Impact of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Radiologic Pathology Course on radiology resident performance on the ACR In-Training and ABR written Examinations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess resident scores on the American College of Radiology (ACR) In-Training Examination and on the written American Board of Radiology (ABR) Examination relative to attendance at and timing of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) Radiologic Pathology Course. A survey of 200 radiology residency program directors requested the type of residency program, whether the program sent residents to the AFIP course, dates of AFIP attendance for individual residents, percentile scores of residents on the ACR examination from 1995 through 1998, and ABR examination scores for 1997. Scores were analyzed before and after AFIP attendance and also temporally for examinations during or after AFIP attendance. Improvement in percentile scores for residents undergoing the ACR examination while attending the AFIP were compared with scores of matched residents from their programs who had not attended. Thirty-six (18%) program directors responded, providing data on 619 residents who underwent the ACR examination, ABR examination, or both. No significant improvement was found between pre- and post-AFIP ACR Examination scores for residents at university or military programs. There were statistically significantly improved scores for residents at community programs (mean percentile improvement, 8.1 points; P = .0064). Residents who underwent the ACR examination during the AFIP course improved their scores by 10.7 percentile points compared with matched residents who had not attended the AFIP course (P = .041). Residents undergoing the ACR examination while attending the AFIP improve their percentile scores more than residents who have not attended the AFIP.