Effect of a mandatory research requirement on categorical resident academic productivity in a university-based general surgery residency.

Background: Our general surgery residency (46 residents, graduating 6 categoricals per year) offers the opportunity for 2 categorical residents at the end of their second year to choose a 2-year research track. Academic productivity for the remaining categorical residents was dependent on personal interest and time investment. To increase academic productivity within the residency, a mandatory research requirement was implemented in July 2010.

Implementation of an intern boot camp curriculum to address clinical competencies under the new Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education supervision requirements and duty hour restrictions.

Importance: Today's general surgery interns are faced with increased duty hour restrictions and stringent competency-based supervision milestone requirements (ie, from direct to indirect supervision). Working within these constraints, we instituted a unique 2-month intern curriculum (boot camp) incorporating knowledge-based, experiential, and practical components.

Objectives: To describe our curriculum and the effect on resident performance and teaching faculty and nursing staff perceptions.