SUN-869 - Required Endocrine Rotation Improved Trainee Confidence in Managing Core Endocrinology Disorders

Background: Internal medicine residency training in the United States requires competency across diverse subspecialty domains, yet objective evidence demonstrating knowledge acquisition from elective subspecialty rotations remains limited. Few studies have assessed their educational impact, particularly in endocrinology. The primary objective of this study is to determine whether completion of a mandatory Endocrinology rotation enhances first-year internal medicine residents' confidence in core endocrine disorders.

Methods: A mandatory two-week endocrinology rotation was implemented for PGY1 internal medicine residents. The curriculum included half-day outpatient clinical blocks, inpatient endocrinology consults, didactics, case conferences and journal clubs. Residents completed an 18-item survey at rotation initiation and completion, assessing self-reported confidence in diagnosing and managing core endocrine disorders on a 5-point scale. Survey responses were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test to determine whether changes in confidence across endocrine content domains were significant. Aggregate data by PGY class from the 2025 American College of Physicians In-Training Examination in Internal Medicine (ACP-ITE) was reviewed.

Results: 30 of 36 residents (83.3%) completed the rotation and both pre and post surveys. Paired analysis demonstrated statistically significant improvement in self-assessed confidence across all endocrine core content areas from pre- to post-rotation (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.05), with the exception of female reproductive disorders. ACP ITE data showed that the 2025 PGY2 class who experienced the endocrine rotation outperformed the 2025 PGY3 class, who did not experience the rotation, in the endocrine section of the examination (PGY2 63.76% correct vs. PGY3 62.24%). When comparing changes in ITE endocrine scores between the two cohorts, the PGY1 class achieved a mean score of 53.19% on the endocrine section of the ITE in 2024. During their PGY2 year, following completion of the endocrine elective, their mean endocrine ITE score improved to 63.76%. In contrast, the cohort that did not complete an endocrine rotation demonstrated a smaller increase in endocrine ITE scores, rising from 57.81% to 62.24%.

Conclusion: Few studies have investigated the effectiveness of subspecialty rotations, particularly endocrinology, in preparing internal medicine residents for independent practice. We demonstrate that a required rotation in endocrinology significantly enhanced first year internal medicine residents’ confidence in evaluating and managing most core endocrine disorders and that a durable improvement in endocrine knowledge was seen by ACP ITE examination data. While we recognize that cultivating a pipeline of endocrinologists is important, it is equally crucial to enhance the knowledge base and confidence of internists.

*Unless otherwise noted, all abstracts presented at ENDO must not be released to the press or the public until the date and time of presentation. For oral presentations, the abstracts are embargoed until the session begins. The Endocrine Society reserves the right to lift the embargo on specific abstracts that are selected for promotion prior to or during ENDO.*