Journal of surgical education
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Diversity is an ill-defined entity in general surgery training. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education recently proposed new common program requirements including verbiage requiring diversity in residency. "Recruiting" for diversity can be challenging within the constraints of geographic preference, type of program, and applicant qualifications. In addition, the Match process adds further uncertainty. We sought to study the self-identified racial/ethnic distribution of general surgery applicants to better ascertain the characteristics of underrepresented minorities (URM) within the general surgery applicant pool. ⋯ URM applicants represented a disproportionately smaller percentage of applicants selected for interview. USMLE Step 1 scores were lower among the URM applicants. Training programs that use discreet USMLE cutoffs are likely excluding URM at a higher rate than their non-URM applicants. Attempts to recruit racially/ethnically diverse trainees should include program-level analysis to determine disparities and a focused strategy to interview applicants who might be overlooked by conventional screening tools.
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Certification of completion of training in Trauma and Orthopedic (T&O) surgery in the UK requires the demonstration of operative competence in 12 index procedures, achieved through attaining a level 4 consultant-validated procedure-based assessment (PBA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the trajectory of operative learning curves related to PBA performance with respect to operative caseload and training time. ⋯ Significant learning curve trajectory variance was observed, with discrepancies between indicative operative numbers and the point at which competence was judged achieved. Numbers of index operations to achieve certification of completion of training warrant further examination.
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Neurosurgeons care for critically ill patients near the end of life, yet little is known about how well their training prepares them for this role. We surveyed a random sample of neurosurgery residents to describe the quantity and quality of teaching activities related to serious illness communication and palliative care, and resident attitudes and perceived preparedness to care for seriously ill patients. ⋯ Residents in our sample reported limited formal training, and relatively less observation and feedback, on required ACGME competencies in palliative care and communication. Most reported preparedness in this domain, but many were receptive to more training. Better quality and more consistent palliative care education in neurosurgery residency could improve competency and help ensure that neurosurgical care aligns with patient goals.
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Comparative Study
Investigating Gender Differences in Faculty Evaluations by Trainees in a Gender-Balanced General Surgery Program.
Women account for 21% of faculty positions in general surgery. In fields with lower female representation, female faculty receive lower evaluation scores by trainees compared to male faculty. At 42%, the female faculty representation in our general surgery department doubles the national average. We sought to determine if variations in faculty evaluations would be observed in a more gender-balanced general surgery program. ⋯ In a general surgery residency program with a relatively gender-balanced faculty, there was no gender difference in the "overall" evaluation of faculty by residents. However, there were gender differences in specific domains. These findings suggest that gender balance in teaching faculty may help eliminate previously observed teaching evaluation bias in the traditionally male dominated fields.
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There is a national imperative to curb the flow of opioids into our communities. In academic medical centers, the majority of discharge opioid prescriptions are written by residents who receive predominantly ad hoc, peer-to-peer education on perioperative analgesia. We aimed to reduce opioid overprescribing after common general surgical operations through a resident led quality improvement project that involved formal educational interventions and feedback on prescribing habits. ⋯ Opioid prescribing is an ideal target for resident led education and quality improvement. Residents' attitudes toward appropriate opioid prescribing tend to differ from actual prescribing habits. Our results demonstrate that a well-scoped, resident-driven quality improvement program can lead to change in both attitudes and practice surrounding opioid prescribing.