PILOT-STUDY OF THE USE OF THE ECFMG CLINICAL COMPETENCE ASSESSMENT TOPROVIDE PROFILES OF CLINICAL COMPETENCES OF GRADUATES OF FOREIGN MEDICAL-SCHOOLS FOR RESIDENCY DIRECTORS

Purpose. To conduct the first of a series of pilot projects of the cli nical competence assessment (CCA) of the educational commission for Fo reign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) in order to provide profiles of clinic al competencies of graduates of foreign medical schools for residency directors in the United States and for governments and institutions in other countries. Method and Results. In september 1992 the first pilo t project of the ECFMG CCA was conducted for a program director who wa nted to evaluate ten first-year residents in a midwestern U.S. program . The CCA consists of integrated clinical encounters with ten standard ized patients, 60 laser videodisc pictorials, and analysis of test ite ms of previously completed ECFMG certification examinations. Profiles of the following clinical competencies were provided to the program di rector: data gathering (history and physical examination), interviewin g and interpersonal skills, diagnosis and management skills, interpret ation of diagnostic and laboratory procedures, written communication o f information to the health care team, and spoken-English proficiency. The profiles were provided as individual scores compared with mean sc ores of a reference group of 525 first-year residents who took the CCA at four U.S. assessment centers, and as percentile scores with a rang e of one standard error of measurement. Conclusion. The individual per formance data in this first pilot project were valuable to the program director, who used them to supplement scores on a written examination during the first residency year. The pilot project has shown the ECFM G CCA to be a useful tool for program directors to evaluate applicants and residents who are graduates of foreign medical schools.