74.08 Literature Recommended as Study Aids for the Plastic Surgery In-Service Training Exam

Posted on January 18, 2016

J. Silvestre1, A. Zhang1, S. J. Lin2 1Perelman School Of Medicine,Philadelphia, PA, USA 2Harvard Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center,Boston, MA, USA

Introduction: Each year the American Society of Plastic Surgeons administers a 200 question exam to residents and practicing surgeons in the US. The Plastic Surgery In-Service Training Exam (PSITE) offers residents and faculty an opportunity to assess plastic surgery knowledge against a national norm. Currently, however, the best resources for PSITE preparation are unknown.

Methods: Digital syllabi of 10 consecutive exams (2006-2015) were analyzed for recommended references. Each answer is accompanied by one or more references used to support the tested concept and direct interested readers for further reading. References were categorized as journal, textbook, or miscellaneous (webpages, package inserts, etc) and trends were noted over time. The most-referenced sources were noted by section (comprehensive, craniomaxillofacial, extremity, cosmetic).

Results: 2000 questions and 5385 recommended references were analyzed. The average number of references per question was 2.69 ± 1.02 (range = 0 – 11) with no differences among sections (p > 0.05). Annual PSITE journal citations increased from 63.1% of all references in 2006 to 84.7% in 2015 (r2 = 0.841). PSITE textbook references decreased from 36.5% in 2006 to 11.4% in 2015 (r2 = 0.853). Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (PRS) comprised the plurality of journal references (38.5%) followed by Clinics in Plastic Surgery (5.6%), and Journal of Hand Surgery (American) (5.1%). PRS articles were used to support 47.0% of all PSITE questions and had highest yield in the cosmetic section (69.0%, p < 0.05). Publication lag was shortest in the cosmetic (8.0 years) versus comprehensive (9.2 years) section (p = 0.003).

Conclusion: Plastic surgery faculty and residents may utilize these data to facilitate knowledge acquisition during residency. Residency curricula focused on recent PRS articles may afford an effective means for PSITE preparation.