Original Research
Faculty Turnover and Resident In-Training Examination and Board Scores
Am J Orthop. 2007 December;36(12):E180-E184
Author and Disclosure Information
John F. Kragh, Jr., MD, Justin Robbins, MD, and John A. Ward, PhD
Dr. Kragh is Orthopaedic Surgeon, Bone and Soft Tissue Trauma Research Program, US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Dr. Robbins is Orthopaedic Resident, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, and Dr. Ward is Research Physiologist and Statistician, Department of Clinical Investigation, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
We tested the association between educator turnover and resident performance. A retrospective study analyzed an orthopedic residency for 12 years. Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE) scores for residents and American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery part 1 scores for graduates were analyzed with linear regression. Turnover was at first low, then rose, and finally dropped; OITE scores went the opposite direction. The OITE score nadir was just after the turnover apex, and the association was significant (P = .008). Turnover was not associated with board scores. Educators and policymakers should know that faculty turnover appears negatively associated with resident OITE performance.