Learning style preferences of surgical residency applicants

The learning style preferences of general surgery residents have been previously reported; there is evidence that residents who prefer read/write learning styles perform better on the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE). However, little is known regarding the learning style preferences of applicants to general surgery residency and their impact on educational outcomes. In this study, the preferred learning styles of surgical residency applicants were determined. We hypothesized that applicant rank data are associated with specific learning style preferences.

The Fleming VARK learning styles inventory was offered to all general surgery residency applicants that were interviewed at a university hospital-based program. The VARK model categorizes learners as visual (V), aural (A), read/write (R), kinesthetic (K), or multimodal (MM). Responses on the inventory were scored to determine the preferred learning style for each applicant. Applicant data, including United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) scores, class rank, interview score, and overall final applicant ranking, were examined for association with preferred learning styles.

Sixty-seven applicants were interviewed. Five applicants were excluded due to not completing the VARK inventory or having incomplete applicant data. The remaining 62 applicants (92%) were included for analysis. Most applicants (57%) had a multimodal preference. Sixty-nine percent of all applicants had some degree of preference for kinesthetic learning. There were statistically significant differences between applicants of different learning styles in terms of USMLE step 1 scores (P = 0.001) and USMLE step 2 clinical knowledge scores (P = 0.01), but not for class ranks (P = 0.27), interview scores (P = 0.20), or final ranks (P = 0.14). Multiple comparison analysis demonstrated that applicants with aural preferences had higher USMLE 1 scores (233.2) than those with kinesthetic (211.8, P = 0.005) or multimodal (214.5, P = 0.008) preferences, whereas applicants with visual preferences had higher USMLE 1 scores (230.0) than those with kinesthetic preferences (P = 0.047). Applicants with aural preferences also had higher USMLE 2 scores (249.6) than those with kinesthetic (227.6, P = 0.006) or multimodal (230.1, P = 0.008) preferences.

Most applicants to general surgery residency have a multimodal learning style preference. Learning style preferences are associated with higher USMLE step 1 and step 2 scores, in particular for applicants with aural preferences. Students who performed well in lecture-dominated medical school environments because of their aural preferences could be at a disadvantage in the more independent, reading-focused learning environments of surgical residency.