Does a Weekly Didactic Conference Improve Resident Performance on the Pediatric Domain of the Orthopaedic In-Training...

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Medical Education

Background:

• Orthopaedic In-training Examination (OITE) performance correlates with American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) written exam success.
• Pediatric orthopaedic training quality is crucial for resident development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a dedicated pediatric didactic lecture series on resident performance in the OITE's pediatric domain.
• To compare the effectiveness of a weekly pediatric conference versus a rotation-based attendance model.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case-control study compared OITE pediatric domain scores before and after implementing a weekly pediatric didactic lecture series at UPMC Hamot.
• Scores from UPMC Hamot were compared with a neighboring program (UPMC Pittsburgh) with different conference attendance policies.
• Statistical analysis controlled for postgraduate year to assess the impact of the conference.

Main Results:

• Both programs showed improved OITE scores after the conference implementation.
• Residents attending the weekly conference (Hamot) answered significantly more questions correctly compared to pre-conference years.
• In the post-conference period, Hamot residents scored significantly higher on the OITE pediatric domain than Pittsburgh residents, even after controlling for training year.

Conclusions:

• A regular pediatric didactic lecture series is associated with improved resident performance on the OITE pediatric domain.
• Increased exposure and attendance at pediatric didactic lectures likely contribute to enhanced examination scores.