Effect of residency program merger on undergraduate medical student education in obstetrics and gynecology.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of residency program merger on third-year medical student clerkships using student evaluations of their experiences and standardized subject examination scores.


METHODS
End-of-clerkship ratings from student evaluations and National Board of Medical Examiners standardized subject examination scores in obstetrics and gynecology were used from clerkship sites where three separate military residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology recently merged into two new programs. Mean student evaluation scores and subject examination scores for the year preceding and the year following the merger were compared.


RESULTS
The mean differences in medical student evaluation scores before and after merger of the residency programs were 0.1 (Mann-Whitney rank sum, P = .1), -0.1 (Mann-Whitney rank sum, P = .8), and 0.2 (Mann-Whitney rank sum, P = .3). The mean differences for subject examination scores before and after merger of the residency programs were -3.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] -33.2, 26.2; paired t test), -30.1 (95% CI -58.9, -1.4; paired t test), and -35.3 (95% CI -74.8, 4.3; paired t test).


CONCLUSIONS
Merger of residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology does not appear to have a deleterious effect on medical students' satisfaction with the clerkship or their performance on standardized subject examinations at our institution.
Hines
J F
JF
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas 78234-6200, USA. hinesjeff@aol.com
Satin
A J
AJ
Browne
M
M
Armstrong
A Y
AY
Haffner
W H
WH
D002982:Clinical Clerkship / Q000592:standards*; D006176:Gynecology / Q000193:education*; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000193:education*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires