To validate and evaluate a short answer question paper and objective structured clinical examination. Validity and effect on overall performance were considered.

Students completed a voluntary short answer question paper during their otolaryngology attachment. Short answer question paper results were collated and compared to the essay examination and new end of year objective structured clinical examination.

The study comprised 160 students. Questions were validated for internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.76). Correlations were determined for: short answer question paper and essay results (r = 0.477), short answer question paper and objective structured clinical examination results (r = 0.355), and objective structured clinical examination and essay results (r = 0.292). On unpaired t-tests comparing the short answer question paper group and non-short answer question paper group, essay results were 1.2 marks higher (p = 0.45) and the objective structured clinical examination results were 0.09 marks lower (p = 0.74) in the short answer question paper group.

Two new valid summative assessments of student ability have been introduced, which contribute to an enhanced programme of assessment to drive student learning.

To determine if a dedicated teaching attending for medical student education improves medical student, attending physician, and resident perceptions and satisfaction.

Two dedicated teaching attending physician shifts were added to the clinical schedule each week. A before-after trial compared medical student evaluations from 2000 to 2004 (preteaching attending physician) to medical student evaluations from 2005 to 2006 (teaching attending physician). Attending physician and resident perceptions and satisfaction with the teaching attending physician shifts using a 5-point Likert-type scale (1 = poor to 5 = excellent) were also assessed.

Eighty-nine (100%) medical students participated, with 63 preteaching attending physician and 26 teaching attending physician rotation evaluations. The addition of teaching attending physician shifts improved mean medical student satisfaction with bedside teaching (4.1 to 4.5), lecture satisfaction (4.2 to 4.8), preceptor scores (4.3 to 4.8), and perceived usefulness of the rotation (4.5 to 5.0) (all p < 0.05). Thirteen attending physicians (93%) participated in the crosssectional questionnaire. The addition of teaching attending physician shifts improved faculty ratings of their medical student interactions by ≥ 1.5 points for all items (p ≤ 0.001). Faculty perceptions of their resident interactions improved for quality of bedside teaching (3.1 to 4.0), their availability to hear resident presentations (3.4 to 4.2), and their supervision of residents (3.4 to 4.1) (p ≤ 0.01). Residents (n = 35) noted minor improvements with the timeliness of patient dispositions, faculty bedside teaching, and attending physician availability.

The addition of select teaching attending physician shifts had the greatest effect on medical student and faculty perceptions and satisfaction, with some improvements for residents.