Comparison of medical knowledge between pediatric residents who attend continuity clinic at different sites.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to determine if a difference in medical knowledge exists between pediatric residents attending a private practice continuity clinic and pediatric residents attending an academic continuity clinic, as measured by the American Board of Pediatrics in-training examination. DESIGN A retrospective evaluation of scores on the American Board of Pediatrics in-training examination was performed, comparing the scores of residents who attend a private practice continuity clinic and those who attend an academic continuity clinic. RESULTS No significant difference was found in test scores of the 2 groups of residents for each year from 1999 to 2003. There was no significant difference between the mean differences of scores from the PL-1 year to the PL-3 year. Both groups showed improvement in scores betwen the first and last years of residency. CONCLUSION It is unlikely that there is a significant difference in medical knowledge between pediatric residents attending a continuity clinic in a private practice setting and pediatric residents attending a continuity clinic in an academic setting.