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Performance on ABA-ASA In-training Examination predicts success for RCPSC certification

From the Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Division of Studies in Medical Education, University of Alberta and University of Ottawa, Canada.

Address correspondence to: Dr. R.A. Kearney, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Alberta, Room 3B2.32, 8440 – 112 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2B7 Canada. Phone: 780-407-2689; Fax: 780-407-3200; E-mail: rkearney{at}gpu.srv.ualberta.ca

Purpose: Most Canadian University Departments of Anesthesia require residents to take the American Board of Anesthesiology-American Society of Anesthesiologists (ABA-ASA) in-training examination (ITE). The result is expressed as a percentile relative to all examinees at similar levels of training. Its value as a predictor of performance in the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) certification examinations is not known.

Methods: All English speaking Canadian residency programs in Anesthesia were surveyed. Results of the ABA-ASA ITE of former residents who had completed RCPSC certification were collected as percentile scores according to level of training. Level of training was based on the number of months of anesthesia training and classified according to American residency program nomenclature. The ABA-ASA ITE scores were correlated with success on the RCPSC written and oral examinations. The probability of success on the RCPSC examinations was determined by calculating the cutoff score with the best sensitivity and specificity as determined by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves for each year in which the examination was taken and for both the written and oral examinations.

Results: Nine residency programs provided information on 165 residents. A weak positive correlation was found between scores on each year of the ABA-ASA exam. Scores > 50th percentile for any year were highly predictive of success in the written component ( > 60th percentile for the oral component). Scores < 20th percentile were predictive of failure on both the written and oral components of the RCPSC examination.

Conclusion: The ABA-ASA ITE is a useful tool in predicting performance on the RCPSC examination.

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