The Usage of Mock Oral Examinations for Program Improvement

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Program Evaluation

Background:

• Mock oral examinations are standard for preparing residents for board certification.
• These assessments can also reveal institutional weaknesses in surgical training programs.
• Evaluating multi-institutional mock exam results can guide curriculum development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if a multi-institutional mock oral examination could identify specific programmatic weaknesses.
• To determine if results could facilitate targeted program development in general surgery.

Main Methods:

• A mock oral examination was administered annually over 7 years to general surgery residents at 3 academic medical centers.
• Each resident underwent 9 cases across 3 rooms, covering core surgery and subspecialties.
• Cases assessed patient management from history to postoperative care and professional behaviors.

Main Results:

• A total of 2331 cases were evaluated with a 50.2% overall pass rate.
• Each program exhibited unique weakest areas (e.g., vascular, trauma, breast surgery).
• All programs underperformed in vascular surgery, with differing management facets identified as weakest.

Conclusions:

• Standardized mock oral exams successfully identify program-specific strengths and weaknesses.
• These findings can inform targeted improvements in training programs, rotation schedules, and didactic curricula.