Surgical intern survival skills curriculum as an intern: does it help?

Background: The transition from medical student to surgical intern is fraught with anxiety. We implemented a surgical intern survival skills curriculum to alleviate this through a series of lectures and interactive sessions. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate its effectiveness.

How accurate is the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Resident survey? Comparison between ACGME and in-house GME survey.

Purpose: Increasing importance is being assigned to the annual Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Resident/Fellow survey. In certain circumstances, the survey has prompted site visits for programs with significant areas of noncompliance. However, the dichotomous "yes/no" responses available for most questions on the ACGME survey limit the range of resident responses.

How accurate are self-reported resident duty hours?

Purpose: The Methodist Hospital monitors resident duty hours using self-report for external rotations and an electronic time clock system for internal rotations where residents use their identification badges to "swipe in and out." This study was conducted to compare the accuracy of self-reports against the electronic system.

Methods: This was a prospective observational study.

Reliability and usefulness of clinical encounter cards for a third-year surgical clerkship.

Background: Third-year medical students (MS3) were given clinical encounter cards (CECs) to stimulate feedback during their surgery clerkship. This study analyzes the feedback given on their clinical performance using CECs.

Methods: Two hundred one students enrolled in the 12-week surgery clerkship were given CECs.

Improving resident performance assessment data: numeric precision and narrative specificity.

Purpose: To evaluate the use of a systems approach for diagnosing performance assessment problems in surgery residencies, and intervene to improve the numeric precision of global rating scores and the behavioral specificity of narrative comments.

Method: Faculty and residents at two surgery programs participated in parallel before- and-after trials. During the baseline year, quality assurance data were gathered and problems were identified.