ABSITE Resources
Review of ABSITE Resources
Table of Contents
Caution
In recent years, a large number of new ABSITE-related publications have appeared, many of variable (and often poor) quality. Previously, trainees relied on a small number of well-established, high-yield resources. While the expansion of available options does provide greater choice and competition, it also makes it more difficult to identify what is truly effective. Have the confidence to explore any resource you feel may suit your learning style. However, as a surgical resident your time is limited and we strongly recommend focusing your efforts on resources with a proven track record.
Below, we review the major publications and programs to help you make more informed and confident choices.
General Review Material
The Operative Review of Surgery (The O.R.) – Use our Review of Surgery for high-yield rapid review of all subjects. We recognize our obvious bias but are dedicated to making our product the most up-to-date, clinically relevant, and simply best surgical review material available at no cost.
Textbooks – Good for general review during the year but typically poor for ABSITE-dedicated study
Fiser S. The ABSITE Review, 8e. 2025 – The classic ABSITE review book. Nearly every surgery resident 5-10 years ago owned a copy but as more resources are now available it has been recommended less frequently. Still a great resource.
Behind the Knife: ABSITE Podcast Companion, 3e. 2023 – A brief review of high-yield ABSITE content created by the Behind the Knife team. Rapidly becoming one of the most recommended resources. Our personal favorite ABSITE review book.
Other Less Commonly Used Review Resources:
- Dr. High Yield’s ABSITE Rapid Review. 2024
- The ABSITE Blueprints. 2023
- ABSITE Smackdown, 3e. 2021
- ABSITE Slayer, 2e. 2020
Our Recommendation: Use “Behind the Knife: ABSITE Podcast Companion” as an ABSITE-specific review with our Review of Surgery to supplement specific subjects as needed
Question Banks
SCORE (Surgical Council on Resident Education) – 2,300+ practice questions. A very thorough large bank with varying quality although it has been improving in recent years. ABSITE is based on the SCORE curriculum and therefore is one of the more relevant products. Most residents will already have access to this through their program (same program used for TWIS). Of note: there are a large number of questions at the fellowship-level and early learners should avoid those categories concentrating time on more high-yield topics.
TrueLearn – Essentially the “gold standard”. 1,000+ practice questions. Questions are well written and correlate well to material seen on the actual exam.
DeVirgilio C. Review of Surgery for ABSITE and Boards, 3e. 2022 – 1,000 practice questions in book format. These are very well written and the answer explanations are thorough. One of the best for learning a topic but is often at a higher-level and may be better suited to residents in later years.
ABSITE Quest – A daily set of 5-10-questions are sent to the user. There, however, is no access to any traditional question bank where all questions can be seen at once. The program uses spaced-repetition to consistently reinforce topics. They offer an additional mock exam and review course for additional cost.
Decker Medicine – Our reviewers found it to have some good material although we found it poorly formatted for practice questions and difficult to navigate. With limited time and resources, we found other banks to be more high-yield. They also have a weekly curriculum and board prep although we did not use this.
Other Less Commonly Used Question Banks:
- ABSITE Fire, 2024 – Another Question Book
- The ABSITE Final Review, 2025 – Another Question Book
- Board Vitals
Our Recommendation: Use TrueLearn primarily, with SCORE or the DeVirgillio Book as second question banks if able. Change between these from year-to-year to further vary the material seen. Additionally consider ABSITE Quest during your year-round study.
Other Resources
Flashcard Applications
- Anki – Generally seems to be the most popular with a solid pre-made flashcard deck
- Brainscape
- Quizlet
- Firecracker
- ABSITE Secrets: Rapid Review Flashcards – 1000+ physical flashcards Produced by ABSITE Quest
Audio Review/Podcasts
- Throughout the year there are multiple good audio podcasts to listen to such as the EAST Traumacast, Trauma ICU Rounds, Tiger Country, or Audible Bleeding, but ultimately for ABSITE review Behind the Knife is the best. Nearly every surgery resident is familiar with BTK and their condensed ABSITE review series provides a great review in a solid format. We cannot recommend them highly enough.
ABSITE Review Courses: These generally cost $150-$1,000 for a 2-3 day review session. They are generally composed of various lectures regarding high-yield ABSITE topics and may also include additional practice questions. Many are moving to a virtual format, although there are still in-person courses available. We do not believe these to be overly helpful. They are often expensive and there is no good evidence to prove significantly improved performance. We will, however, note that many of the virtual courses are now allowing cheaper prices than in the past. In our opinion, 2-3 days of dedicated study would be better served by additional practice questions than lectures – active learning is associated with improved performance compared to passive learning.
- The ABSITE Review Course
- ChristianaCare ABSITE Comprehensive Review Course
- ABSITE Quest, Virtual Review Course
- National Surgery Review, ABSITE/In Training Review Course Online
Our Recommendation: Listen to the Behind the Knife podcast while driving to/from work.
We generally advise against ABSITE review courses and would recommend using your limited time for more practice questions rather than added flashcards.
See Also
How to Prepare for ABSITE