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Pediatric residency training: ten years after the Task Force report.
E H Wender1, P E Bijur, W T Boyce
1Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.
Pediatrics
|December 1, 1992
Summary
Pediatric residency training showed little change in emphasized areas but improved in developmental and behavioral pediatrics. This suggests the 1978 Task Force report positively impacted training in these key subspecialties.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Medical Education
- Behavioral Pediatrics
Background:
- The American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Pediatric Education report in 1978 identified underemphasized areas in pediatric residency training.
- A prior survey established baseline perceptions of training adequacy in 1978.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess changes in pediatricians' perceptions of residency training adequacy compared to a 1978 report.
- To evaluate the impact of the 1978 Task Force recommendations on pediatric residency education.
Main Methods:
- A survey of 3000 pediatricians who completed residency in 1978 or later.
- The survey instrument was nearly identical to the one used for the 1978 Task Force report.
Main Results:
- High rates of perceived insufficient training persisted in areas previously identified as underemphasized.
- Significant improvements in training were reported for developmental and behavioral pediatrics and adolescent medicine, particularly for those trained after 1984.
- A notable increase in pediatricians identifying subspecialty interests or practice in developmental or behavioral pediatrics was observed.
Conclusions:
- The 1978 Task Force report appears to have positively influenced residency training in developmental and behavioral pediatrics.
- Despite overall slow change, specific subspecialty training in pediatrics has demonstrably improved, indicating educational progress.