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Evaluating the Effectiveness of the General Surgery Intern Boot Camp
Clint S Schoolfield1, Navdeep Samra, Roger H Kim
1Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.
The American Surgeon
|April 22, 2016
Summary
A general surgery intern boot camp effectively boosted new residents' confidence in performing essential tasks. This skills-based program significantly improved medical knowledge, technical skills, and communication abilities before clinical duties began.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Training
- Residency Programs
Background:
- Transitioning to residency presents challenges for new general surgery interns.
- A structured preparatory program can enhance intern readiness and confidence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a newly implemented 2-day didactic and skills-based general surgery intern boot camp.
- To assess the impact of the boot camp on intern confidence in performing level-appropriate tasks.
Main Methods:
- A pre- and post-boot camp survey using a 5-point Likert scale assessed intern confidence.
- Participants excluded those not attending all activities or with prior postgraduate training.
- Subgroup analyses compared confidence changes based on institution origin and specialty.
Main Results:
- Overall confidence significantly increased post-boot camp (pre=2.79 vs. post=3.43, P < 0.001).
- Improvements were noted in medical knowledge, technical skills, communication, and practice-based learning.
- Confidence gains were significant for both home institution and external graduates, and across general surgery and other specialties.
Conclusions:
- The general surgery intern boot camp is effective in enhancing intern confidence.
- Pre-residency training programs can better prepare incoming interns for clinical responsibilities.
