Evaluation of a postgraduate examination for primary care: perceptions and performance of general practitioner trainers in the multiple choice paper of the Membership Examination of the Royal College of General Practitioners

摘要

This study aimed to investigate the performance of a sample of general practitioner (GP) trainers in the multiple choice paper (MCP) of the Membership Examinationudof the Royal College of General Practitionersud(MRCGP) and to obtain their views of the content of the paper and its relevance to general practice using a writtenudknowledge test and self-administered questionnaire.udThe participants were volunteer GP trainers in the Northern, Wessex, Kent, Education for Primary Care (2007) 18: 165–72 # 2007 Radcliffe Publishing LimitedudWHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN IN THIS AREAud. Feedback from GP registrar candidates sitting the multiple choice paper (MCP)udsuggests that the paper has good face and content validity, although pressure of timeudis a problem.ud. Candidates find the questions in the paper challenging but most believe they assessudcommon or important problems in general practice.udWHAT THIS WORK ADDSud. Most trainers in this study believed that the paper assessed knowledge of common orudimportant topics relevant to general practice, that the majority of questions wereudappropriate, clear and unambiguous and that time pressure was not a problem.ud. Trainers in this study performed significantly better overall compared to registrars anduddid so without making prior preparation.udSUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCHud. Repeating the study with non-trainer GPs could provide further information on theudvalidity of the MCP as an applied knowledge test appropriate for established GPsudtaking the MRCGP as well as those nearing completion of trainingudKeywords: attitudes, examination, general practice trainers, MRCGP,udSurrey and Sussex (KSS) and Northwestuddeaneries of the UK. The trainers completeduda shortened version of an MRCGPudMCP paper under examination conditionsudand provided feedback immediately afterwards.udOf 191 trainers invited to participate, 86ud(45%) sat the paper and of these, 81 completedudthe questionnaire. Most trainersudbelieved that the paper assessed knowledgeudof common or important topics relevant toudgeneral practice, that the majority of questionsudwere appropriate, clear and unambiguousudand that time pressure was not a problem.udTrainers performed significantly betterudcompared to registrars overall, and inudquestions on medicine related to generaludpractice and practice administration butudnot research methodology or criticaludappraisal. They did so without makingudprior preparation.udThe findings from this group of trainersudlend support to the face validity and contentudvalidity of the MRCGP MCP examinationudas an assessment of applied knowledgeudof general practice.