The Competitive Edge: Improving American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination Scores Through a Team-Based...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Assessment Methods

Background:

• American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) scores are crucial indicators of surgical residency success and predict performance on qualifying exams.
• Traditional study methods may not fully optimize resident performance.
• A novel team-based competitive approach was introduced to enhance self-study and didactic engagement for ABSITE preparation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a team-based competition on resident performance in the ABSITE.
• To determine if this competitive strategy significantly improves ABSITE percentile scores.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review compared ABSITE percentile scores before and after implementing a question bank and a team-based competition (both in-person and virtual formats).
• Statistical analysis was used to assess changes in median ABSITE percentiles.
• The relationship between practice question volume and ABSITE scores was also examined.

Main Results:

• The overall median ABSITE percentile at the program level significantly increased from 40.0 to 77.0 between 2011 and 2022 (P < 0.0001).
• Following the implementation of the team-based competition, the median ABSITE percentile significantly rose from 67.0 to 84.5 (P = 0.026).
• The transition to a virtual format did not significantly alter performance, and practice question volume did not correlate with ABSITE scores.

Conclusions:

• A team-based competition is an effective and easily implementable strategy to improve ABSITE performance in surgical residents.
• The competition enhances performance through mechanisms independent of increased practice question completion.
• Residents perceived the team-based competition favorably, suggesting its value for board preparation and pass rates.