Background and objectives: The objective of our study was to assess the correlation between a locally developed In-Training Examination (ITE) and the certification examination in family medicine in Canada.
Methods: The ITE was taken twice yearly, which corresponded for most residents to the fifth, ninth, 17th, and 21st month of training. The results for the ITE were correlated to the CFPC certification examination taken in the 23rd month of residency.
Results: The scores on each of the four iterations of the ITE correlated moderately well with performance relating to problem solving skills and knowledge on the certification examination. The ITE showed a trend to an increased correlation with duration in the training program with a Spearman correlation coefficient increasing from 0.45 on the first test to 0.54 on the fourth test. The correlation of the ITE with performance on the component assessing the doctor- patient relationship on the certification examination was poor (r=0.26 on the last test).
Conclusion: Our in-training examination is a useful predictor of performance in problem solving and knowledge domains of the family medicine expert role on the certification examination.