Expert consensus of general surgery residents' proficiency with common endocrine operations.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Proficiency with common endocrine operations is expected of graduating, general surgery residents. However, no expert consensus guidelines exist about these expectations.

METHODS:

Members of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons were surveyed about their opinions on resident proficiency with common endocrine operations.

RESULTS:

Overall response rate was 38%. A total of 92% of the respondents operate with residents. On average, they believed that the steps of a total thyroidectomy for benign disease and a well-localized parathyroidectomy could be performed by a postgraduate year 4 surgery resident. Specific steps that they thought might require more training included decisions to divide the strap muscles or leaving a drain. Approximately 66% of respondents thought that a postgraduate year 5 surgery resident could independently perform a total thyroidectomy for benign disease, but only 45% felt similarly for malignant thyroid disease; 79% thought that a postgraduate year 5 surgery resident could independently perform a parathyroidectomy. Respondents' years of experience correlated with their opinions about resident autonomy for total thyroidectomy (benign r = 0.38, P < .001; malignant r = 0.29, P = .001) but not parathyroidectomy. On multivariate analysis, sex and years of experience of the respondents were independently associated with opinions on autonomy but only for total thyroidectomy for benign disease (P = .001). Annual endocrine volume of the respondents did not correlate with beliefs in autonomy.

CONCLUSION:

There was general agreement among responding members of the AAES about resident proficiency and autonomy with common endocrine operations. As postgraduate year 5 residents may not be proficient in advanced endocrine operations, opportunities exist to improve training prior to the transition to independent practice for graduates that anticipate performing endocrine operations routinely.

• Authors: Roy Phitayakorn, Rachel R Kelz, Emil Petrusa, Rebecca S Sippel, Cord Sturgeon, Kepal N Patel, Nancy D Perrier
• Journal: Surgery (Surgery) Vol. 161 Issue 1 Pg. 280-288 (01 2017) ISSN: 1532-7361 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 27865597 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Clinical Competence
• Consensus
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Education, Medical, Graduate (methods, standards)
• Endocrine Surgical Procedures (methods, standards)
• Female
• General Surgery (education)
• Humans
• Internship and Residency (methods, standards)
• Male
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• United States