Is it feasible to include a technical skill station on a national licensing examination?
The purpose of the current study was to assess the feasibility and validity of including a technical skill station on a national licensing examination. At the 2003 Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination, 745 test takers participated in a pilot station assessing the ability to perform a technical procedure. Checklists and rating scales were used for scoring. Validity was investigated by comparing surgery-trained to non-surgery-trained test takers. The mean for the pilot station was 72.4%. The pilot station was moderately correlated to the rest of the examination (item-total correlation .43). The mean score for surgery test takers was higher than for other test takers (P < .001). Inclusion of a technical skill station on a high-stakes examination is feasible, and at many levels, there is evidence of the validity of including this station.
Friedlich
Martin
M
Department of Surgery, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. mfriedlich@ottawahospital.on.ca
Smee
Sydney
S
Wood
Timothy
T
D002170:Canada; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D008007:Licensure, Medical; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations