By: Jessica R
How amazing it would be to have a way to see what the future holds for each and every one of us, especially on exams and certifications. We would stress less and enjoy the moment more if we could only do that. But unfortunately life isn’t that easy. At least we can prepare for those exams.
As you prepare for the yearly ABSITE, whether it's your first time or last time, do you wonder will this be a prediction of how your boards will turn out? Have you wondered if the ABSITE results help in directing you to the areas where you need to focus? Will it help with promotions and evaluation throughout your residency?
There have been studies performed over the years to see if the ABSITE does help with the prediction of the outcome of your boards.
Here is a link to take a look at the related abstract on Pubmed: http://bit.ly/ABSITEpredictsboards
What do you think? Does it really matter whether the ABSITE correlated with boards or doesn't it?
Scoring less than the 35th percentile correlates with not passing boards. The ABSITE seems to correlate with passing the first portion of the board exam (QE or qualifying exam) but not the second portion (CE, certifying exam, or “oral boards”).
ABSITE scores often come up during evaluations. The scores are looked at regarding PGY year promotion, probationary status, etc… it’s just the way it is whether it’s right or wrong. Are they supposed to be used as a criteria for promotion to the next year? Not really. But are they? Often, de facto, yes.
The ABSITE sort of predicts the outcome of your boards--at least part of your boards. But, more importantly, it’s used throughout residency to assess your progress and may even play into whether you are promoted the next year.
Make sure you are prepared for the ABSITE because the score matters...so go check out tools like the ABSITE Smackdown! With the ABSITE Smackdown! you're offered not only the book to review but also lecture videos to hear the information. Plus you have continued access to go back and listen to the lecture videos as many times as you may need to retain the information. On each page in the ABSITE Smackdown! review book there's plenty of space to make notes.
Go take a look and start to prep to give the ABSITE the smackdown it deserves this year!