The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Geographic Placement of Applicants to General Surgery Residency Programs.

Objective: COVID-19 greatly influenced medical education and the residency match. As new guidelines were established to promote safety, travel was restricted, visiting rotations discontinued, and residency interviews turned virtual. The purpose of this study is to assess the geographic trends in distribution of successfully matched General Surgery applicants prior to and after the implementation of pandemic guidelines, and what we can learn from them as we move forward.

Implementation of an Online Intraoperative Assessment of Technical Performance for Surgical Trainees.

Introduction: Assessment of surgical resident technical performance is an integral component of any surgical training program. Timely assessment delivered in a structured format is a critical step to enhance technical skills, but residents often report that the quality and quantity of timely feedback received is lacking. Moreover, the absence of written feedback with specificity can allow residents to seemingly progress in their operative milestones as a junior resident, but struggle as they progress into their postgraduate year 3 and above.

From the Operating Room to Online: Medical Student Surgery Education in the Time of COVID-19.

Background: On March 17, 2020 the Association of American Medical Colleges recommended dismissal of medical students from clinical settings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Third-year (M3) and fourth-year (M4) medical students were at home, M4s were interested in teaching, and residents and faculty had fewer clinical responsibilities due to elective surgery cancellations. To continue M3 access to education, we created a virtual surgery elective (VSE) that aimed to broaden students' exposure to, and elicit interest in, general surgery (GS).

Laparoscopic management of colonic lipomas: a case report and review of the literature.

Colonic lipomas are infrequent lesions, yet they are the second most common benign lesions of the colon after benign adenomatous polyps. Their treatment ranges from observation to segmental colectomy and has been a matter of debate since Bauer first reported them in 1757. With the advent of new technologies, therapeutic options now include observation, endoscopic removal, laparoscopic removal, and traditional open surgery.

Defining the learning curve for laparoscopic splenectomy for immune thrombocytopenia purpura.

Background: The current study was undertaken to define the learning curve for laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).

Methods: The data of 50 patients who underwent LS for ITP between March 1996 and February 2003 were reviewed. Patients were divided into sequential groups of 10.

Intravenous methylene blue as an aid to intraoperative localization and removal of the adrenal glands during laparoscopic adrenalectomy.

Background: We hypothesized that intravenous methylene blue will facilitate adrenal gland identification and resection during laparoscopic adrenalectomy.

Methods: Five mini-Hanford pigs were anesthetized and monitored per an approved Internal Review Board protocol. Timing of color changes in the adrenals was recorded after administering methylene blue at three different doses: 2.

101 laparoscopic splenectomies for the treatment of benign and malignant hematologic disorders.

Background: Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) is the surgical approach of choice for patients with hematologic disorders requiring splenectomy. Patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) have normal to slightly enlarged spleens and benefit the most from LS.

Methods: We reviewed the perioperative outcomes in 101 patients who underwent LS between May 1996 and December 2002.