Performance of students in the final examination in paediatrics: importance of the "short cases".

AIMS To determine which component of the final examination in paediatrics at Kuwait University best predicted the final outcome. METHODS The performance of 356 medical students in the short cases, the long case, multiple choice questions (MCQs), and the essay components of the final examination in paediatrics at Kuwait University was correlated with the final grade, and the mean difference between each component and the final score calculated. RESULTS The correlation was highest for the short cases, followed by MCQs, the long case, and essays. The mean difference between the final score and that of short cases was not significant, but was highly significant for the other components. CONCLUSION Results show that performance in the short cases component of the final examination in paediatrics is a better discriminator of competence than that in the long case.