Education Research: A National Pediatric Neurology In-Training Examination and its Relationship to Royal College of Physicians of Canada Certification Success
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background and Objectives: In Canadian pediatric neurology, there has historically been no standardized national progress examination aligned with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) certification examination. The primary objective of this study was to develop such an examination-called the National InTraining Exam for Canadian Pediatric neurology residents or National In-Training Examination for Canadian pediatric neurology residents (NITECaP)-and collect evidence for its utility by examining its association with performance on the RCPSC pediatric neurology written examination. Secondary objectives were to determine whether correlations varied by postgraduate year (PGY) level and whether NITECaP scores predicted RCPSC examination success. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed examination data collected between 2014 and 2024 from all 8 Canadian pediatric neurology training programs. NITECaP is a nationally administered, 3-hour, short-answer question examination modeled after the RCPSC pediatric neurology written examination and mapped to RCPSC objectives of assessment. Residents from PGY1 to PGY5 were eligible to participate. Data were included if participants completed at least one NITECaP during residency and subsequently attempted the RCPSC pediatric neurology examination. Pearson correlations were calculated between NITECaP scores at each PGY level and RCPSC examination scores. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate whether NITECaP performance predicted RCPSC examination outcomes (pass/fail). Results: = 0.618, 95% CI 0.490-0.720). Correlations were not statistically significant for PGY1 residents. Logistic regression models demonstrated that NITECaP scores in PGY2, PGY4, and PGY5 significantly predicted RCPSC examination success, with the highest predictive accuracy in PGY5 (95.6%). PGY5 residents scoring ≥45% on the NITECaP had a high likelihood of passing the RCPSC examination. Discussion: Performance on the NITECaP is positively associated with RCPSC pediatric neurology examination performance and can predict examination success, particularly in senior trainees. These findings support the use of NITECaP as a valid national progress test to inform resident feedback, identify trainees at risk, and support program-level benchmarking in pediatric neurology training.
Source: Neurology Education
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7203838666