Validation of an interventional pulmonary examination.
BACKGROUND
Interventional pulmonology (IP) is an emerging subspecialty with a dedicated 12 months of additional training after traditional pulmonary and critical care fellowships with fellowships across the country. A multiple-choice question (MCQ) examination was developed to measure didactic knowledge acquired in IP fellowships.


METHODS
Interventional pulmonologists from 10 academic centers developed a MCQ-based examination on a proposed curriculum for IP fellowships. The 75 multiple-choice question examination was proctored, time limited (120 min), and computer-based. The examination was administered to IP faculty, IP fellows in their last month of fellowship, graduating pulmonary and critical care fellows in their last month of training, and incoming first-year pulmonary and critical care fellows.


RESULTS
The mean score for IP faculty was 87% (range, 83%-94%), 74% for IP fellows (range, 61%-81%, SD 5.09, median 76%), 62% for graduating pulmonary and critical care fellows (range 52% to 73%), and 50% for incoming pulmonary/critical care fellows (range, 35%-65%). There was a graduated increase in mean scores with level of IP training. Scores differed significantly across the four groups (P = .001).


CONCLUSIONS
A validated MCQ examination can measure IP knowledge. There is a difference in IP knowledge based on IP training exposure.
Interventional Pulmonology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA. Electronic address: snah74@hotmail.com.
Hans J
HJ
Lee
Interventional Pulmonology, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
David
D
Feller-Kopman
Interventional Pulmonology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA.
R Wesley
RW
Shepherd
Department of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
Francisco A
FA
Almeida
Interventional Pulmonology Program, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.
Rabih
R
Bechara
Interventional Pulmonology Program, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.
David
D
Berkowitz
Pulmonary Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.
Mohit
M
Chawla
Division of Thoracic Surgery and Interventional Pulmonology Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Erik
E
Folch
Section of Interventional Pulmonology and Thoracic Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
Andrew
A
Haas
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.
Colin
C
Gillespie
Medicine/Pulmonary Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.
Robert
R
Lee
Division of Thoracic Surgery and Interventional Pulmonology Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Adnan
A
Majid
Interventional Pulmonology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA.
Rajiv
R
Malhotra
National Jewish Health, Denver, CO.
Ali
A
Musani
Internal Medicine-Pulmonary, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
Jonathan
J
Puchalski
Section of Interventional Pulmonology and Thoracic Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
Daniel
D
Sterman
Interventional Pulmonology, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
Lonny
L
Yarmus
D002983:Clinical Competence; D003422:Critical Care / Q000639:trends; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005257:Fellowships and Scholarships; D006801:Humans; D015272:Pulmonary Medicine / Q000193:education* / Q000639:trends; D013038:Specialization