Smart-phone Based Geofencing: A Novel Approach to Monitoring Clinical Work Hours in Surgery Residency.

Objective: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education specifies strict requirements for clinical work hours during residency training, with serious consequences for violations. Self-reporting of work hours by trainees can be inaccurate due to recall bias, giving program directors limited data to influence change. We aimed to assess the impact of a smart-phone based geofencing application on submission rates for work hours and reported violations in a general surgery residency program at a university-based medical center.

Surgery investigators funded through the National Institutes of Health: A rebirth.

Background: Funding toward surgical research through the National Institutes of Health has decreased relative to other medical specialties. This study was initiated to characterize features of academically successful surgeon-scientists and departments of surgery. We hypothesized that there may be decreases in young investigators obtaining independent National Institutes of Health awards and that successful academic departments of surgery may be depending increasingly on PhD faculty.

Predicting surgical skill acquisition in preclinical medical students.

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify factors that predict medical student success in acquiring invasive procedural skills. We hypothesized that students with interest in surgery and with prior procedural experience would have higher rates of success.

Methods: Preclinical students were enrolled in a simulation course comprised of suturing, intubation, and central venous catheterization.

Adaptive simulation training using cumulative sum: a randomized prospective trial.

Background: Cumulative sum (Cusum) is a novel tool that can facilitate adaptive, individualized training curricula. The purpose of this study was to use Cusum to streamline simulation-based training.

Methods: Preclinical medical students were randomized to Cusum or control arms and practiced suturing, intubation, and central venous catheterization in simulation.

Recent trends in National Institutes of Health funding for surgery: 2003 to 2013.

Background: The purpose of this study is to compare the compositions of federally funded surgical research between 2003 and 2013, and to assess differences in funding trends between surgery and other medical specialties.

Data Sources: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool database was queried for grants within core surgical disciplines during 2003 and 2013. Funding was categorized by award type, methodology, and discipline.

Vessel ligation training via an adaptive simulation curriculum.

Background: A cost-effective model for open vessel ligation is currently lacking. We hypothesized that a novel, inexpensive vessel ligation simulator can efficiently impart transferrable surgical skills to novice trainees.

Materials And Methods: VesselBox was designed to simulate vessel ligation using surgical gloves as surrogate vessels.