Use of Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise as a Tool to Assess the Orthodontic Postgraduate Students

Abstract

Introduction: The mini CEX (Clinical Evaluation Exercise) is a workplace-based assessment tool intended to assess the clinical performance and a range of other skills such as communication skills, clinical judgment, professionalism, efficiency, and the overall clinical care while directly observing a real patient encounter. The clinical sessions are followed by structured feedback sessions between the assessors and the trainees. Mini CEX focuses on the actual performance and not just knowledge. This leads to better learning as well as helps to develop and strengthen the doctor–patient bond. Materials and Methods: 8 staff members and 9 orthodontic postgraduate students volunteered to participate in this study after the orientation session was taken to sensitize them about the same. An informed consent was taken from all of them. All the students had 2 sessions with all the assessors. As per the protocol of Mini CEX, immediate feedback about their performance was given to the students after each session. Feedback was also obtained from the assessors and the students after the completion of the exercise. This feedback allowed the assessors and the students to give their views on the exercise. Result: Mean scores of all the students significantly improved in the second session as compared to the first encounter. This was attributed to the feedback which they obtained from the assessors immediately after the session, which helped them improvise on various aspects of patient care. The students themselves felt that the exercise helped them learn better. Conclusion: Mini CEX can hence be considered as a valid formative assessment tool which when routinely used could enhance the learning experience, improve the communication skills of the students, as well as improve the doctor–patient bond.