Analysis of the OITE Oncology Section: An Updated Review of Years 2013 to 2019

The importance of the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE) is well documented. The purpose of this study is to provide an updated analysis of the oncology section compared to the review by Frassica et al. from 2002 to 2006, as a means to provide insight into more focused resident study.

This study is a retrospective database review using published OITE exams from years 2013 to 2019. Methods were based off a previous review by Frassica et al. where oncology-related questions were analyzed for underlying diagnosis, benign versus malignant condition, imaging and histology provided, and genes/translocations tested. Questions were classified by category and taxonomy.

Oncology-related questions per exam ranged from 19 (7%) to 23 (8.4%) of total questions, which is fewer than years 2002 to 2006. Twenty malignant and 27 benign entities were tested with malignant conditions tested at a higher rate of 1.3:1 versus benign. Eighteen combinations of imaging modalities were provided for analysis versus 11 from 2002 to 2006. With regard to taxonomy, the average number of questions per classification ranged from 2.4 to 5.4. The least common classification tested was treatment modality and the most commonly tested classification was treatment from diagnosis (taxonomy 3). Previously, tumor knowledge (taxonomy 1) was most tested with an average of 8.8 questions per exam. 12 questions were directly related to genes and translocations across all years.

Oncology questions made up a smaller percentage of the OITE exam than previous years, although more conditions were tested using more imaging combinations, necessitating a wider range of knowledge. However, malignant conditions continue to be tested more commonly. There has been a shift toward Taxonomy 3 level questions, indicating a higher level of thought processing required from residents as opposed to recall. Additionally, genes and translocations became more commonly tested throughout the most recent analysis, indicating a focus for future years of study.