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Resident physicians' exam scores tied to patient survival


New analysis finds tests for new doctors can measure what matters — the life and health of patients

After completing residency training, graduating physicians typically take board certification exams at the time they enter practice — but surprisingly little is known about the ability of these standard tests to predict the things that count the most in a doctor’s performance, such as how likely their patients are to survive or to avoid a return trip to the hospital. “These results confirm that certification exams are measuring knowledge that directly translates into improved outcomes for patients,” said study senior author Bruce Landon, professor of health care policy at HMS and an internal medicine doctor at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. After students graduate from medical school, they go on to residency training in a specialty of their choice before taking their board certification exams and becoming fully qualified independent doctors in their particular area of medicine.

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