments were then compared with their final clerkship grades in each of the above parameters. Chi-squared and Kendall-tau tests were used to analyse the data for degree of agreement and association, respectively. There was a statistically significant weak to moderate, positive correlation between students’ self-assessment and final clerkship grade for written/verbal skills (p = 0.002, r = 0.390). A statistically significant agreement between raters was also revealed for written/verbal skills (p = 0.003). Weak, non-statistically significant, positive relationships were revealed for fund of knowledge, clinical problem-solving and technical skills. A weak, negative, non-significant relationship was revealed for personal attitudes, and there was no statistically significant relationship between students’ prediction of NBME score and categorized true score (p = 0.717, r = 0.49). At the end of their Ob/gyn clerkship, third-year medical students are better at assessing their technical and written/verbal skills than their global fund of knowledge and personal attitudes. These results may suggest that students are not aware of their own personal attitudes and communication skills and how they can affect their effectiveness as a physician

Electronic residency application service scores: do they correlate with the rank order list for the match?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between ERAS-based preinterview scores, residency program postinterview scores and candidate rank order for the match. STUDY DESIGN: Two hundred sixty-three candidates\u27 preinterview and postinterview scores and rank order were evaluated. The rank order was stratified as 1-4, 5-8, 9-12, \u3e 13 and unranked. Spearman\u27s p statistical analysis was used. RESULTS: There was a moderate relationship, r2 = 0.543, between preinterview and postinterview scores for all applicants. There was a significant inverse correlation between preinterview score and rank order, r2 = -0.763, and for the postinterview and rank order, r2 = -0.768. However, there were no significant relationships between factors significant for the top 4 ranked candidates. CONCLUSION: Preinterview and postinterview scores significantly correlated with each other and with the rank order list except for top-ranked candidates. Other factors may influence the rank order list

Episiotomy rates in private vs. resident service deliveries: a comparison.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the use of episiotomy by private practitioners vs. resident staff and to determine if number of years in practice influences episiotomy use. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective chart review of vaginal deliveries at 35 weeks or greater between January 2001 and June 2001. The number of years in practice by each private physician was documented. Independent sample t tests and chi2 tests were used to analyze data. RESULTS: In 995 deliveries, episiotomies were performed in 6% of low-risk resident deliveries vs. 26% of low-risk private deliveries (por = 15 years performed episiotomies in 32% of low-risk births. Physicians in practice22% of low-risk births (p = 0.027). CONCLUSION: Deliveries performed by private practitioners are associated with a higher rate of episiotomy than those by resident staff. The number of episiotomies appears to increase by number of years in practice