The CanMEDS 2000 Project outlines skills required by specialists in the new millennium. As Scholar, upon completion of a specialty program, the Resident must be able to critically appraise sources of medical information and carry out research.

The proper intrepretation of research findings and the proper conduct of clincal research requires some understanding of epidemiology and biostatistics.

Here is a list of key concepts in these two related areas.

1. Study Design
   • RCT, cohort, case-control, crossover trial
   • Noninferiority trial
   • Prospective versus retrospective classifications
   • Survey research and random sampling
   • Systematic review, meta-analysis, heterogeneity, sensitivity analysis

2. Epidemiological Concepts
   • Bias and confounding
   • Criteria for causation (Bradford Hill)
   • Incidence versus prevalence
   • Intention-to-treat principle
   • Randomization and blinding
   • Subgroup analyses (pitfalls)

3. Validating measurement scales

4. Sample Size Concepts
   • Power
   • Type I error (false positive rate)
   • Type II error (false negative rate)

5. Diagnostic Test Statistics
   • Sensitivity and specificity
   • Positive and negative predictive values
   • Association between predictive values and prevalence
   • Likelihood ratios

6. Measures of Risk
   • Relative Risk versus Absolute (Attributable) Risk
   • Odds Ratio
   • Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

7. Estimation
   • Confidence Intervals

8. Types of Data
   • Continuous, nominal, ordinal

9. Descriptive Statistics
   • Mean, median, mode
   • Standard deviation versus standard error of the mean

10. Hypothesis testing and P-values
    • Statistical versus clinical significance
    • Bonferonni adjustments

11. Parametric versus Nonparametric Statistics
    • T test versus Mann-Whitney U test
    • Paired t test versus Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test
    • ANOVA versus Kruskal-Wallis test
    • ANCOVA versus Friedman's two way ANOVA

12. Fisher's exact test and chi square test

13. Linear regression and correlation

14. Logistic regression

15. Survival analysis

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada's Canadian Medical Education Directions for Specialists 2000 Project (September 1996)

Faught W. CanMEDS Roles and Obstetrics and Gynaecology: The time is now. JOGC 2004;26(9);781-2.

Peterson HB, Kleinbaum DG. Interpreting the literature in Obstetrics and Gynecology: I. Key concepts in epidemiology and biostatistics. Obstet Gynecol 1991;78(4):710-17.

Peterson HB, Kleinbaum DG. Interpreting the literature in Obstetrics and Gynecology: II. Logistic regression and related issues. Obstet Gynecol 1991;78(4):717-20.

Book List (Phil Hahn)