Effect of resident call status on ABSITE performance

Background. Long work hours that result in fatigue may adversely affect cognitive function. Chronically sleep-deprived surgical residents fear that being on call the night before sitting for a standardized test puts them at a potential disadvantage. We examined American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) scores to assess the effect of call status on exam performance. Methods. Results of the 1994 ABSITE for 424 residents in 15 New England general surgery programs were collected. We compared standard scores of residents for the total test, clinical management, and basic science components with resident call status (on/off) for the night before the exam. Results. Differences were apparent in total test scores (mean: off 496.1; on, 466.0; P <.03) and clinical management scores (mean: off 504.3 on, 470.6; P <.02) (t test, Mann-Whitney U test), Multivariate analyses revealed that differences in postgraduate year level and training track were significant contributors to differences in scores in all test components (analysis of covariance). Call status was not a significant factor in score variation after adjusting for these 2 factors. Conclusions. Differences in ABSITE scores of residents were related to postgraduate year level and training track. Call status had no significant effect on ABSITE performance.