• Andrew K Lansdown, Paul G McHardy, Sanjiv C Patel, Catherine M Nix, and Colin Jl McCartney.
• Department of Anesthesia, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada ; University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
• Local Reg Anesth. 2013 Jan 1; 6: 17-24.

BackgroundThe scope of regional anesthesia fellowship programs has not been analyzed but may provide insights that could improve fellowship training and standards.MethodsRegional anesthesia fellowship directors across the world were asked to complete a comprehensive survey that detailed the range of educational and practical experience and attitudes as well as assessment procedures offered in their programs.ResultsThe survey response rate was 66% (45/68). Overall, the range of activities and the time and resources committed to education during fellowships is encouraging. A wide range of nerve block experience is reported with most programs also offering acute pain management, research, and teaching opportunities. Only two-thirds of fellowships provide formal feedback. This feedback is typically a formative assessment.ConclusionThis is the first survey of regional anesthesia fellowship directors, and it illustrates the international scope and continuing expansion of education and training in the field. The results should be of interest to program directors seeking to benchmark and improve their educational programs and to faculty involved in further curriculum development.

4 keywords...

hide…