scholarly journals Operative Landscape at Canadian Neurosurgery Residency Programs

Author(s):  
Michael K. Tso ◽  
Ayoub Dakson ◽  
Syed Uzair Ahmed ◽  
Mark Bigder ◽  
Cameron Elliott ◽  
...  

AbstractBackground Currently, the literature lacks reliable data regarding operative case volumes at Canadian neurosurgery residency programs. Our objective was to provide a snapshot of the operative landscape in Canadian neurosurgical training using the trainee-led Canadian Neurosurgery Research Collaborative. Methods: Anonymized administrative operative data were gathered from each neurosurgery residency program from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014. Procedures were broadly classified into cranial, spine, peripheral nerve, and miscellaneous procedures. A number of prespecified subspecialty procedures were recorded. We defined the resident case index as the ratio of the total number of operations to the total number of neurosurgery residents in that program. Resident number included both Canadian medical and international medical graduates, and included residents on the neurosurgery service, off-service, or on leave for research or other personal reasons. Results: Overall, there was an average of 1845 operative cases per neurosurgery residency program. The mean numbers of cranial, spine, peripheral nerve, and miscellaneous procedures were 725, 466, 48, and 193, respectively. The nationwide mean resident case indices for cranial, spine, peripheral nerve, and total procedures were 90, 58, 5, and 196, respectively. There was some variation in the resident case indices for specific subspecialty procedures, with some training programs not performing carotid endarterectomy or endoscopic transsphenoidal procedures. Conclusions: This study presents the breadth of neurosurgical training within Canadian neurosurgery residency programs. These results may help inform the implementation of neurosurgery training as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons residency training transitions to a competence-by-design curriculum.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neda Abedi ◽  
Michelle McCarren ◽  
Farzaneh Sheidaei ◽  
Andriyka L. Papish

Abstract Background: Residency is an important and challenging part of medical education. Some of these challenges are common to all residents and some are specific to a particular group of residents. A number of studies have addressed the challenges of residency. To our knowledge, the experience of challenges from the perspective of international medical graduates (IMGs), Canadian medical graduates (CMGs), and their preceptors has not been studied in a single residency cohort. This study represents a valuable step in addressing the differential needs of international and Canadian medical graduates and in identifying the way different groups of residents can support each other to function better during residency.Methods: We surveyed residents and preceptors to determine what they perceive to be the greatest challenges for each group during residency. The survey was sent to the program coordinators of all English language psychiatry residency programs in Canada to be distributed to all residents and preceptors. Three reminders were sent, and a prize draw was offered to participants. Mean scale scores were calculated. One-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were calculated to compare resident self-ratings between groups, preceptors' ratings of each resident group's challenges, and all four groups' perceptions of the challenges experienced by different groups. To determine the particular types of challenges that residents experience, multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) were also used for item-level comparisons.Results: 177 residents and 82 preceptors completed the survey. We found no significant differences in the mean scale scores for how each group rated their own challenges though the most challenging area was different for each group of residents. Preceptors viewed FIMGs as experiencing the greatest challenges (M = 3.27, SD = 0.066, 95% CI [3.11, 3.41]) and CMGs, the least (M = 2.02, SD = 0.59, 95% CI [1.89, 2.16]; F (2, 227) = 88.030, p < 0.001).Conclusion: Although the degree of challenge perceived by all groups of residents was relatively similar in general, different groups of residents identified different areas of challenges from their own perspective, and these areas differed from those identified by their resident colleagues and preceptors as being challenging for each group. This study highlights the necessity for reviewing the needs, strengths, and challenges of each group of residents and the importance of better communication between preceptors and residents regarding the different areas of challenges.


Author(s):  
MK Tso ◽  
M Bigder ◽  
A Dakson ◽  
C Elliott ◽  
D Guha ◽  
...  

Background: The Canadian Neurosurgery Research Collaborative (CNRC) is a trainee-led multi-centre collaboration made up of representatives from 12 of 14 neurosurgical centres with residency programs. To demonstrate the potential of this collaborative network, we gathered administrative operative data from each centre in order to provide a snapshot of the operative landscape in Canadian neurosurgery. Methods: Residents from each training program provided adult neurosurgical operative data for the 2014 calendar year, including the number of surgeries in the subcategories cranial, spinal, and peripheral nerve. Because some residency programs have surgeries distributed among more than one hospital, we calculated mean case load per residency program and per hospital. Results: Interim results from 6 neurosurgery residency programs are presented (with data from other programs forthcoming). Overall, there were on average 2,352 operative cases per residency program (n=6) and 1,176 operative cases per adult hospital (n=12). Among 5 programs with more detailed operative data, the mean numbers of cranial, spinal, peripheral nerve, and miscellaneous surgeries per residency program were 757 (47%), 487 (30%), 47 (3%), and 319 (20%) respectively. Conclusions: We show as a proof-of-concept that a trainee-led nation-wide research collaborative can generate meaningful data in a Canadian context.


Author(s):  
Ryan Mortman ◽  
Harold A. Frazier ◽  
Yolanda C. Haywood

ABSTRACT Background Increasing diversity in medicine is receiving more attention yet underrepresented in medicine (UiM) surgeons remain a small fraction of all surgeons. Whether surgical training programs attempt to attract UiM applicants to their programs, and therefore their specialties, through program website information is unclear. Objective To analyze the scope of diversity and inclusion (D&I) related information on US allopathic and osteopathic general surgery, integrated thoracic surgery, and integrated vascular surgery residency program websites. Methods Residency programs were identified through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) in July 2020. We searched surgical program websites and collected data on the presence or absence of variables labeled “diversity & inclusion” or “underrepresented in medicine.” Variables found on program websites as well as sites linked to the program website were included. We excluded programs identified in ERAS as fellowship training programs. Programs without webpages were also excluded. Results We identified 425 residency programs and excluded 22 from data analysis. Only 75 of the 403 included programs (18.6%) contained D&I-related information. The presence of individual variables was also low, ranging from 4.5% for opportunities related to early exposure to the specialty to 11.1% for a written or video statement of commitment to D&I. Conclusions In 2020, as recruitment and interviews moved entirely online, few US allopathic and osteopathic general surgery, integrated thoracic surgery, and integrated vascular surgery residency programs provided D&I-related information for residency applicants on their program websites.


2020 ◽  
pp. 000348942093882
Author(s):  
Aatin K. Dhanda ◽  
Brittany Ward ◽  
Christopher J. Warren ◽  
Ben Birkenfeld ◽  
Kirolos Georges ◽  
...  

Objectives: Matching to an otolaryngology residency program is a competitive process for medical students, and research performed by students is considered as a factor for granting interviews by program directors. Because abstracts, presentations and publications are all reported in combination by the National Resident Matching Program’s “Charting Outcomes in the Match” (ChOM) and may be weighted differently by PDs, we specifically investigated the number of publications by past applicants accepted to top otolaryngology residency programs. Methods: The top 25 otolaryngology residency programs were identified using Doximity, sorting by reputation. Current residents were determined from the programs’ websites. Using PubMed, each resident’s number of publications, authorship status, and journal type were recorded. Results: A total of 24 programs were included in the final analysis and the average number of manuscripts was 2.76 ± 4.01. The mean number of publications in otolaryngology journals was 1.03 ± 1.91. Conclusions: The difference between the investigated average number of publications (2.76) and those published by ChOM (10.4) represent a discrepancy due to the lack of delineation between abstracts, presentations and publications. The reported numbers for research may lead medical students to pursue alternate measures to increase their own research. Some options, such as adding a research year are not universally accessible. A clearer and more detailed approach to reporting research statistics would be beneficial to both applicants and PDs for otolaryngology programs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amandeep S. Taggar ◽  
Kevin Martell ◽  
Siraj Husain ◽  
Michael Peacock ◽  
Michael Sia ◽  
...  

Introduction: Residency experiences and teaching in oncology among urology residents are variable across Canada. We sought to identify how radiation and medical oncology concepts, as they pertain to genitourinary malignancies, are taught to urology residents.Methods: A total of 190 trainees enrolled in Canadian urology residency training programs were invited to participate in the study from January 2016 to June 2016. Participants completed an online questionnaire addressing the training they received.Results: The overall response rate was 32%. Twenty-three percent of respondents were in their fellowship year; 17%, 20%, 10%, 17%, and 12% were first-, second-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-year residents, respectively, with a median of four (range 1–9) respondents from each training program. Ninety-five percent of respondents had academic half-day (AHD) as part of their training that included radiotherapy (61%) and chemotherapy (51%) teaching. Most respondents indicated their main exposure to chemotherapy and radiation came from informal teaching in urology clinics. Twentynine percent and 41%, of participants had mandatory rotations in radiation and medical oncology, respectively. Only 6% of respondents used their voluntary elective time in these disciplines and most voluntary electives were of 1–2-week duration. Despite this, 90% of respondents preferred some mandatory radiation and medical oncology training.Conclusions: Most of the limited exposure that urology residents have to medical and radiation oncology is through AHD or informal urology clinics, despite a desire among current urology trainees to have clinical exposure in these areas. Moving forward, urology residency programs should consider integrating medical and radiation oncology rotations into the residency program curriculum.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e52-58
Author(s):  
Ashok Soma ◽  
Matthew Myatt ◽  
Mario McKenna ◽  
Soma Ganesan ◽  
Ka Wai Leung

Background: Although international medical graduates (IMGs) are essential in health care service delivery, a gap exists in the literature about how IMGs are selected into psychiatry residency programs in Canada. The purpose of this study was to identify the relative weight or importance that Canadian program directors (PDs) of psychiatry place on certain selection criteria when matching IMGs into residency programs.Methods: We electronically distributed a web-based questionnaire to 16 university residency program directors of psychiatry in Canada. Program Directors were asked to rate the importance of 43 selection criteria using 5-point Likert Scales. Criteria were grouped into six domains: academic criteria, extracurricular activities, supporting information, behavioural issues of concern, medical school country, and other education. Mean total values for each set of criteria were calculated and used to create rank orders within each domain.Results: Eight out of 16 program directors responded. Our analysis indicated that academics and behavioral issues of concern were the most important selection criteria.Conclusion: Our findings provide valuable insight about the perspectives of Program Directors toward IMGs who apply for psychiatry residency programs in Canada. Further studies are needed to better understand which criteria contribute to IMGs’ performances as psychiatric residents.


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