Novel Spaced Repetition Flashcard System for the In-training Examination for Obstetrics and Gynecology

Abstract

Electronic flashcards allow repeated information exposure over time along with active recall. It is increasingly used for self-study by medical students but remains poorly implemented for graduate medical education. The primary goal of this study was to determine whether a flashcard system enhances preparation for the in-training examination in obstetrics and gynecology (ob-gyn) conducted by the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG). Ob-gyn residents at Duke University were included in this study. A total of 883 electronic flashcards were created and distributed. CREOG scores and flashcard usage statistics, generated internally by interacting with the electronic flashcard system, were collected after the 2019 exam. The primary outcome was study aid usage and satisfaction. The secondary outcome was the impact of flashcard usage on CREOG exam scores. Of the 32 residents, 31 (97%) participated in this study. Eighteen (58%) residents used the study's flashcards with a median of 276 flashcards studied over a median of 3.7h. All of the flashcard users found the study aid helpful, and all would recommend them to another ob-gyn resident. Using the flashcards to study for the 2019 CREOG exam appeared to correlate with improvement in scores from 2018 to 2019, but did not achieve statistical significance after adjusting for post-graduate year (beta coefficient = 10.5; 95% confidence interval = - 0.60,21.7; p = 0.06). This flashcard resource was well received by ob-gyn residents for in-training examination preparation, though it was not significantly correlated with improvement in CREOG scores after adjusting for post-graduate year.