Does the Removal of Textbook Reading from Emergency Medicine Resident Education Negatively Affect In-Service Scores?

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Each year residents across the country take in-service examinations as a part of their training and preparation for board certification examinations taken at the end of their residency. Specifically, emergency medicine (EM) allopathic residents take the In-training Examination (ITE) and osteopathic residents take a similar test, the EM Residency In-service Examination (RISE). These examinations are used by programs to determine the progress of their residents. Strong correlations exist between these training exam scores and scores on the allopathic Written Qualifying Examination and the osteopathic EM Written (Part I) Exam. 1,2 A plethora of resources are available for the preparation for these examinations including study guides, review books, and

Study strategies and exam outcomes in medical education: Insights from renal physiology

“…In our study, textbooks were perceived as the least useful learning resource, regardless of academic performance. Previous research has indicated that replacing textbooks with evidence-based articles and summary questions does not have a negative impact on students' academic performance or satisfaction (27). Furthermore, studies have revealed that older students do not advise new students to buy many textbooks but rather focus on PowerPoints from professors, old exams and summary notes (28).…”

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“…As expected, question banks remain at the forefront of ITE preparation, with Rosh Review and ACEP PEER serving as the criterion standard 4 . Prior studies have shown that EM residents greatly prefer question‐based material to textbook learning and that no significant score differences were noted comparing those who used question banks versus textbook learning 3,5 . Unlike the good old days of medical school, compulsively crafted schedules with daily question goals are at best herculean during residency.…”

“…They propose instituting a dedicated study period each week for residents to eliminate as many distractions as possible while promoting discipline and focus 2 . This “sit down, open a book, and read‐read‐read method” that our parents seemed to love unfortunately only works for a select few 3 . After a busy overnight shift or a grinding midday shift, cracking open a textbook is often the last thing one wants to do.…”

Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of an Open Access, Level-Specific, Core Content Curriculum for Emergency Medicine Residents

“…We reviewed the literature to identify key variables to consider in building educational content for EM trainees, including structural constraints on didactic time (eg, critical care rotations, routine night shift work), variability between 3-year and 4-year EM training programs, and high preference for FOAM and multimedia resources. 20,24,59,60 EM-specific best practice guidelines recommend level-specific instruction, shorter lectures that incorporate active learning, use of the flipped classroom model, clinically relevant small group discussions, and timely feedback with individualized guidance. 16,20,31,52 Other recommended techniques to improve retention and long-term recall include interleaving, guided notes, practice testing, and spaced repetition.…”