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Objectives To determine if faculty perceive standardized oral examinations to be more objective and useful than the non-standardized format in assessing third-year medical students’ learning on the obstetrics and gynecology rotation. Methods Obstetrics and gynecology faculty at three teaching hospitals were sampled to complete a survey retrospectively comparing the standardized oral examination (SOE) and non-standardized or traditional oral examinations (TOE). A Likert scale (0-5) was used to assess satisfaction, objectivity, and usefulness of SOE and TOE. Wilcoxon signed rank test was performed to compare median Likert scale scores for each survey item. A Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to investigate the relationship between the perceived level of objectivity and SOE characteristics. For qualitative measures, content analysis was applied. Results Sixty-six percent (n=25) of eligible faculty completed the survey. Faculty perceived the standardized oral examination as significantly more objective compared with the non-standardized (z=-3.15, p=0.002). Faculty also found SOE to be more useful in assessing overall clerkship performance (z=-2.0, p

The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether the types of postgraduate trainees’ teaching barriers would be associated with their experience levels and the four clinical settings in Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN). Individual semi-structured interviews with 13 OB/GYN residents and Fellows were conducted and followed by an online survey sent to all OB/GYN residents and Fellows in three research sites. Descriptive statistical analysis and thematic analysis were applied. Eleven OB/GYN residents and two Fellows participated in the interviews. Of 93 possible OB/GYN resident and Fellow respondents, 57 (61.3 %) completed the online survey. Limited time was the predominant barrier across OB/GYN trainees’ experience levels. Six factors contributing to the teaching barriers were identified. Major types of teaching barriers perceived by trainees were similar in outpatient and labor and delivery settings, but differed from perceived barriers in the inpatient and operating room settings. Major types of teaching barriers were associated with trainees’ experience levels as well as the four clinical settings in OB/GYN. Findings from this study deepen OB/GYN clerkships and residency programs’ understanding of Trainee-as-Teacher, as well as provide useful information for programs to manage teaching tasks and to further enhance the implementation of Trainee-as-Teacher curricula efficiency.

Introduction This training program was developed to help educators train obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) faculty in becoming oral examiners and to implement a consistent process for oral examination in order to assess medical student knowledge and clinical reasoning skills at the end of their core OB-GYN clerkship. Methods The slide presentation is utilized to introduce faculty to the clerkship so they understand how the oral examination fits into the overall assessment of student performance. Videos are then used to familiarize faculty with the performance of students at different levels and how to use the evaluation form. The oral examination sample questions and answers further familiarize faculty with how to ask students standardized questions based upon student case topic selections and how to differentiate students at different levels. Results From 2011–2014, 609 students took the oral examination. Two faculty members graded the students, and a composite of these two grades was used. This was done so that if the faculty differed in their ratings, both grades are accounted for in the final oral examination grade. Thirty-three percent of the learners received two Honors with Distinction grades, 32% received an Honors with Distinction and an Honors grade, and 23% received two Honors grades. Discussion The oral examination has been part of the Harvard Medical School Obstetrics and Gynecology Core Clerkship assessment for over a decade, and a common format for its use at all sites was developed. The implementation of this module has resulted in a standardized assessment across multiple sites.