Examination In Psychiatry Research Articles

Videotaped case histories in the final MB (Psychiatry) examination at St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College.

In June 1979 videotape was used at St Bartholomew's Hospital as a means of presenting ‘short case’ patients for the final clinical MB examination (psychiatry). It seemed appropriate in such a new venture that the quality and suitability of this material should come under scrutiny and that the usefulness of this technique for final examinations and its potential applicability to other examinations be evaluated. It was thought that this preliminary study could yield information which would be helpful to both examiners and examinees in their preparation for future examinations and which might lead to future extensions and refinements of the examination. Even though the number of students interviewed was quite small for a study of this nature, this was heavily outweighed by the salience of the issues raised.

Board certification anxiety.

The authors discuss how stress influences the candidate's capacity to effectively prepare for and fully demonstrate his or her abilities in the oral examination in psychiatry given by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. They highlight subtle misconceptions about examiner priorities, attitudes, and evaluation methods and note common errors that reflect both anxiety and these misconceptions. They offer some advice and information to aid the candidate in coping with these examination difficulties.

Results of the first Canadian psychiatric knowledge self-assessment for residents.

Two 150 multiple choice question examinations in Psychiatry were taken on a voluntary basis by 150 Canadian residents. The goals of these examinations were to promote skills and interest in self-education, provide detailed feedback to the participants, and to study various parameters which might be related to performance. The residents' self-assessments prior to the examinations, their year of residency training and age were significant predictors of performance. Being male and having enough time to study were also related to high scores. The methods of instruction as well as the studying variables were not related significantly to performance. These findings highlight the importance of self-assessments in the process of evaluation and of listening to residents' self-evaluations and requests for time to study. Increasing the number of self-assessment exercises and clarifying the knowledge requirements for the certification examination are recommended.

Practising psychiatrists' views of the certification examination in psychiatry.

This report is based on a survey of all those postgraduates in psychiatry who graduated from the training program at the University of Toronto between the years 1966–1976. We were interested in obtaining the views of our colleagues about the Certification Examination in Psychiatry, because it was our impression that there has been a great deal of dissatisfaction with the examination procedure over the years. A total of 238 questionnaires were sent out and 140 replies were received. Our analysis indicated that 90% of those responding had been successful in the certification examination, but 85.3% were dissatisfied with the examination process. It is significant that 85.3% of our sample felt that some form of certification procedure was necessary. The certification procedure is designed to determine whether an adequately trained physician is “safe and competent” to practise as a specialist in psychiatry. The examination's ability to assess areas of psychiatric practice (somatic and social therapies, interview and diagnostic technique, research and teaching skills) were also evaluated. The Royal College has made changes in the examination procedure over the last few years, for example the changeover to complete multiple choice questions was well received by our sample. Other suggested changes are examined in terms of our colleagues’ enthusiasm for their in-corporation into the examination procedure.

The Canadian certification examination in psychiatry. II: Who passes and who fails.

No analysis of Canadian certification examinations in psychiatry has previously been published although analyses of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the British Membership examinations are available. Because candidates, directors of residency training, mental health planners and consumers are all interested in who passes and who fails the certification examinations, available examination data for English speaking candidates are analyzed. Successful candidates are more likely to be younger; to have attended medical schools in English speaking countries (in North America, the British Isles, or the "old Dominions"); to have placed in the upper two-thirds of their medical school class; to have entered psychiatric training soon after graduating from medical school and then to have completed their training without interruption. Some limitations of the examinations and the problem of candidates who fail are briefly discussed.

Overview: Certification Examination: The Canadian Certification Examination in Psychiatry: I: Historical Notes

There has been much criticism of the format and process of the certification examination in psychiatry, and some of this is based on lack of information regarding the history of the specialty certification procedures, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Board of Examiners. In this first of three reports the history of the Royal College as the certifying organization is traced, and the relevant College structures are briefly described, including the Specialty Committee on Psychiatry which is instrumental in appointing the clinical examiners. The clinical examiners since 1965 are identified.

The Canadian certification examination in psychiatry. III. Towards better certification techniques.

Although there has been much criticism of specialty certification examinations there is general agreement that they are an important safeguard of competence in medical specialties where the consumer cannot judge this. The Canadian Royal College has made strenuous attempts to improve certification techniques but these have not been heretofore widely reported. This paper reports on the rationale for the replacement of the essay examination by multiple choice questionnaires, the problems associated with MCQ, and the efforts made to improve the fairness, validity and reliability of the clinical (oral) examination. These efforts have been in the areas of selection of examiners, training for examiners, standardization of marking and the conduct of the examination. A description is given of the conduct of the examination and what the examiners look for in the candidate's performance. The development and increasing importance of the In-Training Evaluation are discussed. The publication of A Resident's Guide to Psychiatric Education with multinational participation advances the possibility of future reciprocity in psychiatric examinations conducted in several English speaking countries.

The Mental Status Examination in Psychiatry: Origin, Use, and Content

There is a common assumption that psychiatrists mean the same thing when they speak of the mental status examination and use it for similar purposes. However, the clinical utility of the mental status examination and its teaching purposes are questioned after an overview of the literature and a survey of psychiatric training centers indicated lack of agreement regarding its purpose, content, and focus of measurement. It is suggested such lack of uniformity contributes to the lack of diagnostic consistency in psychiatry and that consensus on goals of the mental status examination is needed before a more standardized instrument can be implemented.

Response of patients to participation in psychiatry board examinations

The patient who volunteers to be a subject for Part II of the certifying examination in psychiatry and neurology is an indispensable but surprisingly invisible participant in a highly controversial process. A survey of the attitudes of 78 patients toward this experience revealed that although they experienced a significant degree of stress, the overwhelming majority viewed their participation in strongly positive terms. The patient's loyalty to the host institution and the manner in which the patient is prepared for the experience appear to be the major factors in determining a positive outcome.

The certification examination. Viewpoints of past candidates.

Almost half the candidates of the 1976-77 certification examination in psychiatry answered a questionnaire seeking their opinions about the examination after they had experienced it. Opinions varied markedly depending upon whether the candidates were taking the examination for the first time or whether they were repeating it. The first-time group had the highest passing rate. This group also tended to feel adequately trained towards the examination and to like its present format. Those candidates who were repeating the examination tended to feel inadequately prepared and disliked the present format. Half the candidates in this sample had negative comments about this experience. A high level of anxiety and preoccupation with the examination were most often commented upon. A number of candidates did however find it easier and more fair than they had expected. The candidates, after taking the examination, tended as a group to feel better prepared and more positive toward the examination than the fourth year residents about to take the examination. The recommendations suggested focused on changing the task and image of the Board of Examiners, improving the examination and improving examination passing skills.

Specialty Certification in Psychiatry and Formal Education of the Psychiatrist: A Survey

In this paper, the authors compare certification in psychiatry with certification in eight other medical specialties. They note the high (62%) overall failure rate of those taking the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology examination. Due to this high failure rate, they feel that psychiatry as a profession is not meeting the challenge to establish a standard of excellence in psychiatric practice. Reasons for the failures are discussed. The authors advocate a clarification of purpose, greater accountability on the part of the board, and accessibility of examination information to Board candidates and residency training programs. They recommend a vital and integrated relationship between training programs and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc.

Experiences of psychiatry board exam casualties: a survey report

The author collected completed questionnaires from 52 psychiatrists who had failed to pass the examinations of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) on their first try. He quotes from the responses of 6 of these psychiatrists, showing the profound emotional impact of their failure. He recommends that the ABPN explain its low pass rate, supply feedback on the exam results, provide the specific criteria by which competence is judged, allow candidates to take the written exam on a trial basis, and drop the oral exams if their reliability cannot be documented. He also recommends that the profession of psychiatry take responsibility for the certification procedure.

Psychiatry Examination Review

Psychiatry Examination Review

A systematic approach for oral Board examinations in psychiatry.

The author feels a systematic approach to oral Board examinations will allow candidates to understand the examination process and perhaps to learn more while preparing for it and will help examiners with their difficult charge of judging a colleague's ability. He offers suggestions regarding the candidate's conduct of the patient interview, types of patients to be interviewed, and the examiner's approach during the formal questioning of the candidate. The author hopes his suggested format will increase the effectiveness of the examination.

The Evaluation of Psychiatric Residents by Objective Multiple-Choice Examinations

A study at New York Medical College revealed a fairly high correlation between performance on an objective written examination in psychiatry and clinical competence of psychiatric residents as evaluated by the faculty. The study thus indicated that the National Board of Medical Examiners examination is a reasonably good test for evaluating residents, although a better one could probably be constructed. The authors note, however, that other factors which cannot be evaluated by an objective test also make a substantial contribution to psychiatric competence.

A Short-Answer Examination in Psychiatry

(1930). A Short-Answer Examination in Psychiatry. The Pedagogical Seminary and Journal of Genetic Psychology: Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 309-314.