Journal of surgical education
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Comparative Study
The utility of endovascular simulation to improve technical performance and stimulate continued interest of preclinical medical students in vascular surgery.
New training paradigms in vascular surgery allow for early specialization out of medical school. Surgical simulation has emerged as an educational tool for trainees to practice procedures in a controlled environment allowing interested medical students to perform procedures without compromising patient safety. The purpose of this study is to assess the ability of a simulation-based curriculum to improve the technical performance and interest level of medical students in vascular surgery. ⋯ The use of high fidelity endovascular simulation within an introductory vascular surgery course improves medical student performance with respect to technical skill, patient safety parameters, and global performance assessment. Mentored exposure to endovascular procedures on the simulator positively impacts long term medical student attitudes towards vascular surgery. Simulator-based courses may have the potential to be an important component in the assessment and recruitment of medical students for future surgical training programs.
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The objective of this study was to assess the factors that impact residency choice by general surgery applicants and the importance of the availability of skill curricula. ⋯ The main determinants of the applicants' choice of a general surgery program are the quality of life of the residents and the anticipated clinical experience and curriculum quality. The availability of organized skills curricula is low in the applicant priorities, but it does influence their decision-making process. These findings may help program directors to optimize their residency curriculum and interviewing process.
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Comparative Study
Factors correlated with surgery resident choice to practice general surgery in a rural area.
General surgery workforce shortages in the rural United States are likely to worsen over the next decade. We sought to identify reasons that general surgery residency graduates choose rural versus urban practice. ⋯ General surgery residency graduates and their spouses who choose rural practices are more likely than those selecting urban practices to have rural backgrounds and interests. Completing a rural clerkship during medical school and choosing a residency program committed to rural general surgery preparation are strongly correlated with rural practice. These findings may help formulate strategies to increase recruitment and retention of rural general surgeons.
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With the creation of the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) in 2002, the Arnold P. Gold Foundation established a mechanism for recognizing medical students who demonstrate exemplary humanism/professionalism/communication skills. Currently, 80 medical schools have GHHS chapters. Selection is based on peer nomination using a validated tool. The objective of this survey was to assess the percentage of residency program directors (PDs) who are aware of and are using GHHS membership as a residency selection tool. ⋯ IM PDs were more aware of GHHS (70%) than SURG PDs (30%). Awareness was related to the favorable ranking of GHHS as a selection criterion for humanism/professionalism/service orientation. PDs familiar with GHHS were from larger programs, were likely to know residents who were members, and were likely to think that GHHS membership predicted humanistic care. Membership in GHHS may set candidates apart from their peers and allow PDs to distinguish objectively the candidates who demonstrate compassionate medical care. Increased knowledge about the GHHS may therefore serve to be a useful adjunct for PDs when selecting medical students for their residency programs.