Resident acquisition of knowledge during a noontime conference series.
OBJECTIVE
Noontime conferences are widely used in family practice residencies. This study determined the effectiveness of noontime conferences for increasing residents' knowledge.


METHODS
Twenty residents were tested monthly over 6 months and then cumulatively on the content of noontime conferences.


RESULTS
Monthly test scores of attendees versus nonattendees were compared using a two-sample, two-tail t test. Results revealed the mean score of attendees for short-term knowledge to be 12.1 points higher than nonattendees. There was no correlation, however, between conference attendance and long-term knowledge retention.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings indicate a lack of correlation between noontime conference attendance and long-term cumulative test scores. The results question the value of noontime conferences as a teaching method.
Picciano
Anne
A
JFK Family Practice Residency Program, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Edison, NJ 08818, USA. apicciano@solarishs.org
Winter
Robin
R
Ballan
Douglas
D
Birnberg
Bruce
B
Jacks
Maryann
M
Laing
Euton
E
D004521:Educational Measurement; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D019359:Knowledge; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*