Results of the Last 5 Years (2018-2022) of the Specialist Title Exam of The Brazilian College of Surgeons

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the performance of candidates in Brazil's surgeon specialist exams from 2018 to 2022, showing differences based on training.

Contribution

The study introduces simulated stations in the practical test and compares performance across surgical training groups.

Findings

Candidates with three-year Ministry of Education-recognized residencies performed significantly better.

The inclusion of simulated stations improved the assessment of practical and communication skills.

Performance differences were statistically significant across training categories.

Abstract

The article discusses the evolution of the Brazilian College of Surgeons (CBC) specialist title exam, highlighting the importance of evaluating not only theoretical knowledge, but also the practical skills and ethical behavior of candidates. The test was instituted in 1971, initially with only the written phase, and later included the oral practical test, starting with the 13th edition in 1988. In 2022, the assessment process was improved by including the use of simulated stations in the practical test, with the aim of assessing practical and communication skills, as well as clinical reasoning, in order to guarantee excellence in the assessment of surgeons training. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the performance of candidates in the last five years of the Specialist Title Test and to compare the performance results between the different surgical training groups of the candidates. The results obtained by candidates from the various categories enrolled in the test in the 2018 to 2022 editions were analyzed. There was a clear and statistically significant difference between doctors who had completed three years of residency recognized by the Ministry of Education in relation to the other categories of candidates for the Specialist Title..

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