Examination outcomes for international medical graduates pursuing or completing family medicine residency training in Quebec.
OBJECTIVE
To review the success of international medical graduates (IMGs) who are pursuing or have completed a Quebec residency training program and examinations.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed IMGs' success rates on the pre-residency Collège des médecins du Québec medical clinical sciences written examination and objective structured clinical examination, as well as on the post-residency Certification Examination in Family Medicine.


METHODS
Quebec.


METHODS
All IMGs taking their examinations between 2001 and 2008, inclusive, and Canadian and American graduates taking their examinations during this same period.


METHODS
Success rates for IMGs on the pre-residency and post-residency examinations, compared with success rates for Canadian and American graduates.


RESULTS
Success rates on the pre-residency clinical examinations remained below 50% from 2001 to 2008 for IMGs. Similarly, during the same period, the average success rate on the Certification examination was 56.0% for IMGs, compared with 93.5% for Canadian and American medical graduates.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite pre-residency competency screening and in-program orientation and supports, a substantial number of IMGs in Quebec are not passing their Certification examinations. Another study is under way to analyze reasons for some IMGs' lack of success and to find ways to help IMGs complete residency training successfully and pass the Certification examination.
MacLellan
Anne-Marie
AM
Collège des médecins du Québec, Medical Education Division, 2170 René-Lévesque Ouest, Montreal, QC H3H 2T8. amaclellan@cmq.org
Brailovsky
Carlos
C
Rainsberry
Paul
P
Bowmer
Ian
I
Desrochers
Micheline
M
D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003657:Decision Making; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004522:Educational Status; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D005550:Foreign Medical Graduates / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D011792:Quebec; D012189:Retrospective Studies