Training psychiatric residents for Part II of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Examination

Of the physicians who took the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology ( ABPN) Examination, Part II, in 1995, 41% failed. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires that residency psychiatry p rograms conduct an organized evaluation of residents' clinical skills at le ast twice during the 4 years of training. At the University of Oklahoma Hea lth Science Center-Tulsa, the residents attend formal didactic instruction on conducting a psychiatric interview. Having gained this didactic foundati on, they then participate in actual patient interviews. First- and 3rd-year residents are mock examiners, paired with an experienced board-certified p sychiatrist. Second- and 4th-year residents examine an actual patient. A su rvey evaluating this curriculum was rated as very good to excellent by the participants.