No Miracles in Two Minutes: A Randomized Controlled Study on the Impact of Preparatory Expansive Posing on Anesthesiology Residents' Performance in Mock Structured Oral Examinations.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of engaging in preparatory expansive posing on the performance of anesthesiology trainees during a mock structured oral examination.

METHODS: A total of 38 clinical residents at a single institution participated in this prospective randomized controlled study. Participants were stratified by clinical anesthesia year and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 orientation rooms to prepare for the examination. The preparatory expansive posing participants stood for 2 minutes with their hands and arms above their heads and with their feet approximately 1 ft apart. Conversely, the control participants sat quietly in a chair for 2 minutes. All participants then received the same orientation and examination. Faculty evaluation of resident performance, residents' self-assessment of performance, and anxiety score were collected.

RESULTS: There was no evidence to support our primary hypothesis that residents who engaged in preparatory expansive posing for 2 minutes prior to a mock structured oral examination would score higher than their control counterparts ( P = .68). There was no evidence to support our secondary hypotheses that preparatory expansive posing increases self-assessment of one's performance ( P = .31) or reduces perceived anxiety during a mock structured oral examination ( P = .85).

CONCLUSIONS: Preparatory expansive posing did not improve anesthesiology residents' mock structured oral examination performance or self-assessment of their performance, nor did it reduce their perceived anxiety. Preparatory expansive posing is likely not a useful technique in improving the performance of residents in structured oral examinations.