Use of National Board test questions to evaluate student performance in obstetrics and gynecology

The evaluation of student performance in clinical obstetrics and gynecology is frequently based on results of the National Board Examination, Part II. An Obstetrics and Gynecology subtest of this examination was studied to determine its value as a measure of this clinical experience. The clinical usefulness of each question and the distribution of questions among subjects within the specialty (Normal Obstetrics, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, etc.) were determined independently by faculty in obstetrics and gynecology. In addition, the influence of the type of question (e.g., multiple-choice, matching), the category of material, and the clinical usefulness of each question were studied in regard to student test performance. Eighty-six percent of the questions were judged to be indispensable, highly useful, or moderately useful. Abnormal Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility accounted for 70% of the questions with the remaining questions distributed among Normal Obstetrics, Population and Family Planning, and Gynecologic Oncology. Student test performance was not significantly influenced by the type of question format or category of material but was related to the level of clinical usefulness. Overall, these results, which are based on ratings from five faculty and a single class of medical students at one medical school, indicate that the Obstetrics and Gynecology subtest of the National Board Examination, Part II, is a reasonable measure of clinical experience in this field.