First nationwide survey of US integrated 6-year cardiothoracic surgical residency program directors. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2014 Aug;148(2):408-15.e1
Date
05/14/2014Pubmed ID
24820188Pubmed Central ID
PMC4336151DOI
10.1016/j.jtcvs.2014.04.004Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84904596422 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 16 CitationsAbstract
OBJECTIVE: The recently implemented integrated 6-year (I-6) format represents a significant change in cardiothoracic surgical residency training. We report the results of the first nationwide survey assessing I-6 program directors' impressions of this new format.
METHODS: A 28-question web-based survey was distributed to program directors of all 24 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited I-6 training programs in November 2013. The response rate was a robust 67%.
RESULTS: Compared with graduates of traditional residencies, most I-6 program directors with enrolled residents believed that their graduates will be better trained (67%), be better prepared for new technological advances (67%), and have superior comprehension of cardiothoracic disease processes (83%). Just as with traditional program graduates, most respondents believed their I-6 graduates would be able to independently perform routine adult cardiac and general thoracic operations (75%) and were equivocal on whether additional specialty training (eg, minimally invasive, heart failure, aortic) was necessary. Most respondents did not believe that less general surgical training disadvantaged I-6 residents in terms of their career (83%); 67% of respondents would have chosen the I-6 format for themselves if given the choice. The greater challenges in training less mature and experienced trainees and vulnerability to attrition were noted as disadvantages of the I-6 format. Most respondents believed that I-6 programs represent a natural evolution toward improved residency training rather than a response to declining interest among medical school graduates.
CONCLUSIONS: High satisfaction rates with the I-6 format were prevalent among I-6 program directors. However, concerns with respect to training relatively less experienced, mature trainees were evident.
Author List
Lebastchi AH, Tackett JJ, Argenziano M, Calhoon JH, Gasparri MG, Halkos ME, Hicks GL Jr, Iannettoni MD, Ikonomidis JS, McCarthy PM, Starnes SL, Tong BC, Yuh DDAuthor
Mario G. Gasparri MD Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AccreditationAttitude of Health Personnel
Cardiac Surgical Procedures
Clinical Competence
Curriculum
Humans
Internet
Internship and Residency
Personal Satisfaction
Physician Executives
Surveys and Questionnaires
Thoracic Surgery
Time Factors
United States
