Acute care surgery fellowship graduates' practice patterns: The additional training is an asset

Area of Science:

• Surgery
• Trauma Surgery
• Surgical Education

Background:

• The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (ACS) fellowship program has expanded to 20 verified programs.
• An evaluation of the ACS fellowship curriculum assessed current practice patterns and graduate perceptions of training.
• The study hypothesized that most graduates would practice in academic Level I trauma centers and find fellowship training pivotal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the practice patterns of Acute Care Surgery (ACS) fellowship graduates.
• To assess graduates' views on the impact and value of their ACS fellowship training.
• To determine if fellowship training is pivotal for career progression in ACS.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was administered to graduates of ACS fellowships.
• Survey included practice demographics, case mix based on ACS curriculum, and perceived training impact.
• Data from 56 of 77 graduates (73% completion rate) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• 96% of graduates practice broadly defined ACS, with diverse settings (urban/suburban) and hospital types (university-affiliated/community).
• Practice mix includes trauma (32%), emergency general surgery (29%), and surgical critical care (25%), with significant use of advanced operative skills (vascular, thoracic).
• Graduates found ACS fellowship training valuable, enhancing scope of practice, case mix, lifestyle, and career marketability, with 93% recommending it.

Conclusions:

• ACS fellowship graduates practice broadly defined ACS in varied urban/suburban settings with a mix of trauma center designations.
• Graduates effectively utilize advanced operative skills acquired during fellowship, particularly in vascular and thoracic surgery.
• The majority of ACS fellowship graduates find the training valuable, recommend it, and feel it prepared them for their careers.