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Mini-CEX for Formative Assessment of Clinical Skills of Postgraduates in General Surgery: a Tool to Enhance the Clinical Performance of Surgical Trainees

Indian Journal of Surgery (2023)Cite this article

Abstract

The current postgraduate curriculum assessment focuses predominantly on knowledge rather than clinical proficiency. Workplace-based assessment (WPBA) is an emerging novel concept in medical education. Mini-clinical evaluation exercise (Mini-CEX) is one of the WPBA tools in which student performance is assessed during clinical interaction followed by immediate feedback. It is a widely accepted assessment tool globally, but it is underutilized in India with questionable feasibility and acceptability. Hence, this study is to implement and evaluate the acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of Mini-CEX as a formative assessment tool in Indian settings of surgical postgraduate training. Following sensitization with the concept of Mini-CEX and effective feedback, 14 faculty and 26 postgraduates from the department of general surgery participated in Mini-CEX. Postgraduates were assessed for clinical skills in different settings of in-patient, outpatient, postoperative ward and surgical intensive care units using the structured format for each, followed by feedback. In the end, perceptions of postgraduates and faculty regarding the value and acceptance of Mini-CEX were taken using pre-validated questionnaires. Results were analyzed using SPSS-20 software. Twenty-six residents underwent 124 Mini-CEX in 10 months, with 4–5 encounters each in all competencies. Each faculty conducted one Mini-CEX per month, which seems feasible. The mean assessment time was 20 min, and the feedback time was 4 min. The study participants reported reasonable satisfaction with Mini-CEX and accepted it as a feasible, effective formative assessment tool (100%). Mini-CEX is a feasible, acceptable effective formative assessment tool of potential value to be incorporated into the postgraduate curriculum.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Surgery, Medical Education Unit Coordinator, BLDEDU Shri B.M. Patil Institute of Medical Sciences, Hospital and Research Centre, Vijayapura, Karnataka, India

    Vijaya Patil

  2. Department of Pathology, UDEHP, KAHER, J.N. Medical College, Belagavi, Karnataka, India

    Sunita Patil

  3. Department of Community Medicine, BLDEDU Shri B.M. Patil Institute of Medical Sciences, Hospital and Research Centre, Vijayapura, Karnataka, India

    Praveen Ganganahalli

Authors
  1. Vijaya Patil
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  2. Sunita Patil
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  3. Praveen Ganganahalli
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Correspondence to Vijaya Patil.

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Patil, V., Patil, S. & Ganganahalli, P. Mini-CEX for Formative Assessment of Clinical Skills of Postgraduates in General Surgery: a Tool to Enhance the Clinical Performance of Surgical Trainees. Indian J Surg (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-023-03832-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-023-03832-x

Keywords

  • WPBA
  • Mini-CEX
  • Formative assessment