Thoracic Surgery Training in Canada According to the Residents: The Thoracic Surgery Resident Survey, of the Canadian Thoracic Manpower and Education Study (T-Med)

Schieman, Colin; Kelly, Elizabeth; Gelfand, Gary; Graham, Andrew; McFadden, Sean P.; Edwards, Janet; Grondin, Sean C.

doi:10.1016/j.jsurg.2010.07.004

« Previous Next »Journal of Surgical Education
Volume 67, Issue 5 , Pages 325-334, September 2010

Thoracic Surgery Training in Canada According to the Residents: The Thoracic Surgery Resident Survey, of the Canadian Thoracic Manpower and Education Study (T-Med)

Presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgeons, as part of the Canadian Surgery Forum in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, September 2009.

Colin Schieman, MD
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Correspondence: Inquiries to Colin Schieman, MD, Division of Thoracic Surgery, University of Calgary, 1403 29th Street NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 2T9; fax: (403) 270-8431
Elizabeth Kelly, BSc
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Gary Gelfand, MD
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Andrew Graham, MD
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Sean P. McFadden, MD
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Janet Edwards, MD
- Division of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Sean C. Grondin, MD
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

published online 23 August 2010.

Objective

The resident component of the Canadian Thoracic Manpower and Education Study (T-MED) was conducted to understand the basic demographic of Canadian thoracic surgery residents, the factors influencing their selection of training programs, current work conditions, training and competencies, and opinions in regard to the manpower needs for the specialty.

Design

A modified Delphi process was used to develop a survey applicable to thoracic surgery residents. In May and June 2009, residents completed the voluntary anonymous Internet-based survey. All Canadian residents participated in the survey, providing a 100% response rate.

Results

Most respondents were male (11/12), and the average age was 34 years old with an anticipated debt greater than $50,000 on graduation. All residents worked more than 70 hours per week, with most doing 1 : 3 or 1 : 4 on-call. Two-thirds of respondents reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their training program. Rates of anticipated competence in performing various thoracic surgeries on graduation differed between residents and program directors. Two-thirds (8/12) of residents planned to practice thoracic surgery exclusively, and hoped to practice in an academic setting. Most residents (10/12) agreed or strongly agreed that not enough jobs are available in Canada for graduating trainees and that the number of residency positions should reflect the predicted availability of jobs.

Conclusions

This study has provided detailed information on thoracic surgery resident demographics and training programs. Most thoracic surgery residents are satisfied with their current training program but have concerns about their job prospects on graduation, and they believe that the number of training positions should reflect potential job opportunities. This survey represents the first attempt to characterize the current state of thoracic surgery training in Canada from the resident's perspective and may help in directing educational and manpower planning.

Key Words: thoracic surgery, surgical education, work conditions, manpower planning

Competencies: Medical Knowledge, Practice-Based Learning and Improvement, Systems-Based Practice