Orthopedic Oncology Experience During Residency

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Medical Education
• Oncology Training

Background:

• Orthopedic oncology is a specialized field requiring specific training.
• Understanding the structure and impact of orthopedic oncology rotations in residency is crucial for curriculum development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize orthopedic oncology rotations in US residency programs.
• To assess the impact of these rotations on Orthopedic In-Training Examination (OITE) scores.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to 162 orthopedic surgery residency programs.
• OITE scores before and after oncology rotations were analyzed for 24 residents.

Main Results:

• 90.1% of programs offer dedicated orthopedic oncology rotations.
• Rotation structure, duration (6-10 weeks), and location vary widely.
• A 12.1% mean increase in OITE oncology scores was observed post-rotation (p=0.005).

Conclusions:

• Significant variability exists in orthopedic oncology residency curricula across the USA.
• Dedicated orthopedic oncology rotations are associated with improved resident performance on the OITE oncology section.