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Are Army-trained surgeons satisfied with their residencies?
Daniel R Cronk1, Stephen P Hetz, Kenneth S Azarow
1Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA 98431, USA. daniel.cronk@nw.amedd.army.mil
Current Surgery
|March 31, 2005
Summary
Army general surgery residency graduates report high overall satisfaction with their training. However, recent graduates expressed lower satisfaction with pediatric surgery experience, indicating areas for program improvement.
Area of Science:
- Surgical Education
- Military Medicine
- Residency Training Evaluation
Background:
- Assessing the quality of surgical residency programs is crucial for medical education.
- Military surgical residencies play a vital role in training surgeons for service.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the adequacy of training in Army general surgical residencies.
- To provide insights for program directors and prospective military surgeons.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to 182 Army general surgeons (1999-2003).
- Respondents rated 13 training areas on a 5-point Likert scale.
- Analysis of variance was used to compare satisfaction scores across graduation cohorts.
Main Results:
- 84 surveys were analyzed, showing an average satisfaction score of 4.37.
- Overall satisfaction was high across all graduation groups.
- Recent graduates reported lower satisfaction with pediatric surgery training (p < 0.05).
- Satisfaction was highest for basic surgical care and decision-making.
- Lower satisfaction was noted for case volume, research, and pediatric surgery training (p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- Army-trained general surgeons are generally satisfied with their residency education.
- Areas for improvement include case numbers, research opportunities, and pediatric surgical training.
- These findings can inform curriculum development and enhance military surgical training programs.