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Updated: Jul 9, 2025
Simulator Training for Endovascular Neurosurgery
Published on: May 6, 2020
Perception of shared learning environment differs between vascular surgery and general surgery residents
Ruojia Debbie Li1, Eric Pillado2, Kathryn DiLosa3
1Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL; Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, and Education in Surgery (NQUIRES), Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.
General surgery (GS) residents are more likely to consider leaving their programs than integrated vascular surgery (VS) residents. Differences in learning environment perceptions, including mistreatment and work-life integration, explain this disparity.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Training
- Resident Wellness
Background:
- An optimal learning environment is crucial for resident wellness and education.
- Integrated vascular surgery (VS) and general surgery (GS) residents share core GS rotations, offering a unique comparison for identifying areas of improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the learning environment and wellness experiences of integrated VS and GS residents.
- To identify factors associated with attrition among postgraduate year 1-3 (PGY1-3) surgical residents.
Main Methods:
- Convergent mixed-methods design utilizing cross-sectional surveys and resident focus groups.
- Surveys assessed eight domains of the learning environment and resident wellness.
- Multivariable logistic regression and qualitative thematic analysis were employed.
Main Results:
- GS residents reported higher odds of considering attrition compared to VS residents.
- Perceptions of mistreatment, work-life integration, resident camaraderie, and meaning in work significantly differed between GS and VS residents.
- Qualitative data revealed that VS residents benefit from early specialization, smaller program size, and closer faculty relationships, fostering a more positive training experience.
Conclusions:
- Integrated VS and GS residents experience distinct training environments, impacting attrition rates.
- Smaller program size and higher faculty investment in VS programs contribute to a more favorable learning environment.
- Strategies to enhance GS programs, such as structured operative entrustment and faculty incentivization, are recommended.
