Comedy workshop: an enjoyable way to develop multiple-choice questions.

Purpose: To describe an innovative method of developing multiple-choice items for a board certification examination.

Summary: The development of appropriate multiple-choice items is definitely more of an art, rather than a science. The comedy workshop format for developing questions for a certification examination is similar to the process used by comedy writers composing scripts for television shows.

Clinical experience reported by candidates for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology 1995 and 1997 oral examinations.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to report the clinical experience collated from the 1995 and 1997 case list summary sheets of United States and Canadian active candidates who were completing the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology oral examination for the first time.

Study Design: Data from the case list summary sheets were entered into a computerized database and collated. Data from active candidates who had subspecialty training and from other international graduates were excluded.

A faculty development course in obstetrics and gynecology.

Sponsored by the nonprofit Berlex Foundation, this 6-day Faculty Development Course introduces small groups of new faculty to research design, critical appraisal of the literature, scientific writing, and evidence-based medicine. The course includes didactic presentations, small group discussions, and individual protocol development. Its influence on academic careers is impossible to determine, because defining an appropriate comparison group is not feasible.