The effects of competency requirements in Part II MFPHM submission--a study of the abstracts of successful reports.

BACKGROUND The objectives of this study are to explore the effects of the new 1996 guidance requiring explicit demonstration of competencies on the nature of successful MFPHM Part II reports, how successful candidates claimed competency areas in their two reports and the effects of the subject areas of the report on the specific competencies claimed. METHODS The abstracts of candidates who passed the examination from January 1996 to January 1999 were studied. Information was extracted on candidate's region, year of the abstract, examination guidance, subject area, methods and data used, format of the abstract, and level (e.g. national, regional, etc.) for which the work was performed. RESULTS Compared with reports submitted under the 1992 guidance, those submitted under the 1996 guidance were more likely to have a structured abstract, and to employ descriptive epidemiological methods and routine data, and were less likely to be case-control or retrospective studies. There were no other significant differences in the level for which the work was performed, the subject area, or the methods and data used. Thirty-nine per cent of candidates under the 1996 guidance claimed at least one identical competency area in both reports, most frequently for health needs assessment and literature review. Each of the four competencies was demonstrated by a significant proportion of reports in each subject areas. CONCLUSIONS The new examination guidance had only minor effects on the nature of successful Part II reports. Candidates used different strategies for claiming competencies, apparently at the choice of individual trainees and trainers. The competency requirements did not appear to limit the range of work performed.