Effect of New Fellowship Programs on Resident Case Volume in Pediatric Surgery

2019 ◽  
Vol 229 (1) ◽  
pp. 126-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Potts
2018 ◽  
Vol 80 (04) ◽  
pp. 399-415
Author(s):  
Neil S. Patel ◽  
Jamie J. Van Gompel ◽  
Nicole M. Tombers ◽  
Michael J. Link ◽  
Matthew L. Carlson

Introduction Optimal management of vestibular schwannoma (VS) demands involvement of an experienced multidisciplinary team. As the number of training programs in neurotology and skull base neurosurgery continues to rise, ensuring that trainees are capable of evidence-based decision-making and treatment, whether microsurgical or radiosurgical, is of paramount importance. The purpose of this study is to characterize the landscape of neurotologic and neurosurgical fellowship training programs in North America, with special reference to VS management. Methods A 64-item web-based survey assessing VS practice trends was devised by members of the North American Skull Base Society (NASBS) Research Task Force and distributed electronically to NASBS membership via SurveyMonkey as a cross-sectional study. Participation was entirely voluntary and there was no remuneration for survey completion. The survey link was active from November 29 to December 14, 2016. Results Of 719 members of the NASBS who were emailed a survey link, a total of 57 were returned (8%) completed surveys. Of all respondents, 51 (89%) claimed to have formal training in skull base neurosurgery or neurotology. Thirty-three respondents (65%) were skull base neurosurgeons while the remainder were neurotologists (n = 18; 35%). Institutions with fellowship programs tended to have a higher surgical, radiosurgical, and overall case volume than those with a residency program alone. However, 20% of respondents at institutions with fellowship programs reported evaluating less than 50 new diagnoses of VS per year and 12% reported a surgical case volume of less than 10 cases per year. Conclusion As the number of skull base training programs expands, it is our duty to ensure that trainees gain sufficient experience to enter independent practice with the ability to exercise informed decision-making and safely perform VS surgery and radiosurgery. In the current training climate, implementing multidisciplinary care models, formalized training requirements, and emerging surgical simulators will support the development of minimum proficiencies in VS care.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 60-60
Author(s):  
Ruth Namazzi ◽  
Peter Wasswa ◽  
Ezekiel Mupere ◽  
Kristina Wilson-Lewis ◽  
Carl Allen ◽  
...  

PURPOSE Specialized multidisciplinary care is central to childhood cancer control. Expertise and infrastructure in the pediatric disciplines of hematology, surgery, critical care, nursing, and pathology are as critical as pediatric oncology. Survival of the majority of children with cancer globally remains dismal because of the scarcity of multidisciplinary pediatric subspecialty services. We present the innovative approach and impact of Texas Children’s Global HOPE initiatives to cost-effectively develop capacity for specialized multidisciplinary cancer care for children in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). METHODS Global HOPE designed and supports subspecialty training and contingent infrastructure building in SSA in the following disciplines that are critical to pediatric cancer care: pediatric hematology and oncology (PHO), pediatric surgery, pediatric critical care, anatomic and molecular pathology, and pediatric oncology nursing. Key principles underlying the design of each disciplinary program are that it enables the implementation of current best evidence-based practices, primarily uses a problem-based learning approach, and is integrated and accredited by the local health sciences university. Training primarily occurs at an African hub where Global HOPE also supports infrastructure for clinical care and research, in addition to onsite faculty and offsite telemedicine support from the headquarters in Houston, TX. RESULTS The PHO and pediatric surgery fellowship programs based at Makerere University, Kampala, are the most advanced thus far. Twenty pediatricians from 6 African countries have enrolled and 8 have graduated from the 2-year PHO program. One surgeon enrolled in the 3-year pediatric surgery fellowship annually and 6 have graduated since inception. The fellowship programs have directly affected patient outcomes because of evidence-based clinical rigor and enhanced clinical infrastructure. All graduates from the 2 fellowships are currently practicing in SSA. CONCLUSION Formal in situ pediatric subspecialty training is feasible in low- and middle-income countries and carries the critical advantages of infrastructure development, direct patient impact, and is less susceptible to brain drain.


2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Paula de Oliveira Pires ◽  
Mavilde da Luz Gonçalves Pedreira ◽  
Maria Angélica Sorgini Peterlini
Keyword(s):  

Author(s):  
Sonali Basu ◽  
Robin Horak ◽  
Murray M. Pollack

AbstractOur objective was to associate characteristics of pediatric critical care medicine (PCCM) fellowship training programs with career outcomes of PCCM physicians, including research publication productivity and employment characteristics. This is a descriptive study using publicly available data from 2557 PCCM physicians from the National Provider Index registry. We analyzed data on a systematic sample of 690 PCCM physicians representing 62 fellowship programs. There was substantial diversity in the characteristics of fellowship training programs in terms of fellowship size, intensive care unit (ICU) bed numbers, age of program, location, research rank of affiliated medical school, and academic metrics based on publication productivity of their graduates standardized over time. The clinical and academic attributes of fellowship training programs were associated with publication success and characteristics of their graduates' employment hospital. Programs with greater publication rate per graduate had more ICU beds and were associated with higher ranked medical schools. At the physician level, training program attributes including larger size, older program, and higher academic metrics were associated with graduates with greater publication productivity. There were varied characteristics of current employment hospitals, with graduates from larger, more academic fellowship training programs more likely to work in larger pediatric intensive care units (24 [interquartile range, IQR: 16–35] vs. 19 [IQR: 12–24] beds; p < 0.001), freestanding children's hospitals (52.6 vs. 26.3%; p < 0.001), hospitals with fellowship programs (57.3 vs. 40.3%; p = 0.01), and higher affiliated medical school research ranks (35.5 [IQR: 14–72] vs. 62 [IQR: 32, unranked]; p < 0.001). Large programs with higher academic metrics train physicians with greater publication success (H index 3 [IQR: 1–7] vs. 2 [IQR: 0–6]; p < 0.001) and greater likelihood of working in large academic centers. These associations may guide prospective trainees as they choose training programs that may foster their career values.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (S1) ◽  
pp. e000125
Author(s):  
Khyati Vaja ◽  
Mukesh Suvera

Aims and Objectives: To know the most common surgical problems in pediatric patients presented with inguino-scrotal swellings and management done routinely. Methodology: This study was carried out in the department of general surgery, Sharadaben hospital and pediatric surgery of VS hospital, Ahmedabad. The cases were studied for a period of about one year (January, 2017 to Dec, 2017) and all children below 12 years of age, presenting to us with inguinoscrotal swellings were included in this study. The information was analysed in terms of age, diagnosis, procedure carried out and outcome. Results: Amongst the 150 children under the age of 12 years, 143 patients were males and 7 were females. Among these 150, 52 cases were of hydrocoele, 70 cases of hernia (of which 63 were males and 7 were females), 25 cases of undescended testis and 3 cases of epididymo orchitis were documented. All cases underwent simple herniotomy for hernia and hydrocoele, orchidopexy for undescended testis. The length of hospital stay ranged from 2-4 days with mean of 2.46 days. 11 children in the study were documented to have short term complications, all of which were recognised in the hospital and managed with good results. Conclusion: Hernia and Hydrocoele in children are often congenital and diagnosed clinically (history and examination). Indirect inguinal hernia are more common than other groin hernias. Open herniotomy is the operation of choice for inguinal hernia in children.


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