scholarly journals Education Research: The current state of neurophysiology education in selected neurology residency programs

Neurology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 90 (15) ◽  
pp. 708-711 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate M. Daniello ◽  
Daniel J. Weber

ObjectivePrior research has illustrated there is a knowledge gap in neurology residents' neurophysiology education (EEG and EMG), and we sought to understand whether this is still an issue and to recognize the barriers in order to create solutions and improve education.MethodsSurveys were developed for adult neurology residents and one for program directors asking about confidence in neurophysiology knowledge, percent of graduates reaching level 4 ACGME (American Council of Graduate Medical Education) milestones in EEG and EMG, methods of learning used, interest in the subjects, and suggestions for improvements.ResultsTwenty-six program directors (19% responder rate) and 55 residents (from at least 16 different programs) completed the survey. Program directors thought that 85% of graduating residents met level 4 milestones in EEG and only 75% in EMG. Structured rotations and more time allocated to education of these topics were frequent barriers mentioned. Postgraduate year 4 residents were 60% and 67% confident in EEG and 64%, 59%, and 62.3% in EMG level 4 milestones. Learning to read EEGs was considered important throughout residents' training; however, this interest and value decreased over time with EMG.ConclusionIn our study, program directors suspect up to a quarter of residents may graduate not meeting level 4 ACGME milestones, and residents expressed lack of confidence in these areas. The educational methods used to instruct residents in EEG and EMG were similar as were the barriers they face across programs. This information hopefully will help fuel curriculum design and interest in these important neurology techniques.

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (02) ◽  
pp. e171-e174
Author(s):  
Donna H. Kim ◽  
Dongseok Choi ◽  
Thomas S. Hwang

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.


Neurology ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 10.1212/WNL.0000000000011354
Author(s):  
Fábio A. Nascimento ◽  
Jay R. Gavvala

Objective:To better understand the EEG education provided to adult neurology residents by surveying program directors (PDs) of adult neurology residency programs in the US.Methods:An online survey focused on characteristics of neurology residency programs and their EEG teaching systems was distributed to the 161 adult neurology residency PDs listed in the ACGME website at the time of the study.Results:Forty-seven (29%) out of the 161 PDs completed the survey – most of the participating programs (89%) were academic. The mean number of 1-month EEG rotation(s) required to graduate was 1.7 (range 0-4, median 1.75). EEG rotations involved the inpatient and outpatient setting in 91% and 70% of programs, respectively. The average number of EEGs read during a typical EEG rotation varied from more than 40, in about one-third of programs, to 0-10, in about 14% of programs. There was significant variability in the requirements for successful completion of EEG rotations, and most PDs (64%) reported not utilizing objective measures to assess EEG milestones. The most commonly used educational methods were didactics throughout the year (95%) and EEG teaching during EEG rotations (93%). The most commonly reported barriers to EEG education were insufficient EEG exposure (32%) and ineffective didactics (11%); possible solutions are summarized in table 1.Conclusion:Our study identified a lack of consistency in teaching and evaluating residents during residency and presented EEG education barriers alongside possible solutions. We encourage PDs across the country to re-evaluate their EEG teaching systems in order to optimize EEG education.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 105 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 984-988
Author(s):  
Joel J. Alpert ◽  
Suzette M. Levenson ◽  
Cindy J. Osman ◽  
Sabin James

Objective. Many organizations make efforts to identify future pediatric leaders, often focusing on chief residents (CRs). Identifying future leaders is an issue of great importance not only to the ultimate success of the organization but also to the profession. Because little is known regarding whether completing a CR predicts future leadership in medicine, we sought to determine if former pediatric CRs when compared with pediatric residents who were not CRs reported more often that they were leaders in their profession. Design/Methods. Twenty-four pediatric training programs stratified by resident size (<18, 18–36, and >36) and geography (East, South, Midwest, and West) were selected randomly from the Graduate Medical Education Directory(American Medical Association, Chicago, IL). Program directors were contacted by mail and telephone and asked to provide their housestaff rosters from 1965–1985. The resulting resident sample was surveyed by questionnaire in 1995. Results. Fifteen of 17 program directors (88%) who possessed the requested data provided 1965–1985 rosters yielding a sample of 963 residents. Fifty-five percent of the resident sample (533) responded. Fifty-eight of the respondents had not completed a pediatric residency, leaving a survey sample of 475. Thirty-four percent (163) were CRs. The sample had a mean age of 47, 67% were male and 87% married. Fellowships were completed by 51%. More former CRs compared with non-CRs (75% vs 64%), more former fellows than non-fellows (75% vs 60%) and more males than females (74% vs 55%) reported they were professional leaders. These associations persisted in a logistic regression that controlled for CR status, gender, marital status, and fellowship status as leadership predictors. Former CRs, former fellows, and men were, respectively, 1.8, 2.3, and 2.3 times more likely to report professional leadership. Conclusions. Pediatric residents who were former CRs and/or fellows, and males were more likely to report professional leadership. Although men were more likely to report professional leadership, with more women entering pediatrics the reported gender differences will likely disappear over time.


Author(s):  
Won Hyung A. Ryu ◽  
Sonny Chan ◽  
Garnette R. Sutherland

AbstractBackground: The proposed implementation of work hour restrictions has presented a significant challenge of maintaining the quality of resident education and ensuring adequate hands-on experience that is essential for novice surgeons. To maintain the level of resident surgical competency, revision of the apprentice model of surgical education to include supplementary educational methods, such as laboratory and virtual reality (VR) simulations, have become frequent topics of discussion. We aimed to better understand the role of supplementary educational methods in Canadian neurosurgery residency training. Methods: An online survey was sent to program directors of all 14 Canadian neurosurgical residency programs and active resident members of the Canadian Neurosurgical Society (N=85). We asked 16 questions focusing on topics of surgeon perception, current implementation and barriers to supplementary educational models. Results: Of the 99 surveys sent, 8 out of 14 (57%) program directors and 37 out of 85 (44%) residents completed the survey. Of the 14 neurosurgery residency programs across Canada, 7 reported utilizing laboratory-based teaching within their educational plan, while only 3 programs reported using VR simulation as a supplementary teaching method. The biggest barriers to implementing supplementary educational methods were resident availability, lack of resources, and cost. Conclusions: Work-hour restrictions threaten to compromise the traditional apprentice model of surgical training. The potential value of supplementary educational methods for surgical education is evident, as reported by both program directors and residents across Canada. However, availability and utilization of laboratory and VR simulations are limited by numerous factors such as time constrains and lack of resources.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manasa S. Ayyala ◽  
Saima Chaudhry ◽  
Donna Windish ◽  
Denise Dupras ◽  
Shalini T. Reddy ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Background  Bullying of medical trainees is believed to occur more frequently in medical education than once thought. Objective  We conducted a survey to understand internal medicine program director (PD) perspectives and awareness about bullying in their residency programs. Methods  The 2015 Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine (APDIM) annual survey was e-mailed to 368 of 396 PDs with APDIM membership, representing 93% of internal medicine residency programs. Questions about bullying were embedded within the survey. Bivariate analyses were performed on PD and program characteristics. Results  Of a total of 368 PD APDIM members, 227 PDs (62%) responded to the survey. Less than one-third of respondents (71 of 227, 31%) reported being aware of bullying in their residency programs during the previous year. There were no significant differences in program or PD characteristics between respondents who reported bullying in their programs and those who did not (gender, tenure as PD, geographic location, or specialty, all P > .05). Those who acknowledged bullying in their program were more likely to agree it was a problem in graduate medical education (P < .0001), and it had a significant negative impact on the learning environment (P < .0001). The majority of reported events entailed verbal disparagements, directed toward interns and women, and involved attending physicians, other residents, and nurses. Conclusions  This national survey of internal medicine PDs reveals that a minority of PDs acknowledged recent bullying in their training programs, and reportedly saw it as a problem in the learning environment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 216-223
Author(s):  
Olga Mutter ◽  
Jordan Hylton ◽  
Stacey Jeronis ◽  
David Jaspan ◽  
Marisa Rose

While standardized national residency education curricula have been successfully implemented in other specialties, there is no such curriculum in Obstetrics & Gynecology (Ob/Gyn). With this study, we sought to evaluate: (1) the current state of and satisfaction with resident didactic education (2) perceptions regarding centralization and standardization of resident didactic education and (3) the need for a standardized national Ob/Gyn residency education curriculum. In 2019, a web-based needs assessment survey was administered to residents and program leadership from all 267 Ob/Gyn residency programs nationwide. Main outcomes were reported with descriptive statistics. A total of 782 (83 program directors, 46 assistant program directors, and 653 residents) participants completed the survey. Respondents represented a diverse range of regions, program types, and program sizes. Almost all (97%) participants agreed or strongly agreed that residents nationwide should have equal access to high quality Ob/Gyn educational resources. Further, 92% agreed or strongly agreed that core resources should be centrally located. A majority (78%) agreed or strongly agreed that there is a need for a national Ob/Gyn residency education curriculum. Our results demonstrate a perceived need for a centrally located, standardized, national residency education curriculum in Ob/Gyn.


CJEM ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (04) ◽  
pp. 241-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Petrosoniak ◽  
Jodi Herold ◽  
Karen Woolfrey

ABSTRACTObjective:This study sought to establish the current state of procedural skills training in Canadian Royal College emergency medicine (EM) residencies.Methods:A national Web-based survey was administered to residents and program directors of all 13 Canadian-accredited Royal College EM residency programs. Programdirectors rated the importance and experience required for competence of 45 EM procedural skills. EM residents reported their experience and comfort in performing the same procedural skills.Results:Thirteen program directors and 86 residents responded to the survey (response rate of 100% and 37%, respectively). Thirty-two (70%) procedures were considered important by > 70% of program directors, including all resuscitation and lifesaving airway procedures. Four procedures deemed important by program directors, including cricothyroidotomy, pericardiocentesis, posterior nasal pack for epistaxis, and paraphimosis reduction, had never been performed by the majority of senior residents. Program director opinion was used to categorize each procedure based on performance frequency to achieve competence. Overall, procedural experience correlated positively with comfort levels as indicated by residents.Conclusions:We established an updated needs assessment of procedural skills training for Canadian Royal College EM residency programs. This included program director opinion of important procedures and the performance frequency needed to achieve competence. However, we identified several important procedures that were never performed by most senior residents despite program director opinion regarding the experience needed for competence. Further study is required to better define objective measures for resident competence in procedural skills.


2021 ◽  
pp. 000313482110508
Author(s):  
Kevin Newsome ◽  
Brendon Sen-Crowe ◽  
Dino Fanfan ◽  
Mark McKenny ◽  
Adel Elkbuli

Background To match medical students into residency training programs, both the program and student create rank order lists (ROLs). We aim to investigate temporal trends in ROL lengths across 7 match cycles between 2014 and 2021 for both matched and unmatched residency applicants and programs. Methods retrospective study of ROLs of 7 match cycles, 2014-2021. Residency match and ROL data were extracted from the NRMP database to assess the number of programs filled and unfilled, length of ROLs, position matched, and average ranks per position for osteopathic (DO) and allopathic (MD) medical programs. Results For filled residency programs, the average ROL length consistently increased from 70.72 in 2015 to 88.73 in 2021 ( P = .003), with ROL lengths consistently longer for filled vs unfilled residency programs ( P < .001). The average ROL length for matched applicants increased consistently from 10.41 in 2015 to 12.35 in 2021 ( P = .002), with matched applicants having consistently longer ROLs than unmatched applicants ( P < .001). From 2015 to 2021, in both MD and DO applicants, progressively lower proportions of applicants matched their first and second choices. Conclusion Trends across the past 7 residency match cycles suggest that ROL lengths for both programs and applicants have been increasing with matched programs and applicants submitting significantly longer ROLs than unmatched applicants. Additionally, fewer applicants are matching at their preferred programs over time. Our findings support the mounting evidence that the Match has become increasingly congested and we discuss the possible factors that may be contributing to the current state of the Match as well as potential solutions.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document