Background
The field of postgraduate minimally invasive surgery/gastrointestinal surgery (MIS/GIS)
training has undergone substantial growth and change. To determine whether fellowships
are meeting a strategic need in training, we conducted a survey to assess the current
status and trends of change in MIS/GIS fellowships.
Methods
A survey was distributed to fellows currently in MIS/GIS programs in the United States
and Canada in 2003 and 2006. Fellows were asked to describe demographics as well as
their experience both during fellowship and residency. We compared this with aggregate
data of resident experience through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical
Education (ACGME) case logs, data tracked by industry, and program data from the Fellowship
Council (FC) web site.
Results
There were 54 responses to the 75 surveys distributed in 2006 (72% response rate).
MIS fellows performed more laparoscopic cases during their residency than the average
graduating chief resident, but did not feel competent to perform advanced laparoscopic
surgery. However, combining fellowship numbers with residency numbers does suggest
that the total experience provides competency in a wide variety of procedures.
Conclusions
It seems that the MIS/GIS Fellowship is meeting a real need among graduating surgical
residents; fellows felt unprepared for clinical practice at the completion of residency.
It is encouraging to note the improvements in fellowship structure, standards, and
overall experience, brought by the efforts of the FC. It is hoped that this report
of the state of MIS fellowship with a comprehensive review of current data will aid
in further evaluation and improvement.
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
July 3,
2007
Identification
Copyright
© 2007 Mosby, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
