On General Surgery News, I explore the impact of reduced work hours on residents. This post can be found here.
"Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth." Oscar Wilde
"Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth." Oscar Wilde
4 comments:
As to the first post, there's a shortage, and I sure hope I don't need an open chole when I'm 65 (I'm 46 now).
I found the second post more interesting. Almost a third can't do a lap chole solo? Do you believe that? I only say that because I am in a rural area, and I'm not around new graduates too much.
120 hour work weeks were certainly not healthy (for anyone), but it sounds like a little more autonomy is in order, along with a few more cases. Training is going to have to change, and soon.
I believe the finding about inability to do a lap chole solo. This was information from fellowship directors, who should know.
Why do you keep blaming work hours? You should blame poor teaching. I am a product of 120 work hour week. I can tell you I was only in the operating room for about 4-5 hours/ day or even less. Only few were spent in diect teaching. The rest of the time was spent gossipping or doing scutt work like wheeling patients around, starting ivs, running to blood bank, or drawing blood as a chief resident decided that all his orders must be completed in 30 mins. I believe 80 hours is enough to train competent general surgeons. We just need to become efficient about teaching surgical and clinical skills.I will agree that each surgical resident needs to take responsibility for their own learning. They need to read in their own time at home. Work habits, character and hard work are not teachable, that is why they are qualities not skill. Surgery is skill, clinical judgement is skill and teachable. Instead of complaining come up with ways to teach these skills efficiently........
Anon, thanks for commenting. I think the work hours limits exacerbate the existing problems that you mentioned.
I have made many suggestions. If you look at some of the 39 posts I've written on surgical residency training, you will find suggestions for revamping education.
You may find this hard to believe, but I am not "in the loop" with those who are in charge of the requirements for surgical residency training.
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