Characterizing the General Surgery Experience of Future Breast Surgeons: A Multi-institutional Study from the US ROPE...

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Medical Education
• Breast Surgery

Background:

• Breast cancer care requires specialized expertise, often pursued through fellowship training.
• General surgery residency remains foundational for breast surgery skills.
• This study investigates operative case logs of residents entering breast surgical oncology (BSO) fellowship.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the hypothesis that residents entering BSO fellowship have greater breast surgery exposure and log more breast cases than their peers.
• To compare operative case logs between BSO fellowship matriculants and those entering other surgical fields or practice.

Main Methods:

• Data from 1343 general surgery residency graduates (2010-2020) were analyzed from the US Resident OPerative Experience (ROPE) Consortium.
• Operative case logs and demographics were compared between BSO fellowship matriculants and non-BSO groups.
• Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) case logs were utilized.

Main Results:

• BSO matriculants (3.4% of graduates) were more frequently female but otherwise demographically similar to the non-BSO group.
• BSO fellows logged significantly more breast cases (74 vs. 50, p<0.0001).
• BSO fellows logged fewer total procedures across various surgical domains (p<0.05), despite similar access to breast rotations and faculty.

Conclusions:

• Residents pursuing breast surgical oncology fellowship log a higher volume of breast cases during residency.
• This suggests early interest and tailored training in breast surgery among these residents.
• Further research is needed to explore the implications for breast surgery training and practice.