A cross-sectional survey study of United States residency program directors’ perceptions of parental leave and pregnancy among anesthesiology trainees

Abstract Objective This article examines models of patient care and supervision for hospital-based ophthalmology consultation in teaching institutions. Design This is a cross-sectional survey. Methods An anonymous survey was distributed to residency program directors at 119 Accreditation Council for Graduated Medical Education accredited U.S. ophthalmology programs in the spring of 2018. Survey questions covered consult volume, rotational schedules of staffing providers, methods of supervision (direct vs. indirect), and utilization of consult-dedicated didactics and resident competency assessments. Results Of the 119 program directors, 48 (41%) completed the survey. Programs most frequently reported receiving 4 to 6 consults per day from the emergency department (27, 55.1%) and 4 to 6 consults per day from inpatient services (26, 53.1%). Forty-seven percent of programs reported that postgraduate year one (PGY-1) or PGY-2 residents on a dedicated consult rotation initially evaluate patients. Supervising faculty backgrounds included neuro-ophthalmology, cornea, comprehensive, or a designated chief of service. Staffing responsibility is typically shared by multiple faculty on a daily or weekly rotation. Direct supervision was provided for fewer of emergency room consults (1–30%) than for inpatient consults (71–99%). The majority of programs reported no dedicated didactics for consultation activities (27, 55.1%) or formal assessment for proficiency (33, 67.4%) prior to the initiation of call-related activities without direct supervision. Billing submission for consults was inconsistent and many consults may go financially uncompensated (18, 36.7%). Conclusion The majority of hospital-based ophthalmic consultation at academic centers is provided by a rotating pool of physicians supervising a lower level resident. Few programs validate increased levels of graduated independence using specific assessments.

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National survey of Canadian residents and program directors regarding parental leave during residency

Canadian Medical Education Journal ◽

10.36834/cmej.68486 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Karen Willoughby ◽

Marie Julien ◽

Benjamin Rich Zendel ◽

Vernon Curran

Keyword(s):

Return To Work ◽

Residency Program ◽

Parental Leave ◽

Average Duration ◽

Program Directors ◽

Work Hours ◽

Medical Resident ◽

The Mean ◽

Almost All ◽

Residency Program Directors

Background: Despite the advantages of having a child as a medical resident, the transition back to residency after parental leave can be challenging. This study is the first to investigate this issue using a nation-wide Canadian sample of both residents and program directors. Method: A questionnaire was developed and made available online. Respondents included 437 female residents, 33 male residents, and 172 residency program directors. The mean length of parental leave was nine months for female residents and six weeks for male residents. Almost all female residents (97.5%) breastfed with an average duration of 12 months. The top challenges reported by residents were feeling guilty for being away from their family, long and unpredictable work hours, sleep deprivation, and finding time to study. When female residents and program directors were matched to both school and program (N = 99 pairs), there was no difference in the total number of challenges reported, but program directors reported offering significantly more accommodations than female residents reported being offered, t(196) = 13.06, p < .001. Results: Our data indicate there is a need for better communication between resident parents and program directors, as well as clear program-specific parental leave policies, particularly for supporting breastfeeding mothers as they return to work.

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Assessment of Intravitreal Injection Training among U.S.-Based Ophthalmology Residents

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology ◽

10.1055/s-0039-1688912 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (01) ◽

pp. e43-e49

Author(s):

Jacob J. Liechty ◽

Michael J. Wilkinson ◽

Esther M. Bowie

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Intravitreal Injection ◽

Povidone Iodine ◽

The United States ◽

Intravitreal Injections ◽

First Year ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Residency Program Directors ◽

Procedure Room

Purpose To describe the intravitreal injection training of ophthalmology residents in the United States in 2018. Design Cross-sectional survey. Methods An anonymous, 29-question, internet-based survey was emailed to 119 ophthalmology residency program directors with the instructions to forward the survey to their ophthalmology residents. Results A total of 117 ophthalmology residents (7.89%) responded to the survey. The majority of residents stated that their intravitreal injection training began during their first year of ophthalmology training, PGY 2 year, (92.3%). The majority of residents performed at least 25 injections per year (78.6%). All residents use antiseptic on the conjunctiva prior to the injection, 94% use a lid speculum, and 84.6% avoided talking in the procedure room. Most injections are performed with gloves (83.8%). A minority of residents stated that they are trained to use povidone-iodine on the eyelids prior to performing an injection (45.3%). Only 6.0% of residents claimed to use postinjection antibiotic drops. Performance of bilateral, simultaneous intravitreal injections was split with nearly half of residents not being trained in this method (47.9%). Conclusion Ophthalmology residents from across the country experience a variety of different injection protocols when being trained on how to perform intravitreal injections. Conjunctival antisepsis has reached a clear consensus while topics such as simultaneous, bilateral injections and eyelid antisepsis are still uncertain among the resident community.

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