Newly graduated doctors' competence in managing cardiopulmonary arrests assessed using a standardized Advanced Life Support (ALS) assessment.
OBJECTIVE
Several studies using a variety of assessment approaches have demonstrated that young doctors possess insufficient resuscitation competence. The aims of this study were to assess newly graduated doctors' resuscitation competence against an internationally recognised standard and to study whether teaching site affects their resuscitation competence.


METHODS
The entire cohort of medical students from Copenhagen University expected to graduate in June 2006 was invited to participate in the study. Participants' ALS-competence was assessed using the Advanced Life Support Provider (ALS) examination standards as issued by the European Resuscitation Council (ERC). The emergency medicine course is conducted at three different university hospital teaching sites and teaching and assessment might vary across sites, despite the common end objectives regarding resuscitation teaching issued by the university.


RESULTS
Participation was accepted by 154/240 (64%) graduates. Only 23% of the participants met the ALS pass criteria. They primarily lacked skills in managing cardiopulmonary arrest. There were significant differences in ALS-competence between teaching sites.


CONCLUSIONS
Newly graduated doctors do not have sufficient competence in managing cardiopulmonary arrests according to the current guidelines published by ERC. There were significant differences in ALS-competence between sites. Change in teaching and assessment practice in undergraduate emergency medicine courses is needed in order to increase the level of ALS-competence of newly graduated doctors.
Jensen
Morten Lind
ML
Centre for Clinical Education, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark. morten.lind.jensen@gmail.com
Hesselfeldt
Rasmus
R
Rasmussen
Maria Birkvad
MB
Mogensen
Simon Skibsted
SS
Frost
Torben
T
Jensen
Michael Kammer
MK
Muijtjens
Arno
A
Lippert
Freddy
F
Ringsted
Charlotte
C
D000328:Adult; D022561:Advanced Cardiac Life Support / Q000193:education*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003718:Denmark; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male