Theme
10AA Surgery
INSTITUTION
iMERR, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Utrecht University, University College Roosevelt, Middelburg, the Netherlands
Background
Selection of surgical residents is a high-stake process entailing the great responsibility to recruit candidates who will be successful during training and in future practice. However, information on pre-training variables that may affect performance during surgical residency training is limited.
Aim
This study aimed to identify pre-training variables associated with performance during surgical residency training by determining the relation between pre-training variables and indicators for success as reflected by scores for in-training exams and supervisor assessment scores.
Variables
Pre-training variables | Mean | SD | Range | |
Demographic data
|
Age 24 men/19 women |
28.4
|
1.4
|
25-31
|
Secondary school |
Biology Chemistry Mathematics Physics Dutch English |
7.04 6.98 7.13 6.96 7.12 6.91 |
.74 1.05 1.07 1.07 .73 .97 |
6.0-9.0 5.0-9.0 5.0-9.0 5.0-9.0 6.0-9.0 5.0-9.0 |
Medical school |
Pre-clinical grade Clerkship grade Surgery clerkship Graduation research |
6.92 8.08 8.21 8.40 |
.44 .35 .41 .78 |
6.2-8.5 7.0-8.7 7.0-9.0 6.9-10.0 |
Academic credentials |
Articles (median) Presentations (median) Completed PhD (nr and %) |
8 8 15/35% |
1-27 0-20
|
|
Clinical work experience in months | 11.8 | 8.6 |
0-36 |
Outcome variables |
Mean | SD | Range | |
In-training exams Supervisor assessment scores |
48 76 |
7.9 8.5 |
32-62 57-93 |
Relations between pre-training variables of 43 surgical residents and both in-training knowledge tests and supervisor assessments were analysed with regression analyses.
Thirty-five percent of the variance for the in-training exams (adjusted R2 = .352, F = 5.944, p = .001) was explained by:
- gender (B = -.364, p = .009)
- secondary school graduation grade for chemistry (B = 2.655, p = .012)
- work experience as physician not in training (B = -2.151, p = .038).
Twenty-nine percent of the variance in supervisor assessment (adjusted R2 = .291, F = 9.638, p < .001) was explained by:
- graduation grade for mathematics (B = 2.450, p = .019)
- mean pre-clinical grade in medical school (B = 2.561, p = .014).
Take Home
Secondary school mathematics and chemistry grades and mean pre-clinical grade predict performance during surgical residency training and may be interesting variables to include in the selection process for future surgical residents.