OBJECTIVE: To determine if vacations in January or on-call status have an effect on American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) scores. DESIGN: Retrospective review of the performance of general surgery residents on ABSITE. Data collected included ABSITE scores, United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 2 scores, January vacation schedules, and call schedules. ABSITE performance was examined for correlation with vacation or call schedules. Student t test was used for statistical analysis, with a p value of less than 0.05 considered significant. SETTING: General surgery residency program at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, a university hospital-based program with 5 categorical residents per year. PARTICIPANTS: Postgraduate year (PGY) 1 through 5 general surgery categorical residents from 2006 to 2012. RESULTS: A total of 170 ABSITE scores from 55 residents were reviewed. The mean score when vacation was taken was 48.6 as compared with 36.3 when no vacation was taken (p = 0.02). Residents who took a January vacation at least once in their residency had a mean score of 42.8 as compared with 37.7 of those who did not (p = 0.43). The mean United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 2 score of residents who took a January vacation at least once in their residency was 218 as compared with 217 for their peers (p = 0.78). Among residents who took January vacations, the mean score in the years they took vacation was 49.4 as compared with 35.4 in the years they did not (p = 0.02). Prior night call status had no effect on the examination scores (44.2 vs 38.6, p = 0.30). CONCLUSIONS: Mean ABSITE scores were higher for residents who took a January vacation before the examination, despite no apparent difference in baseline test-taking ability. Among residents who took January vacations, mean scores were higher in the years they took vacation than in other years. On-call status did not have an effect on ABSITE performance. Vacation schedules in January can have a significant effect on ABSITE scores.
OBJECTIVE: To determine if vacations in January or on-call status have an effect on American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) scores. DESIGN: Retrospective review of the performance of general surgery residents on ABSITE. Data collected included ABSITE scores, United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 2 scores, January vacation schedules, and call schedules. ABSITE performance was examined for correlation with vacation or call schedules. Student t test was used for statistical analysis, with a p value of less than 0.05 considered significant. SETTING: General surgery residency program at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, a university hospital-based program with 5 categorical residents per year. PARTICIPANTS: Postgraduate year (PGY) 1 through 5 general surgery categorical residents from 2006 to 2012. RESULTS: A total of 170 ABSITE scores from 55 residents were reviewed. The mean score when vacation was taken was 48.6 as compared with 36.3 when no vacation was taken (p = 0.02). Residents who took a January vacation at least once in their residency had a mean score of 42.8 as compared with 37.7 of those who did not (p = 0.43). The mean United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 2 score of residents who took a January vacation at least once in their residency was 218 as compared with 217 for their peers (p = 0.78). Among residents who took January vacations, the mean score in the years they took vacation was 49.4 as compared with 35.4 in the years they did not (p = 0.02). Prior night call status had no effect on the examination scores (44.2 vs 38.6, p = 0.30). CONCLUSIONS: Mean ABSITE scores were higher for residents who took a January vacation before the examination, despite no apparent difference in baseline test-taking ability. Among residents who took January vacations, mean scores were higher in the years they took vacation than in other years. On-call status did not have an effect on ABSITE performance. Vacation schedules in January can have a significant effect on ABSITE scores.
Authors: Mohammad Alkhamees; Meshari A Al-Zahrani; Sulaiman Almutairi; Hammam Alkanhal; Mana Almuhaideb; Saad M Abumelha Journal: Adv Med Educ Pract Date: 2020-10-05
Authors: Jessica A Forcucci; J Madison Hyer; Evelyn T Bruner; David N Lewin; Nicholas I Batalis Journal: Am J Clin Pathol Date: 2017-04-01 Impact factor: 2.493