Intern Perceptions and Participation in the Operating Room.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Resident Competence

Background:

• Concerns exist regarding surgical resident competence due to ACGME work hour restrictions and reduced case volumes.
• Early operative experience is crucial for foundational surgical learning, with the intern year offering significant exposure opportunities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate factors influencing surgical intern perceptions and operating room participation.
• To identify key elements that enhance or hinder intern involvement in surgical procedures during their initial year of training.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional retrospective study analyzed data from June 2019 to June 2020 at a large academic institution.
• Data sources included nursing operative logs, self-reported ACGME intern logs, and intern surveys across three surgical services.
• Primary endpoints were intern presence in operative cases and their perceived experience.

Main Results:

• Interns participated in 46% of operative cases.
• Presence of an Advanced Practice Provider (APP) and a female attending surgeon increased intern participation likelihood.
• Upper-level residents decreased participation; interns participated more in later stages of the academic year.

Conclusions:

• Intern operative experience can be substantial even within ACGME work hour guidelines.
• Service organization improvements focusing on faculty encouragement, positive learning environments, and managing competing responsibilities can enhance intern surgical training.