Program Factors That Influence American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination Performance: A Multi-Institutional...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Assessment and Evaluation

Background:

• The American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) is a critical measure of surgical resident knowledge.
• Understanding factors influencing ABSITE performance is essential for optimizing surgical education programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of program director attitudes and preparation strategies on resident ABSITE performance.
• To identify specific program characteristics associated with higher resident ABSITE scores.

Main Methods:

• A 17-item questionnaire was administered to 15 general surgery residency Program Directors (PDs).
• Data collected included curriculum details, remediation protocols, and PD opinions on the ABSITE.
• Resident ABSITE percentile scores from January 2014 were analyzed using statistical methods including t-tests, ANOVA, and linear regression.

Main Results:

• Program factors significantly influenced ABSITE performance.
• Tracking resident reading and active PD involvement in remediation mentorship were associated with higher ABSITE scores.
• Programs with remediation protocols showed a trend toward higher scores (p=0.098).

Conclusions:

• Program strategies, particularly PD engagement in resident reading tracking and remediation, are key determinants of ABSITE success.
• Counterintuitively, programs with lower ABSITE score thresholds for remediation exhibited better resident performance.