“Evaluation of Final BDS students using mini-CEX for assessing the clinical skills in Oral Medicine”

Mini-CEX is an assessment approach which focuses on trainees’ encounters with a variety of real patient issues, in there, routine clinical practice.

60 mini-CEX encounters were carried out involving 15 Final BDS students. They took focused history, performed clinical examination of submandibular lymph node on a patient with apical periodontitis with mandibular first molar. This was done during their clinical posting of Oral Medicine. Four assessors observed students, rated the performance, by scoring trainee on a structured form and provided an immediate feedback. Efficacy of mini-CEX method was rated on a 9-point scale. Perception of all participants and assessors regarding mini-CEX method of evaluation was taken.

The mean scores of all the 15 students from 1^st to 4^th encounters given by assessors were 4.20±0.67, 5.20±0.56, 7.06±0.59 and 8.60±0.50 respectively. The comparison of mean score of all the 15 students between 1st encounter-2nd encounter, 1st encounter-3rd encounter, 1st encounter-4th encounter, 2nd encounter-3rd encounter, 2nd encounter-4th encounter and 3rd encounter-4th encounter given by assessors was statistically significant (p<0.05). Perception of students revealed that all students appreciated this style

Although mini-CEX is an appropriate assessment tool which observes seven competencies of undergraduate students at work place more profoundly and in much broader sense, it is a prime requirement of a competent postgraduate. This method is comparatively apt for postgraduate student because it is practically difficult to conduct routinely for undergraduates.