Significantly improved American Board of Surgery in-training examination scores associated with weekly assigned reading and preparatory examinations

Hypothesis: Weekly reading assignments combined with weekly examinations can significantly improve American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) scores among a group of residents already scoring above the national average. Design: Prospective educational study of surgical residents. Intervention: Beginning in July 2001, residents were given weekly reading assignments, followed by a multiple-choice examination, prepared and scored by the program director. Main Outcome Measure: Mean change in ABSITE scores from 2001 to 2002. Results: The mean total test ABSITE scores significantly improved from 58.7% in 2001 to 75.2% in 2002 (P=.008). The improvement was significantly greater in the basic science portion of the ABSITE (57.6% in 2001 vs 72.5% in 2002, P=.04) than in the clinical management section (57.6% in 2001 vs 68.9% in 2002, P=.11). There were no differences in mean ABSITE scores in other years (1999 to 2000 or 2000 to 2001). There was no correlation between the change in ABSITE scores from 2001 to 2002, level of residency training, United States Medical Licensing Examination scores, or performance on weekly preparatory examinations. Conclusion: Weekly reading assignments combined with weekly preparatory examinations significantly improved mean overall ABSITE scores among a group of residents who were already scoring above the national average.