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Quality Improvement (Original Research)

Session: SAE it ain't so! Using the AAPM&R Self Assessment Exam (SAE) to Assess the Effectiveness of a New Structured Board Review Curriculum

SAE it Ain't So! Using the AAPM&R Self Assessment Exam (SAE) to Assess the Effectiveness of a New Structured Board Review Curriculum

Thursday, October 23, 2025
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM MT
Location: Open Kiosks

    Poster Presenter(s)

  • JR

    Joseph Ruiz, MD

    Resident Physician
    MassGeneral Brigham/Spaulding Rehabilitation/Harvard Medical School PM&R Program
    Somerville, Massachusetts

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Grant Schleifer, MD

    Resident Physician
    MassGeneral Brigham/Spaulding Rehabilitation/Harvard Medical School PM&R Program
    Somerville, Massachusetts

  • HR

    Hye Chang Rhim, MD

    Sports Medicine Fellow
    Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital/Harvard Medical School PM&R Program
    Charlestown, Massachusetts

  • GG

    Gregory Galeazzi, MD

    Resident
    MassGeneral Brigham/Spaulding Rehabilitation/Harvard Medical School PM&R Program
    Charlestown, Massachusetts

  • SK

    Shannon Killeen, MD

    Resident Physician
    MassGeneral Brigham/Spaulding Rehabilitation/Harvard Medical School PM&R Program
    Charlestown, Massachusetts

  • TH

    Tracey Hunter, MD

    Resident physician
    Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital/Harvard Medical School PM&R Program
    Chelsea, Massachusetts

  • ME

    Marissa J. Eckley, MD

    Resident Physician
    Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital/Harvard Medical School PM&R Program
    Somerville, Massachusetts

Disclosure(s):
Joseph Ruiz, MD: No financial relationships to disclose
Grant Schleifer, MD: No financial relationships to disclose
Background and/or Objectives: The AAPM&R Self-Assessment Examination (SAE) is offered each year to PM&R residents to evaluate their knowledge in key domains of rehabilitation medicine. This helps residents to address gaps in their clinical knowledge that may affect both patient care and performance on the ABPM&R board examination. A trend of declining SAE scores and resident concerns of ineffective board exam preparation prompted the creation of a new board review curriculum. Review content was assembled based on major categories in Physiatry (Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury etc.). This curriculum was implemented in the 2024 - 2025 academic year.

Design: Quality Improvement Study

Setting : Academic Hospital, PM&R Residency

Participants : Residents who completed the 2025 SAE

Interventions: Weekly board review curriculum delivered to all residents during regularly scheduled didactics from 08/2024 - 01/2025. A voluntary redcap survey assessing various self reported measures was administered to all residents who completed the 2025 SAE following its completion.

Main Outcome Measures: 2025 SAE Score, Self reported preparedness for SAE, Self reported assessment of motivation to study

Results: 22 residents completed the 2025 SAE. The mean score of all residents in 2025 was 77.4% which was significantly higher compared to a mean score of 48.4% in 2024 (p = 0.0005; Δ = 29.0; 95% CI: 13.4–44.7). 19 residents scored above the 50th percentile in 2025 compared to 7 residents who scored above the 50th percentile in 2024 (p = 0.0005). 10 residents scored above the 90th percentile in 2025 compared to 1 resident in 2024 (p = 0.0039). Survey data showed that residents generally felt well prepared for the 2025 SAE, found didactics more helpful compared to prior years, and found the specific board review curriculum to be effective.

Conclusions: The use of a standardized board review curriculum across our existing didactics sessions was effective at improving program average SAE scores and resident self perceived preparedness.