Perspectives of Surgical Research Residents on Improving Their Reentry Into Clinical Training

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Resident Well-being

Background:

• Concerns exist regarding skill decay in surgery residents during research years.
• Effective strategies to prevent negative impacts on clinical and operative skills are not well-defined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate surgical research residents' perspectives on interventions for improving reentry into clinical training.
• To understand the impact of research years on residents' clinical and surgical skills.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous web-based survey was distributed to 102 general surgery research residents (current and recent former) across four Boston academic medical centers.
• The survey, administered from May 1 to June 1, 2023, assessed perceived skill changes, confidence levels, and proposed reentry interventions.

Main Results:

• 61.1% of residents felt clinical aptitude decreased, and 91.7% reported reduced surgical skills during research years.
• Residents reported anxiety, lower confidence (3.84/5), and below-expected performance (3.42/5) upon reentry, with recovery taking 6-12 months.
• Moonlighting residents reported less skill decline, anxiety, and faster reentry compared to non-moonlighting peers.

Conclusions:

• General surgery residents perceive a decline in clinical and surgical skills during research years, leading to reentry anxiety and reduced confidence.
• Comprehensive interventions, including individualized plans, continuous clinical work curricula, preceptorships, and simulation, are necessary to enhance reentry.
• Moonlighting may serve as a beneficial intervention to maintain skills and confidence during research periods.