title: Predicting and enhancing American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination performance: does writing questions really help?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The generative learning model posits that individuals remember content they have generated better than materials created by others. The goals of this study were to evaluate question generation as a study method for the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) and determine whether practice test scores and other data predict ABSITE performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Residents (n = 206) from 6 general surgery programs were randomly assigned to one of the two study conditions. One group wrote questions for practice examinations. All residents took 2 practice examinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was not a significant effect of writing questions on ABSITE score. Practice test scores, United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 scores, and previous ABSITE scores were significantly correlated with ABSITE performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The generative learning model was not supported. Performance on practice tests and other data can be used for early identification of residents at risk of performing poorly on the ABSITE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA. Electronic address: willisr@uthscsa.edu.
authors.forename: Ross E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Dent
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Love
authors.affiliation: Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, MS, USA.
authors.forename: Jason W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kempenich
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Southwestern at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Uecker
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Texas A&M Scott & White, Temple, TX, USA.
authors.forename: J Scott
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
authors.forename: Pedro P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Admire
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Southwestern at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Julie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sprunt
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Kristen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kahrig
authors.affiliation: Texas A&M Scott & White, Temple, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wiggins-Dohlvik
mesh_terms: D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D004521:Educational Measurement; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007858:Learning; D017145:Models, Educational; D014481:United States; D014956:Writing
keywords: ABSITE; Medical knowledge; Surgical education