title: Pre-internship Nigerian medical graduates lack basic musculoskeletal competency.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to assess the basic musculoskeletal competency of pre-internship graduates from Nigerian medical schools.
  
  
  METHODS
  We administered the Freedman and Bernstein basic musculoskeletal competency examination to 113 pre-internship graduates from seven Nigerian medical schools over a three year period from 2008 to 2010 at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital. Five specialist residents took the examination to test criteria relevance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All graduates failed this test, obtaining scores ranging from 7% to 67%. The duration of the orthopaedic posting, and observation of operative fracture fixation, were not significant determinants of the score. The two final-year specialist residents each had a marginal pass in the examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Basic musculoskeletal competency among pre-internship Nigerian medical-school graduates is inadequate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria. timnottidge@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Timothy Eyo
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Nottidge
authors.forename: Udeme
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ekrikpo
authors.forename: Adeleke Olusegun
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Ifesanya
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Nnabuko
authors.forename: Edwin Maduakonam
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Dim
authors.forename: Clement Inyang
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Udoinyang
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003162:Competency-Based Education; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D009549:Nigeria; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000193:education*