Postgraduate medicine
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Postgraduate medicine · May 2021
Improving the online presence of residency programs to ameliorate COVID-19's impact on residency applications.
Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created several challenges for residency programs and prospective interns alike during the upcoming application cycle, including the cancellation of away sub-internships and in-person interviews. Given prior research documenting that applicants' application and ranking decisions are significantly influenced by residency webpages, a potential solution to the loss of in-person experiences during the pandemic is the expansion of residency programs' online presence through their program websites, provision of virtual grand rounds and pseudo-away rotations, and enhancement of virtual interviews. This study seeks to summarize the existing literature on these areas and provide concrete suggestions for improving programs' virtual presence. ⋯ Program websites were also limited by underrepresentation of content most valued by applicants as well as potential areas of inaccurate or outdated information. Conclusions: There are several interventions programs can undertake to address existing gaps in online presence. During an application cycle facing unprecedented resource strain, bolstering the online presence of programs may facilitate an improved fit between programs and future residents.
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Postgraduate medicine · May 2021
Observational StudyThe predictive recurrence value of MTV-s as an 18F-FDG PET/CT index in patients with IIB~IVA cervical cancer.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the predictive recurrence value of the PET/CT index and some clinical features in patients with IIB-IVA cervical cancer. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 84 patients with cervical cancer who underwent 18 F-FDG PET/CT scans before treatment. MTV-s is the sum of the metabolic volume of the primary cervical lesion (MTV-C) and the metabolic volume of the pelvic and abdominal paravascular metastatic lymph nodes (MTV-LN). ⋯ There were 43 patients with MTV-s ≤ 27.36 cm3, 7 of whom had tumor recurrence (16.3%). Conclusion: MTV-s can predict recurrence in patients with stage IIB-IVA cervical cancer, with a critical value of 27.36 cm3. PET/CT can help clinicians judge the prognosis of patients more comprehensively.