Stimulating and evaluating acquired knowledge of addiction among residents through repeat testing: a pilot study

Addictive disorders receive little attention in medical school and residency program curricula.

To evaluate an innovative learning approach encouraging and stimulating residents to focus on key competencies by testing before and after their addiction psychiatry rotation.

We developed a 50-item test on substance use disorders. Twenty-six general psychiatry residents, post-graduate year I (PGY-I) and II (PGY-II), participated in the pilot study and were divided into three groups. PGY-I residents were divided into Group 1, who were tested the last day of the rotation and again 2 months later, and Group 2, who were tested on the first and the last day of the rotation. Eight of 11 PGY-II residents agreed to participate as controls (Group 3), as they had previously completed their 2-month addiction psychiatry rotation as PGY-I's. All residents were informed that the testing would not affect their individual grade. After taking the first test, all three groups received related study materials.

A statistically significant increase in re-test scores occurred in the combined groups (p < .001). The largest changes in scores were among Group 2 (the group taking the test on first and last day of their addiction psychiatry rotation).

The greatest learning seemed to occur when residents were tested at beginning and end of the rotation. However, all residents' test scores improved to some degree, regardless of their level of training or the timing of the test.

This study offers support for testing as a learning guide and as a means of stimulating residents' learning.