Geriatrics for surgeons: infusing life into an aging subject

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Geriatric Surgery
• Surgical Training

Background:

• Geriatric patients present unique medical and social needs requiring specialized surgical care.
• Existing surgical curricula often lack sufficient focus on geriatric principles.
• Surgical trainees need enhanced skills to effectively manage elderly patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a dedicated geriatric component within a PGY2 surgical curriculum.
• To improve surgical residents' competence in medical knowledge, patient care, and professionalism for elderly patients.
• To address the identified gap in geriatric training for surgeons.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal geriatrics curriculum integrated into a protected block curriculum over one year.
• Utilized adult learning principles including case-based learning, Objective Structured Video Examinations (OSVE), and didactic sessions.
• Employed needs assessment surveys and faculty instruction shared between geriatricians and general surgeons.

Main Results:

• A needs assessment revealed a lack of geriatric focus and low resident comfort in caring for elderly patients.
• The initial session demonstrated a significant improvement in medical knowledge, with average scores increasing from 57% pretest to 86% posttest.
• Resident evaluations indicated high satisfaction with curriculum content (4.7/5) and instructional delivery (3.9/4).

Conclusions:

• Specific geriatric training for surgical trainees is essential and currently lacking.
• The developed curriculum shows promise in enhancing surgical residents' ability to care for elderly patients.
• Further development and evaluation over two years aim to optimize instruction and improve geriatric surgical patient outcomes.