Impact of integrated programs on general surgery operative volume

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Residency Training Models

Background:

• Integrated residency programs are increasingly common alongside traditional categorical general surgery residencies.
• Understanding the impact of integrated programs on surgical training is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of integrated residency programs on the operative case volume of categorical general surgery residents.
• To assess the coexistence of integrated and categorical residency programs within a single institution.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of case logs from general surgery, integrated plastics, vascular, and thoracic surgery residents.
• Data collected from a single institution spanning the years 2008 to 2016.

Main Results:

• Integrated residents' performance of cases previously managed by general surgery residents increased significantly from 11 to 1392 between 2009-2010 and 2015-2016.
• No adverse impact was observed on the total major case volume for graduating chief residents.

Conclusions:

• Successful integration of multiple residency programs requires careful collaboration and consideration of trainee needs.
• Ongoing collaboration between integrated and categorical program directors is essential to maintain the quality of surgical training.