Correlation Between In-service Exam Scores and Successful Board Certification in Preventive Medicine Specialties

Do in-service exam (ISE) scores from preventive medicine residents correlate with first-time passing of board exams and are there differences between the three specialties?

We analyzed scores of graduates of six military residencies ( N = 268) whose records included both ISE scores and board results, and used logistic regression and correlation models for comparison.

93.3% of our cohort passed on their first attempt, with only 18 failures. The ISE score correlated positively (R 2 = 0.25, P < 0.000) with passing the board. With a 1% ISE score improvement, the odds of board passing increased 11.7% but was not significant for OEM.

ISE scores for OEM graduates did not correlate with board outcomes when compared to other graduates. As board content changes, OEM residencies may wish to explore other predictors for board readiness.