Analysis of orthopedic training exam finds basic science topics demand greater focus

The basic science domain is an important part of the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE), and a better review of its content will prove valuable in improving residents’ orthopaedic knowledge and performance on the exam, according to a recent study.

They performed a review of all questions in the basic science section of the OITE for the years 2006 through 2010 and recorded the number of basic science questions as a percentage of the total number of questions each year. The researchers also recorded how many questions used a figure illustrating an imaging modality, such as radiographs and clinical photographs, and recorded the most common readings cited for the OITE answer key.

According to study results, the basic science domain was among the top three domains in the OITE, based on the number of questions found per domain. The study also showed that the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) book entitled, Orthopaedic Basic Science, were among the most common reference sources used in the OITE.

Due to the frequency of basic science questions in the OITE, educators should focus more on teaching this material, the authors noted, and they recommended incorporating orthopedic journals into residents’ studies and the AAOS basic science book into basic science curricula.

“Basic science is one of the most fundamental and rapidly expanding aspects of orthopedic surgery and encompasses many different scientific specialties,” the authors wrote, noting the importance of the basic science domain in residency curricula and preparation for the OITE.