Research Corner –
NEW to the SEA Newsletter is a section called – “Hot – Off – the Press”. Thanks to the Research Committee and the Co-Editors-in-Chief of JEPM (Journal of Education in Perioperative Medicine), for taking the lead on this effort. We highlight 1-2 papers in each Newsletter that every educator should know to enhance their teaching, administrative, or evaluative skills – knowledge you need in your Toolbox.
We kick off Hot-Off-the Press with these two articles...
#1) Lide RSC, Moquin R, Green E.
Constructing a validity argument and exploring implications for the American Board of Anesthesiology’s Basic Examination. J Educ Perioper Med. 2025;27(1).
For Abstract and Manuscript:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40207075/
SUMMARY – What You Need to Know!
As the ABA Basic Exam increasingly shapes resident progression and program policy, this study examines how anesthesiology programs use exam results and the consequences that emerge from those decisions.
Highlights:
- A strong example of theory-informed qualitative research: The authors anchor their study in Kane’s argument-based validity framework, demonstrating how theoretical frameworks can guide qualitative study design, analysis, and interpretation. The study provides a clear example of qualitative research grounded in a conceptual framework.
- Program use of the Basic Exam varies widely: Program directors report using exam results in multiple ways, including remediation, recruitment decisions, and in some programs dismissal from training. This study was conducted before recent ABA policy changes removing requirements around training extension after repeated failures, suggesting variability across programs may increase further.
- Exam performance can carry substantial consequences for trainees: In some programs, failure may lead to dismissal from residency after multiple years of training. The study raises important questions about the implications of using a single examination to inform such consequential decisions.
- Exam anxiety can affect study habits and clinical performance: Program directors expressed concern that extrinsically motivated study focused on narrow testing topics as opposed to broader, clinical-based study might replace critical thinking with rote memorization. There was also mention of studying focused on the test could distract from preparing for clinical care.
Phillip S. Adams, DO, FASA
Associate Professor
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Assistant Residency Program Director
UPMC Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
#2) Gin BC, O’Sullivan PS, Hauer KE, Abdulnour RE, Mackenzie M, Ten Cate O, Boscardin CK. Entrustment and EPAs for artificial intelligence (AI): a framework to safeguard the use of AI in health professions education.Academic Medicine.2025 Mar;100(3):264-72.
For Abstract and Manuscript:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39761533/
SUMMARY – What You Need to Know!
Can We Trust AI in Medical Education? Applying Entrustment Principles to Emerging Tools
As AI tools enter medical education, the key question is not whether they are useful – but whether they are trustworthy enough to be entrusted with specific educational tasks.
Highlights:
• Borrowing from competency-based education: The authors propose applying the entrustment framework used for trainees and EPAs to guide decisions about when and how AI should be used in health professions education.
• Three criteria for trusting AI: AI tools should be evaluated based on ability (accuracy and competence), integrity (transparency and reliability), and benevolence (alignment with ethical principles such as fairness, privacy, and avoidance of harm).
• Different tasks require different levels of oversight: AI may assist with lower-stakes tasks like summarizing feedback or generating educational materials, but high-stakes decisions (e.g., promotion or remediation) should remain under close human supervision.
• Define “EPAs for AI”: Educators should specify which educational tasks AI can support, appropriate levels of autonomy, and necessary safeguards to prevent bias, errors, or overreliance on AI.
Heather A. Ballard, MD, MS
Pediatric Anesthesiologist, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Associate Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
