General Surgery Resident Satisfaction on Cardiothoracic Rotations

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Cardiothoracic Surgery

Background:

• General surgery residency programs have seen reduced cardiothoracic (CT) surgery rotation exposure.
• This decrease may impact resident satisfaction and overall training quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the relationship between general surgery resident satisfaction and key factors during CT surgery rotations.
• Investigate the influence of CT disease exposure, rotation length, mentorship, and mistreatment on resident satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to general surgery graduates (1999-2014) from 17 residency programs.
• The survey evaluated CT curriculum, exposure, mentorship, and satisfaction.
• Statistical analysis used the Wilcoxon rank-sum test (p < 0.05).

Main Results:

• Adequate exposure to CT procedures and disease management strongly correlated with higher satisfaction (p < 0.001 for thoracotomy, empyemas, lung cancer).
• Absence of mistreatment and quality mentorship were positively associated with satisfaction (p = 0.018 and p < 0.001, respectively).
• Increased rotation length did not correlate with improved satisfaction or mentorship quality.

Conclusions:

• Resident satisfaction in CT surgery rotations is driven by procedural exposure, mentorship, and a positive learning environment free from mistreatment.
• Rotation length is not a primary determinant of satisfaction; focused exposure and mentorship are key.
• These findings offer valuable insights for optimizing CT surgery curricula in general surgery residency programs.