Scheduling surgical success: Early minimally invasive surgery rotations as a predictor of ABSITE performance

The American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE®) serves as a benchmark for assessing resident knowledge and comprehension in surgery training programs. While previous studies have examined factors such as USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 performance in ABSITE® preparation, the impact of rotational schedule on ABSITE® performance remains underexplored. We retrospectively investigated the independent influence of rotational schedule on ABSITE® performance among interns at a single academic institution over an 11 year period. Early exposure to minimally invasive surgery rotations and specialty rotations such as surgical oncology and vascular surgery during the winter or just before ABSITE® was associated with higher ABSITE® percentiles when controlled for USMLE Step 2 performance. This study underscores the significance of rotational scheduling in optimizing ABSITE® performance and suggests potential strategies for enhancing resident preparation and success on this examination.