A pediatric colorectal and pelvic reconstruction course improves content exposure for pediatric surgery fellows: A three-year consecutive study.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2021

Identifier

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2021.02.005

Abstract

PURPOSE: Interactive courses play an important role in meeting the educational needs of pediatric surgical trainees. We investigated the impact of a multimodal pediatric colorectal and pelvic reconstruction course on pediatric surgery trainees.

METHODS: A retrospective evaluation was performed of pre- and post-course surveys for an annual colorectal and pelvic reconstruction course over 3 consecutive years (2017-2019). The course included didactic and case-based content, interactive questions, video, and live case demonstration, and a hands-on lab. Pre- and post-course surveys were distributed to participants. Comfort with operative/case procedures was scored on a 5-point Likert scale (1 uncomfortable, 5 very comfortable). The primary outcome was improved confidence and content knowledge for pediatric colorectal surgical conditions.

RESULTS: 165 pediatric surgical fellow participants with a 70 responses (42.4% response rate) comprised the cohort. Participants had limited advanced pediatric colorectal experience. At the time of the course, participants reported a median of 5 [3,10] Hirschsprung pull-throughs, 6 [3,10] anorectal malformation, and 1 [0,1] cloaca cases. Participants transitioned from discomfort to feeling comfortable with pediatric colorectal operative set-up and case management (pre-course 2 [2,3] and post-course 4 [4,5] p<0.001).

CONCLUSION: Pediatric surgery trainees report limited exposure to advanced pediatric colorectal and pelvic reconstruction cases and management during their pediatric surgical fellowship training but report improved content knowledge- and technical understanding of complex pediatric disorders upon completion of a dedicated course. The course is an important adjunct to the experience gained in pediatric surgery fellowship for achieving competency in managing patients with Hirschsprung disease, anorectal malformation, and cloacal reconstructions.

Journal Title

Journal of pediatric surgery

Volume

56

Issue

12

First Page

2270

Last Page

2276

MeSH Keywords

Anorectal Malformations; Child; Clinical Competence; Colorectal Neoplasms; Fellowships and Scholarships; Humans; Retrospective Studies; Specialties, Surgical

Keywords

Pediatric surgerySurgical educationColorectalAnorectal malformationHirschsprung diseaseCloacaCompetency-based medical educationTransition to discipline

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