Organization of a comprehensive anesthesiology oral practice examination program: Planning, structure, startup, administration, growth, and evaluation

Study Objective: To describe the planning, structure, startup, administrati on, growth, and evaluation of a comprehensive oral practice examination (OP E) program. Setting: Midwest U.S. anesthesiology residency training program. Measurements and Main Results: committee planning involved consideration of format and frequency of administration, timing for best resident and facul ty availability, communication, forms design, clerical support, record keep ing, and quality monitoring. OPE format was deliberately constructed to res emble that used by the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) to enhance re sident familiarity with ABA style oral examination. Quality improvement too ls consisted of regular examiner and examinee inservice sessions, liaison w ith ABA associate examiners, and review of examinee exit questionnaires. A set of OPE databases was constructed to facilitate quality monitoring and e ducational research efforts. A semiannual administration schedule on three to four consecutive Mondays o ptimally accommodated resident rotations and faculty work schedules. Contin ued administration of the OPE program required ongoing construction of a po ol of guided case-oriented questions, selection of appropriate questions ba sed on examinee training exposure, examination calendar publication, and sc heduling of recurring examiner and examinee activities. Important issues th at required action by the governing committee were examination timing, conf lict with clinical demands, use of OPE results, and procurement of training resources. The OPE program grew from 56 examinations in the first year to 120 exams by year 3. It was perceived positively by the majority of residen ts. There were 90.2% of exit questionnaires that acknowledged specific lear ning about oral examination technique, while only 0.3% indicated lack of me aningful information exchange. Fewer than 10% of responses indicated mislea ding questions or badgering by examiners. Resident preparedness increased w ith repeat OPE exposure. Conclusions: A comprehensive mock oral examination program was successfully planned, initiated, and developed. It is well accepted by residents and fa culty. Its inception was associated with an increase in resident preparedne ss. Now in its tenth year of existence it continues to be an asset and esse ntial component of our training program. (C) 1999 by Elsevier Science Inc.