A structured remediation program results in durable improvement of American Board of Surgery In-training Examination (ABSITEò) performance

The objective of this study was to assess the results of a structured remediation program for surgical residents scoring poorly on the American Board of Surgery In-Training ExaminationÒ. Residents scoring below the threshold (<20th percentile) were placed in a remediation program consisting of textbook-based review and mandatory weekly quizzes overseen by the program director. The effects of the program were assessed over a five-year period (2014–2018). Of 168 tests taken, 23 (13.7%) instances of scoring below the threshold occurred (average percentile 11, range 1–19). Postremediation scores in the subsequent year improved with a median (IQR) percentile increase of 29 [23.5, 46] (P < 0.001). Two residents scored below the threshold twice; all others continued to score above the threshold. Participation in a structured remediation program results in dramatic improvement in American Board of Surgery In-Training ExaminationÒ performance, and a single occurrence of poor performance does not necessarily lead to a permanent handicap in academic performance.