Christopher Blackmore1, Pramod S Puligandla2, Sherif Emil2, Rodrigo Romao1, Steven R Lopushinsky3. 1. Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, IWK Health Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 2. Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Montreal Children's Hospital and Shriners Hospital for Children, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 3. Division of Pediatric Surgery, Alberta Children's Hospital, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: steven.lopushinsky@ahs.ca.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Boot camps seek to impart knowledge and skills for individuals entering new roles. We sought to evaluate knowledge, skills, and confidence of in-coming pediatric surgery trainees with a 2.5-day pediatric surgery boot camp. METHODS: A curriculum included key aspects of pediatric surgery delivered during interactive lectures, small group discussions, and simulation. With REB approval, participant demographics were collected. Pre- and posttests assessed knowledge and trainee confidence. Comparative statistics and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were performed. RESULTS: Between 2017 and 2018, 16 individuals from North American pediatric surgery training programs participated in two boot camps. Ten had North American general surgery training, and eleven had no pediatric surgery exposure ≥1 year prior. All participants expressed increased confidence with course material after boot camp [F(18,11) = 3.137;p < 0.05]. Performance improved significantly (pre- vs. posttests, 47.0% vs. 62.4%; p < 0.05). MANOVA between faculty and trainees demonstrated agreement on the value of individual sessions [F(15,3) = 0.642;p = 0.76]. Neonatal bowel obstruction, gastrostomy tube complications, esophageal atresia, pain management, and informed consent were rated most useful. CONCLUSION: Trainees and teaching faculty considered the boot camp valuable. Trainees demonstrated significant improvements in core knowledge and confidence. The initial pediatric surgery boot camp experience shows promise in facilitating the transition to discipline for new trainees. STUDY TYPE: Prospective treatment study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.
INTRODUCTION: Boot camps seek to impart knowledge and skills for individuals entering new roles. We sought to evaluate knowledge, skills, and confidence of in-coming pediatric surgery trainees with a 2.5-day pediatric surgery boot camp. METHODS: A curriculum included key aspects of pediatric surgery delivered during interactive lectures, small group discussions, and simulation. With REB approval, participant demographics were collected. Pre- and posttests assessed knowledge and trainee confidence. Comparative statistics and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were performed. RESULTS: Between 2017 and 2018, 16 individuals from North American pediatric surgery training programs participated in two boot camps. Ten had North American general surgery training, and eleven had no pediatric surgery exposure ≥1 year prior. All participants expressed increased confidence with course material after boot camp [F(18,11) = 3.137;p < 0.05]. Performance improved significantly (pre- vs. posttests, 47.0% vs. 62.4%; p < 0.05). MANOVA between faculty and trainees demonstrated agreement on the value of individual sessions [F(15,3) = 0.642;p = 0.76]. Neonatal bowel obstruction, gastrostomy tube complications, esophageal atresia, pain management, and informed consent were rated most useful. CONCLUSION: Trainees and teaching faculty considered the boot camp valuable. Trainees demonstrated significant improvements in core knowledge and confidence. The initial pediatric surgery boot camp experience shows promise in facilitating the transition to discipline for new trainees. STUDY TYPE: Prospective treatment study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.
Authors: Robert Baird; Pramod Puligandla; Steven Lopushinsky; Christopher Blackmore; Sanjay Krishnaswami; Benedict Nwomeh; Cynthia Downard; Todd Ponsky; Muhammad O Ghani; Harold N Lovvorn Journal: Pediatr Surg Int Date: 2022-07-09 Impact factor: 2.003