[Has 2020 been a lost year in orthopedic surgery and trauma training? Residents' perceptions]

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery residency training
• Surgical education
• Pandemic impact on medical training

Context:

• The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted specialized healthcare training globally.
• Orthopedic surgery residency programs faced unprecedented challenges.
• The specific impact on orthopedic surgery training in Spain remained unassessed prior to this study.

Purpose:

• To assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on orthopedic surgery residency training in Spain.
• To analyze the impact on residents' clinical and theoretical education.
• To understand residents' perceptions of training quality during the pandemic.

Summary:

• An online survey of 307 orthopedic surgery residents in Spain revealed significant disruptions.
• 77.2% of residents had rotations suspended, and 69.7% of surgeries were canceled, with an 8-week average halt in surgical activity.
• 66.8% felt their surgical training was negatively affected, and 49.5% found online training insufficient, with over half deeming the pandemic's impact on their training 'bad' or 'very bad'.

Impact:

• The pandemic has had a detrimental effect on both theoretical and clinical aspects of orthopedic surgery training.
• There is a critical need to ensure continued quality training by optimizing learning opportunities for residents.
• Findings underscore the long-term implications for the future surgical workforce and patient care.