Most graduates who pursue GS practice are confident and content. The decision to pursue GS is strongly influenced by a GS mentor. Lack of confidence may be a more significant factor for choosing SS. These findings suggest opportunities for improvements in confidence and mentorship during residency.

ABIM Foundation.

Interest in using Bayesian methods for estimating item response theory models has grown at a remarkable rate in recent years. This attentiveness to Bayesian estimation has also inspired a growth in available software such as WinBUGS, R packages, BMIRT, MPLUS, and SAS PROC MCMC. This article intends to provide an accessible overview of Bayesian methods in the context of item response theory to serve as a useful guide for practitioners in estimating and interpreting item response theory (IRT) models. Included is a description of the estimation procedure used by SAS PROC MCMC. Syntax is provided for estimation of both dichotomous and polytomous IRT models, as well as a discussion on how to extend the syntax to accommodate more complex IRT models.

No abstract