Predictors of resident's success on the certifying examinations from 2005 to 2013 in Guilan University of Medical Sciences

In postgraduate training courses, the purpose is training to achieve an acceptable level of knowledge and clinical skills. Assessment of learning outcomes during residency is done by internal evaluation and annual in-training exams and in the end of residency course by the pre-board qualifying and board certification exams. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between residents’ success in Guilan University of Medical Sciences on the certifying examinations and results of internal evaluation and in-training exam in different periods.
In this retrospective study, data of residents who participated in the certifying examinations in the years 2005-2013 were studied. Three evolutions in evaluation of residents occurred in this span. The first period in the years 2005-2007 which internal evaluation is added, the second period in the years 2008 – 2010 which new methods of evaluation is added to internal evaluation and the third period during the years 2011-2013 which the Pre-board exam was decentralized and awarded to the type 1 universities. In this study first time pass rate was considered, and its relationship between these outcomes and standard scores of internal evaluation and in-training exams by t-test (or Mann Whitney U test in variables with non-normal distribution) and χ2 was determined. Also logistic regression analysis and cluster analysis for grouping residents in three periods were used. The statistical analysis has been done by SPSS and the significant level in the study was considered 0.05.
In this research, data of 680 students were analyzed. 366 of the subjects were male and 314 subjects were female. In general, 64.2% male residents and 74.1% female residents passes the board exam. There was no significant difference in the success rate of male or female participants in the three periods. In this study, 188, 278 and 218 residents were evaluated in period 1, 2 and 3, respectively. In first period, there is only difference between score of internal evaluation in residency course of successful and unsuccessful residents groups (P>0.02). In second period, this difference was significant in score of in-training exams in residency course of these groups (P The results of our study show a weak association between scores of internal and external evaluation with success rate of residents in the third period. In this periods (2011-2013), pre-board exams removed from supervision of specialized medical Secretariat of the Council and was delegated to top rank universities. Further studies in this issue were recommended.