Effect of Community and Academic Surgical Rotation Sites on Medical Student Performance Outcomes and Career Choices

Abstract

We hypothesize that students exposed to both academic and community surgery clerkship sites will have higher National Board of Medical Examiners Subject Exam in Surgery (NBME SES) scores and be more likely to pursue a career in a surgical specialty. The NBME surgery subject exam scores and National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) results were collected for all medical students rotating through the surgery clerkship over 4 years. Permutations of sites were analyzed against exam scores and match rates into surgical and nonsurgical specialties. This study was performed at the Tulane University School of Medicine, in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America. Data for a total of 910 students rotating through the surgery clerkship over a period of 4 years was collected and analyzed. There was no statistical difference in NBME subject exam scores (p = 0.44) or match rates into a surgical specialty (p = 0.13) as stratified by site placement. Average NBME surgery subject exam scores were higher for those pursuing a surgical specialty (p < 0.001). The combination of sites experienced during the surgery clerkship did not affect NBME surgery subject exam scores nor lead to a tendency to match into a surgical specialty.