Allopathic and Osteopathic Residents Perform Similarly on the Orthopedic In-Training Examination (OITE).

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Comparative Medical Training

Background:

• A perceived bias favors allopathic (MD) over osteopathic (DO) medical training, lacking empirical evidence.
• The Orthopedic In-Training Examination (OITE) assesses orthopedic surgery residents' knowledge and educational progress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare OITE scores between MD and DO orthopedic surgery residents.
• To determine if significant differences exist in academic achievement between the two groups.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the 2019 American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons OITE technical report data.
• Analyzed OITE scores for MD and DO residents across postgraduate years (PGY) 1-5.
• Employed independent t-tests to compare mean scores between groups.

Main Results:

• PGY-1 DO residents scored higher than MD residents (145.8 vs 138.8, p < 0.001).
• No significant score differences were observed for PGY-2, PGY-3, and PGY-4 residents (p > 0.149).
• PGY-5 MD residents achieved higher scores than DO residents (188.6 vs 183.5, p < 0.001).
• Both groups demonstrated score improvement throughout PGY 1-5.

Conclusions:

• MD and DO orthopedic surgery residents exhibit comparable OITE performance from PGY-2 to PGY-4.
• Findings suggest equivalent orthopedic knowledge levels for the majority of residency years.
• Residency program directors should consider these equivalencies when evaluating applicants.