Abstract

FERRERO, Fernando; YULITTA, Horacio; MOLINA, María Paz  and  VALLI, Raúl. Performance on the Board of Pediatrics certifcation examination by the Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría, 2001-2010. Arch. argent. pediatr. [online]. 2011, vol.109, n.4, pp.321-325. ISSN 0325-0075.

Introduction. Professional certifcation guarantees professional's performance, but the examination tool must be periodically evaluated. Objective. To describe the result of the pediatric certifying examination (PCE) of the Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría (SAP), between 2001-2010 analyzing the impact of the age and the elapsed time since the graduation and to describe the performance of training institutions in this period. Methods. Cross-section study. Data were ob-taind from the records of Board of Pediatrics of the SAP. The results of the PCE, were analyzed assessing examination pass rate and training institutions (2001-2010), and age and elapsed time since graduation of the examined professionals (2001-2005). Results. Of 2527 professionals from 138 institutions, 69.6% passed. Those that passed were younger (31.7 ± 4.1 vs. 35.6 ± 6.2 years; p <0.0001) and had less years since graduation (6.3 ± 4.0 vs. 9.0 ± 5.9; p <0.0001) than those who did not pass. The examination pass rate was higher in institutions accredited by SAP (78.4% vs. 48.8%; OR= 3,8 IC95%= 3,1-4,7; p <0.001). The pass rate was signifcantly higher in institutions with accredited programs for 5 years than those not accredited (78.4% vs. 48.8%, OR= 3.8 95% CI= 3.1 to 4.7, p <0.001). The pass rate at accredited institutions for 3 years (53.7%) and 1 year (48.7%) showed no statistically signifcant differences with non-accredited institutions. Conclusion. The certifying examination pass rate was 68.5%. Younger professionals with fewer years since graduation, and trained in SAP 5 years accredited programs were signifcantly more likely to pass the examination.

Keywords : Certifcation; Speciality boards; Program accreditation; Medical residency; Educational measurement.

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