Assessment of the Performance of Orthopedic Residents in Clinical Practice.

To evaluate the performance of orthopedic residents while conducting clinical examinations.  The Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX) was applied by three teaching doctors at four different moments. The instrument was adapted by the authors for use in orthopedics, with the development of descriptors for each evaluated skill. Supervisors were trained to use the Mini-CEX by the principal investigator through teaching materials and discussions, with standardization of the instrument descriptors.  The mean scores obtained in the 4 evaluations for each of the 21 residents reveal improvement in the performances of residents in all skills assessed from the 1 to the 4 meeting.  We have found that the performance of orthopedic residents presented a satisfactory evolution, with progressive improvement in all skills.