[Resident physician training in the digestive system. The point of view of the residents]

To evaluate various aspects of current training of Spanish residents in gastroenterology.

An anonymous postal questionnaire was sent to fourth-year resident physicians in Spanish hospitals with accredited gastroenterology residency programs.

Forty residents in the fourth year (53% offered positions), four from the second year and one from the first year (20 men, 25 women) answered the survey. Mean age was 29.7 years (26-42 years). Fifty-one percent of the departments did not have ultrasonography facilities apart from those in the radiology department. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was available in all the departments but in 55% of these, residents did not receive training in this technique. Forty-one percent of residents did not know the objectives of the various training periods. Eighty-four percent evaluated the pressure of clinical work as "intense" or "very intense" with 67% reporting that it disturbed their training "seriously" or "very seriously" and 71% that it disturbed their personal lives. Supervision in ultrasonography, endoscopy and clinical work were mainly evaluated as "good" or "very good". Supervision was rated lower in outpatient departments and while on duty. Forty-two percent of residents rated the supervision of the personal tutor as "average". Seventy-six percent were "fairly" or "very interested" in the introduction of "areas of specific training".

The quality of residents' training in general and of gastroenterology training in particular is high. There are, however, several aspects which could be improved.