PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Adamson, G. D. AU - Rowe, H. E. TI - Certification of specialists: survey of candidates and review of the literature DP - 1984 Mar 01 TA - Canadian Medical Association Journal PG - 586--590 VI - 130 IP - 5 4099 - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/130/5/586.short 4100 - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/130/5/586.full SO - CMAJ1984 Mar 01; 130 AB - To evaluate the specialty certification process, the Canadian Association of Internes and Residents (CAIR) surveyed 634 candidates who had attempted the written and oral exams of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The results suggest that in-training evaluation is a more reliable and valid assessment of competence than the written and oral exams. There is a lack of well defined program objectives that are coordinated with the examinations. CAIR recommends that the present concept of an examination "hurdle" be replaced by different, integrated methods of assessment during training, and that an effective appeal mechanism be developed.