The utility of the ABS in-training examination (ABSITE) score forms: percent correct and percentile score in the assessment of surgical residents.

Objective: The American Board of Surgery (ABS) provides program directors with ABS In-Training Examination (ABSITE) scores in the following forms: Percent correct score and percentile score. It is of interest to note how residency programs utilize the different forms of ABSITE scores in assessment of surgical residents for progression in training. We conducted a survey of program directors to ascertain the present situation.

Methods: A structured questionnaire was sent to all program director members of the Association of Program Directors in Surgery.

Results: 114/210 program directors (54%) answered the survey. To assess residents, 3 programs used only the percentage correct score, 23 programs used only the percentile score, and 88 programs used both scores. The majority (70/89 or 79%) of the programs used a 30th percentile score as the minimum passing score. 88/111 (79%) programs had a remedial process for residents with poor performance on ABSITE. 60 percent of the programs had never used poor ABSITE performance to defer individual resident promotion. Programs that used ABSITE performance for remediation and deferral of promotion did it based on percentile score rather than percent correct score. Program directors felt that the better indicator of a resident's knowledge and progression in surgical residency was percent correct score (42%) vs percentile score (32%), while 10% felt that neither was an adequate indicator.

Conclusions: ABSITE score is being used as one of the measures to assess residents. Programs need to ensure that an effective remedial process is in place to assist residents with poor performance.