Methods: In the first step of this qualitative study, a workshop was conducted for residents and staff entitled “Workplace Assessment”. After that, during 6 months in 2011, assessment tools such as mini-CEX and CBD were applied for assessing the judgment and clinical reasoning. By these methods, it was possible to get an opportunity for educational feedback. Interview was conducted and the data were recorded, transcribed, and then categorized.
Results: Advantages and disadvantages of new methods based on observation were as follows; Advantages: These new methods were valid and could qualify the residents' ability better than traditional methods, the new methods could be weak points of residents in each diagnostic field of oral lesions, each resident could present his/her clinical competencies in a quantitative manner at the end of the course. Disadvantages: Considerable time consumption for residents and staffs, lack of inter rater reliability.
Conclusions: Although time consuming, the new approach was useful for qualifying the clinical competency of residents. It seems that both staff and residents must be trained for achieving better results.