Attitudes of Anesthesiology Postgraduate Residents Toward the Influential Factors in Their Success in the Iranian National Board Exam

BACKGROUND: One of the prominent indicators of academic success in postgraduate medical education is the “Residents’ Pass Rate” in the “National Board Exam.” OBJECTIVES: This study was designed and implemented to assess the attitudes of the anesthesiology residents toward factors affecting their success in the National Board Exam. METHODS: After the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, in an attitude assessment study, 20 of the 21 recently graduated anesthesiology residents were asked about the factors affecting their success quantitatively and qualitatively. A self-administered questionnaire with 19 closed questions and a personal virtual WhatsApp Messenger(®) interview were used for the study. RESULTS: The respondents’ viewpoints demonstrated that a step-by-step multifaceted integrative program in combination with psychological support (both from the family and the department) and individual motivation positively affected their success and their endurance to overcome the high load of the mandatory texts. In contrast, unplanned stressors leading to program shifts (mainly due to COVID-19) had adverse effects on their success. CONCLUSIONS: Anesthesiology residents believed that a well-designed and appropriately implemented study plan with psychological support and personal motivating factors could facilitate passing the National Board Exam, and unplanned external stressors could hinder it.