Objective: Internal medicine (IM) residency training program aims to train competent internists to provide healthcare services to community. Examination is usually done during and at the end of training. Data regarding effect of curricular activity attendance on examination performance are conflicting. This study aims to determine the effect of curricular activity attendance of IM residents on their examination scores and the correlation between in-training examination (ITE) and board certifying examination scores.
Material and Method: Activity attendance of IM residents was prospectively tracked during a 6-month period (June to
November 2014) prior to ITE. Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify correlation between attendance and examination scores. Correlation between ITE and board certifying examination scores was also examined.
Results: The subjects included were 11 and 8 residents in their 2nd and 3rd year of training, respectively. Age, sex and medical school GPA were the same between groups. During the study period, 34 lecture-type activities and 81 case-based non-lecture sessions were provided to residents. Multivariable regression analysis showed that non-lecture activity attendance of more than 65% improve score in clinical skills part of ITE by 10.53% (p-value = 0.003), while every 1.0 point increment in medical school GPA improve clinical knowledge part of ITE by 19.24% (p-value = 0.009). The study showed moderate-to-strong correlation between ITE and board certifying examination scores (clinical knowledge r = 0.72, p-value <0.001; clinical skills r = 0.94, p-value <0.001).
Conclusion: Attendance to curricular activities, especially to case-based, non-lecture activities, is beneficial to IM residents as measured by ITE. There was a strong correlation between ITE and board certifying examination scores.

Keywords: Internal medicine, Resident, Examination, Activity attendance