Analysis of the Basic Science Questions on the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination From 2014 to 2019

Abstract

Introduction:The Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE), produced by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), plays an important role in the educational mission of orthopaedic residency programs nationwide. An up-to-date understanding of this examination is critical for programs to develop an appropriate curriculum and for individuals to identify learning resources. This study presents an updated analysis of the basic science section of the OITE from 2014 to 2019.Methods:All questions from the OITE from 2014 to 2019 were reviewed. Each question from the basic science section was categorized by topic and taxonomy. The use of radiographic images or other clinical media was recorded. The reference section was analyzed for bibliometric factors. Pearson chi-square tests were used as appropriate for statistical comparison.Results:In total, 185 of 1,600 questions in the basic science section were used over the 6-year study period (11.6%). The proportion of basic science questions ranged from 10.7% to 12.0% from year to year. The most frequently tested topics were cellular and molecular biology (23.8%), physiology/pathophysiology (16.8%), and pharmacology (10.8%). There was an increase in the number of biostatistics questions from 2017 to 2019 compared with the number from 2014 to 2016 (P = 0.02). The most common taxonomic category was knowledge recall (89.7%). A total of 383 references were cited from 122 sources. The 3 most common sources accounting for 44.4% of all citations were produced by the AAOS.Discussion:The basic science section of the OITE accounts for approximately 11% of all questions, with the most common taxonomy being knowledge recall (89.7%). Recent tests have emphasized biostatistics, highlighting the importance of incorporating biostatistics into residency education. Reference materials produced by the AAOS were highly cited in this section.

Update on Educational Resources and Evaluation Tools for Orthopaedic Surgery Residents

“…Because of this emphasis, trends in recent examination questions have been investigated to aid in preparation for the annual examination. 17,[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] Although several studies have shown a correlation between OITE performance and passing the Part I Certifying Exam, the validity of the OITE as a predictive measure for success on the Certifying Exam has been questioned because the two examinations have been written by separate organizations without a common blueprint. [27][28][29][30][31] A linking study found that on the 2021 AAOS OITE, the minimum OITE score that corresponded to passing the Part I Certifying Exam was 69.2%, but this was noted to be applicable to the 2021 OITE examination only.…”

Analysis of Orthopaedic In-Training Examination Trauma Questions: 2017 to 2021

“…[8][9][10] These prior studies analyze questions preceding the conversion to a computer-based examination in 2009, which expanded the opportunity to include more advanced imaging and videos as part of the examination and thus could have influenced the examination content and the types of images included. 9 Recently, multiple studies have published an updated analysis of OITE questions in other subspecialties, including pediatrics, 11 oncology, 12 hand, 13 hip and knee reconstruction, 14 basic science, 15 spine, 16 and sports. 17 To our knowledge, no update on the analysis of the OITE trauma section has been published.…”

Analysis of Questions in Sections of the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination: A Scoping Review

“…Most of these publications focus on identifying numbers of questions, types of questions, topics, references used, and publication lag. 4-23…”

“…Most of these publications focus on identifying numbers of questions, types of questions, topics, references used, and publication lag. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] This systematic review aims to assess all available studies that analyzed the types of questions in individual sections of the OITE. Currently, most relevant literature describes characteristics, references, and levels of evidence for individual sections of the examination.…”