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Early introduction to essential communication skills is important. We sought to determine if a handoff curriculum (HC) would improve confidence, decrease anxiety, and increase participation in clinical handoffs during the surgical clerkship.A multi-center prospective cohort study was performed at two medical schools. Training in the intervention group (HC) consisted of a didactic lecture, video review, and practice session. Students completed a pre-clerkship knowledge test and confidence/anxiety/handoff experience questionnaire pre- and post-clerkship.There were no significant differences in pre-clerkship handoff experiences between institutions except having previously witnessed a verbal handoff (School A 96.4% versus School B 76.2%, P = 0.01). While there were no significant differences in post-clerkship confidence or anxiety, HC students were significantly more involved with written sign-outs (52.9% versus 18.2%, P = 0.02) and verbal handoffs (29.4% versus 4.6%, P = 0.03).Medical students exposed to handoff training shared similar confidence and anxiety scores compared to those that were not, however, they were more involved in handoff experiences during their surgical clerkship. Early introduction to handoff skills may encourage greater participation during subsequent clinical experiences.

The conflict between prioritizing education for surgical trainees, promoting trainee wellness, and maintaining optimal patient care has remained challenging since the introduction of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) work hour restrictions in 2003. There is still a dearth of research examining which interventions successfully enable duty hour adherence. This study assessed the impact of a combination of strategic interventions on improving clinical work hour adherence.Monthly clinical work hour submission rates were assessed for all general surgery residents at a single university-based residency program over a 3-year period (2018-2021). Interventions targeted 3 domains and were implemented between academic years 2018 to 2019 (control) and 2020 to 2021 (intervention): 1) improving the accuracy and transparency of work hour reporting, 2) facilitating more timely interventions, and 3) structural scheduling changes. All 80-hour work week and continuous work hour violations were assessed. Findings were also compared to the corresponding ACGME Resident Survey results.There was no significant difference in the rate of monthly work hour submissions pre- and postintervention (78% vs 75%, p = 0.057). However, the number of total reported monthly violations decreased significantly (mean 13.8 vs 2.4, p0.01), including decreases in both 80-hour work week and continuous work hour violations (mean 4.7 vs 1.6, p0.001 and 9.1 vs 0.8, p0.001, respectively). Reported compliance also increased on the annual ACGME resident surveys, where 61% vs 95% of residents felt they were compliant with the 80-hour work week and 71% vs 95% felt they were compliant with the continuous work hours (2018-19 vs 2020-21).Innovative strategies addressing schedule changes, the culture of work hour reporting, and early intervention significantly decreased the number of duty hour violations at our institution. Reported resident compliance also improved based on ACGME Resident Survey data. These data may inform similar multifaceted approaches at other institutions to improve overall work hour adherence.

PURPOSE Staging information is essential for colorectal cancer research. Medicare claims are an important source of population-level data but currently lack oncologic stage. We aimed to develop a claims-based model to identify stage at diagnosis in patients with colorectal cancer. METHODS We included patients age 66 years or older with colorectal cancer in the SEER-Medicare registry. Using patients diagnosed from 2014 to 2016, we developed models (multinomial logistic regression, elastic net regression, and random forest) to classify patients into stage I-II, III, or IV on the basis of demographics, diagnoses, and treatment utilization identified in Medicare claims. Models developed in a training cohort (2014-2016) were applied to a testing cohort (2017), and performance was evaluated using cancer stage listed in the SEER registry as the reference standard. RESULTS The cohort of patients with 30,543 colorectal cancer included 14,935 (48.9%) patients with stage I-II, 9,203 (30.1%) with stage III, and 6,405 (21%) with stage IV disease. A claims-based model using elastic net regression had a scaled Brier score (SBS) of 0.45 (95% CI, 0.43 to 0.46). Performance was strongest for classifying stage IV (SBS, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.64; sensitivity, 93%; 95% CI, 91 to 94) followed by stage I-II (SBS, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.47; sensitivity, 86%; 95% CI, 85 to 76) and stage III (SBS, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.30 to 0.33; sensitivity, 62%; 95% CI, 61 to 64). CONCLUSION Machine learning models effectively classified colorectal cancer stage using Medicare claims. These models extend the ability of claims-based research to risk-adjust and stratify by stage.

As the surgical community continues to work towards greater diversity, equity, and inclusion, the need for buy-in from all surgeons-including those of the White majority-becomes increasingly apparent. This article invites all surgeons to aid in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts as "allies," "upstanders," and "champions for change," and provides 2 specific frameworks for enacting allyship within the surgical field. Overt and conscious efforts to embrace allyship are imperative as we seek to fulfill our professional responsibilities to patients and will help create a workplace environment where all persons feel accepted, valued, welcomed, and respected.

OBJECTIVE We performed a pilot study of a resident-initiated, inquiry-based preoperative briefing (R-PROB) to determine the feasibility and potential impact on the educational experience. DESIGN A prospective, qualitative pilot study was performed in a general surgery residency program. The R-PROB included pre-operative emails to faculty with case summaries, learning goals, and questions. Faculty responded by email, phone, or in-person. Semi-structured interviews were completed before and after R-PROB implementation. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed through collaboration with a mixed-methods laboratory. SETTING An urban, university-based general surgery residency PARTICIPANTS Ten attendings from three university affiliated hospitals based on frequency of resident interaction, variation in experience and case types were selected. Thirteen residents that worked closely with the selected attendings, ranging from Clinical Year 1-5, were then recruited to participate. RESULTS The R-PROB was viewed overall positively and felt to be easily incorporated into the curriculum. The R-PROB significantly improved attending perception of resident preparedness. Junior residents (CY1-3) affirmed that R-PROB very strongly improved case preparation. The preoperative exchange was valued by both participants as improving communication frequency, transparency, and quality. The majority of attendings stated that the R-PROB enabled tailored teaching to each resident's level both preoperatively and in the operating room. Residents affirmed attending teaching to be more targeted towards their goals and objectives after the R-PROB. Challenges included late case assignments and minor time limitations. CONCLUSIONS A resident-initiated, inquiry-based preoperative briefing intervention is feasible and overall positively perceived by both participants. The briefings had a positive impact on resident preparedness, bi-directional communication, and permitted focused attending teaching.

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. We also examined resident perceptions surrounding implementation and use of the application. METHODS We compared clinical work hours submitted and violations reported during the pilot period (October-November 2019) with the months prior to the launch of the application (July-August 2019). PGY1 and PGY2 residents were eligible to use the application during and after this pilot period. Semi-structured interviews were used to assess resident perceptions. A retrospective review was conducted to compare reporting during the same time period from the prior academic year (2018-2019) for historical reference. Paired t-tests were used to analyze the data. RESULTS Twenty-six residents (15 PGY1, 11 PGY2) were eligible for the intervention and 23 residents (88%) used the application. The mean number of violations reported decreased significantly during the pilot period compared with the months prior to the intervention (4.5 vs. 11, p = 0.04). The total rate of submissions was not significantly different after the intervention (85% vs. 82%, p = 0.42). The PGY1 mean submission rate decreased during the pilot period (91%-75%, p = 0.21) while the PGY2 submission rate increased (77%-91%, p = 0.07). Compared with historical data, there was an increase in overall total submission rates between academic years 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 (74% vs. 79%, p = 0.047) and an associated decrease in the mean number of monthly violations (14 vs. 6.25, p = 0.004). Thirteen (50%) residents (8 PGY1, 5 PGY2) volunteered for semi-structured interviews. Most participants found the application useful for recording and reporting clinical work hours. They noted an ease in the administrative burden as well as more accurate reporting associated with automated logging. Use of the application was not perceived to limit engagement with patient care; however, there were privacy concerns and some technical barriers were identified. The messaging regarding the application's use was identified as critical for implementation. CONCLUSIONS The “real-time” data provided by a geofencing application in our program helped to reduce the number of work-hour violations reported and did not diminish resident engagement with patient care. Decreasing the administrative burden of recording work hours coupled with improving transparency and accuracy of submissions may be important mechanisms.

Background Insurance status has been strongly associated with both access to and outcomes of colon resection (CRS). Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), individual states opted to participate in Medicaid expansion (ME) and adopt essential health benefits (EHB). Methods We performed a quasi-experimental difference-in-differences (DID) analysis of 2012–2017 state-level inpatient claims with risk adjustment. We examined frequency of emergent presentation and in-hospital death. Subset analyses were performed by insurance type. Results Among the 73,961 CRS patients, 49.6% were in a state with both ME and EHB, 34.7% presented emergently, and 2.0% died. Adoption of ME and EHB was associated with a significant, 24%, reduction in the likelihood of in-hospital mortality, and no significant change in emergent presentation for CRS. Conclusions The ACA’s ME was strongly associated with a decrease in mortality following colon resection among Medicaid beneficiaries. These findings support the adoption of healthcare policies that improve access to insurance.

We aim to assess the quality and readability of online information available to patients considering cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC).The top three search engines (Google, Bing, and Yahoo) were searched in March 2022. Websites were classified as academic, hospital-affiliated, foundation/advocacy, commercial, or unspecified. Quality of information was assessed using the JAMA benchmark criteria (0-4) and DISCERN tool (16-80), and the presence of a Health On the Net code (HONcode) seal. Readability was evaluated using the Flesch Reading Ease score.Fifty unique websites were included. The average JAMA and DISCERN scores of all websites were 0.72 ± 1.14 and 39.58 ± 13.71, respectively. Foundation/advocacy websites had significantly higher JAMA mean score than commercial (p = 0.044), academic (p 0.001), and hospital-affiliated websites (p = 0.001). Foundation/advocacy sites had a significantly higher DISCERN mean score than hospital-affiliated (p = 0.035) and academic websites (p = 0.030). The HONcode seal was present in 4 (8%) websites analyzed. Readability was difficult and at the level of college students.The overall quality of patient-oriented online information on CRS-HIPEC is poor and available resources may not be comprehensible to the general public. Patients seeking information on CRS-HIPEC should be directed to sites affiliated with foundation/advocacy organizations.

SummaryThe initiation and progression of cancer are inextricably linked to the tumor microenvironment (TME). Understanding the function of specific cancer-TME interactions poses a major challenge due in part to the complexity of the in vivo microenvironment. Here we predict cancer-TME interactions from single cell transcriptomic maps of both human colorectal cancers (CRCs) and mouse CRC models, ask how these interactions are altered in established, long-term human tumor organoid (tumoroid) cultures, and functionally recapitulate human myeloid-carcinoma interactions in vitro. Tumoroid cultures suppress gene expression programs involved in promoting inflammation and immune cell migration through receptor-ligand interactions, providing a reductive platform for re-establishing carcinoma-immune cell interactions in vitro. Introduction of human monocyte-derived macrophages into tumoroid cultures instructs macrophages to acquire pro-tumorigenic gene expression programs similar to those observed in vivo. This includes hallmark induction of SPP1, encoding Osteopontin, an extracellular CD44 ligand with established oncogenic effects. Taken together, these findings offer a framework for understanding CRC-TME interactions and provide a reductionist tool for modeling specific aspects of these interactions.

It is unclear how the Affordable Care Act's state-based Medicaid Expansion (ME) has impacted surgeon selection for colorectal resections (CRS).We performed a risk-adjusted DID analysis on state discharge data of CRS patients aged 26-64 from NY (Expansion) and FL (non-Expansion) before (2012-2013) and after (2016-2017) ME. Primary outcome was use of a high-volume or colorectal-boarded surgeon. Subset analysis performed on insurance status.Among 78,866 CRS patients, ME was associated with a 5.9% increase in Medicaid enrollment. ME was associated with a 0.73 (95%CI: 0.67-0.69; p 0.001) reduced odds of high-volume surgeon usage by commercially insured patients when compared to usage by commercially insured patients in the non-expansion state. No statistically significant difference was noted in the use of a colorectal-boarded surgeon following reform.ME was associated with an increase in Medicaid enrollment and a decrease in the use of high-volume surgeons by the commercially insured.

Resident evaluation of faculty teaching is an important metric in general surgery training, however considerable variability in faculty teaching evaluation (FE) instruments exists.Twenty-two general surgery programs provided their FE and program demographics. Three clinical education experts performed blinded assessment of FEs, assessing adherence 2018 ACGME common program standards and if the FE was meaningful.Number of questions per FE ranged from 1 to 29. The expert assessments demonstrated that no evaluation addressed all 5 ACGME standards. There were significant differences in the FEs effectiveness of assessing the 5 ACGME standards (p 0.001), with teaching abilities and professionalism rated the highest and scholarly activities the lowest.There was wide variation between programs regarding FEs development and adhered to ACGME standards. Faculty evaluation tools consistently built around all suggested ACGME standards may allow for a more accurate and useful assessment of faculty teaching abilities to target professional development.

SUMMARY The persistence of health care disparities along racial and ethnic lines highlights the complex and multifactorial nature of this national concern. The paucity of physicians ethnically underrepresented in medicine to treat an ever-growing heterogeneous population inherently contributes to these ongoing disparities. The authors proposed an approach to improve the representation of physicians underrepresented in medicine in their plastic surgery residency program. With a renewed commitment to ethnic diversity and inclusion, a multifaceted recruitment and retention approach was implemented at the University of Pennsylvania plastic and reconstructive surgery residency program from 2015 to 2020 (5 academic years). A retrospective review of the demographics of the program's residents was then assessed over the past 9 academic years for comparison (2011 to 2020). The representation of underrepresented-in-medicine residents within the plastic and reconstructive surgery residency program steadily increased with the implementation of this multifaceted approach, reaching an unprecedented high. Currently, 29 percent of all residents are underrepresented in medicine and 29 percent are female, some of whom are also underrepresented in medicine. Although the female representation is on par with the national average, the underrepresented-in-medicine representation is far greater than the national average. As a result of this multifaceted approach, the representation of African American and Latino plastic surgery residents at the University of Pennsylvania now far exceeds current national averages. Unfortunately, the representation of Native American and Alaskan Natives is still lacking, despite the program's broadened recruitment efforts. The success of this experience describes a successful strategy that institutions can implement to enhance underrepresented-in-medicine representation among its plastic surgery trainees.

OBJECTIVE To provide a framework for effective mentorship of residents underrepresented in medicine (UIM) situated in the context of their experiences in healthcare teams. DESIGN A perspective summarizing the important elements for the effective mentorship of UIM residents. CONCLUSION Mentorship of trainees is of profound importance in medical education as it provides tangible benefits for professional and personal development. However, given their unique experiences and position in our teams as well as the larger healthcare construct, the mentorship of UIM residents requires special consideration and focus. Implementing programs that foster diversity, cross-cultural mentorship, and sponsorship are imperative.

Objective After COVID-19 rendered in-person meetings for national societies impossible in the spring of 2020, the leadership of the Association of Program Directors in Surgery (APDS) innovated via a virtual format in order to hold its national meeting. Design APDS leadership pre-emptively considered factors that would be important to attendees including cost, value, time, professional commitments, education, sharing of relevant and current information, and networking. Setting The meeting was conducted using a variety of virtual formats including a web portal for entry, pre-ecorded poster and oral presentations on the APDS website, interactive panels via a web conferencing platform, and livestreaming. Participants There were 298 registrants for the national meeting of the APDS, and 59 participants in the New Program Directors Workshop. The registrants and participants comprised medical students, residents, associate program directors, program directors, and others involved in surgical education nationally. Results There was no significant difference detected for high levels of participant satisfaction between 2019 and 2020 for the following items: overall program rating, topics and content meeting stated objectives, relevant content to educational needs, educational format conducive to learning, and agreement that the program will improve competence, performance, communication skills, patient outcomes, or processes of care/healthcare system performance. Conclusions A virtual format for a national society meeting can provide education, engagement, and community, and the lessons learned by the APDS in the process can be used by other societies for utilization and further improvement.

Background Little is known about the impact of Medicaid expansion on the surgical care of inflammatory bowel disease. We sought to determine whether Medicaid expansion is associated with improved postsurgical outcomes for patients with inflammatory bowel disease undergoing a colorectal resection. Methods We performed a risk-adjusted difference-in-difference study examining postsurgical outcomes for patients ages 26 to 64 with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis undergoing a colorectal resection across 15 states that did and did not expand Medicaid before (2012-2013) and after (2016-2018) policy reform. Primary study outcomes included 30-day readmission and postoperative complication. Results Study population included 11 394 patients with inflammatory bowel disease that underwent a colorectal resection. States that underwent Medicaid expansion were associated with a rise in Medicaid enrollment following policy reform (11.8% pre-Medicaid expansion vs 19.7% post-Medicaid expansion). Difference-in-difference analysis revealed a statistically significant lower odds of 30-day readmission in patients undergoing a colorectal resection in expansion states following policy reform relative to patients in nonexpansion states prior to reform (odds ratio, 0.56; 95% confidence interval, 0.36-0.86). No changes in odds of postoperative complication were noted across expansion and nonexpansion states. Conclusions Medicaid expansion is associated with a rise in Medicaid enrollment in expansion states following policy reform. There were greater improvements in postoperative outcomes associated with patients in expansion states following policy reform relative to patients in nonexpansion states prior to reform, which may have been related to improved perioperative care and medical management.

ImportanceVariation in outcomes across hospitals adversely affects surgical patients. The use of high-quality hospitals varies by population, which may contribute to surgical disparities.ObjectiveTo simulate the implications of data-driven hospital selection for social welfare among patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis economic evaluation used the hospital inpatient file from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Surgical outcomes of patients who were treated between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018 (training cohort), were used to estimate hospital performance. Costs and benefits of care at alternative hospitals were assessed in patients who were treated between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2019 (testing cohort). The cohorts comprised patients 18 years or older who underwent elective colorectal resection for benign or malignant neoplasms. Data were analyzed from March to October 2022.ExposuresUsing hierarchical logistic regression, we estimated the implications of hospital selection for in-hospital mortality risk in patients in the training cohort. These estimates were applied to patients in the testing cohort using bayesian simulations to compare outcomes at each patient’s highest-performing and chosen local hospitals. Analyses were stratified by race and ethnicity to evaluate the potential implications for equity.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary outcome was the mean patient-level change in social welfare, a composite measure balancing the value of reduced mortality with associated costs of care at higher-performing hospitals.ResultsA total of 21 098 patients (mean [SD] age, 67.3 [12.0] years; 10 782 males [51.1%]; 2232 Black [10.6%] and 18 866 White [89.4%] individuals) who were treated at 178 hospitals were included. A higher-quality local hospital was identified for 3057 of 5000 patients (61.1%) in the testing cohort. Selecting the highest-performing hospital was associated with a 26.5% (95% CI, 24.5%-29.0%) relative reduction and 0.24% (95% CI, 0.23%-0.25%) absolute reduction in mortality risk. A mean amount of $1953 (95% CI, $1744-$2162) was gained in social welfare per patient treated. Simulated reassignment to a higher-quality local hospital was associated with a 23.5% (95% CI, 19.3%-32.9%) relative reduction and 0.26% (95% CI, 0.21%-0.30%) absolute reduction in mortality risk for Black patients, with $2427 (95% CI, $1697-$3158) gained in social welfare.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this economic evaluation, using procedure-specific hospital performance as the primary factor in the selection of a local hospital for colorectal cancer surgery was associated with improved outcomes for both patients and society. Surgical outcomes data can be used to transform care and guide policy in colorectal cancer.

Few studies have confirmed a benefit for adjuvant chemotherapy (aCTX) in stage II colon cancer. We used the National Cancer Database to explore the use and efficacy of aCTX in patients with both normal-risk (NR) and high-risk (HR) young stage II colon cancer.We identified patients with stage II colon cancer who underwent colectomy between 2010 and 2015. HR patients included at least: lymphovascular or perineural invasion, 12 lymph nodes, poor/un-differentiation, T4, or positive margins. Rates of aCTX by age and risk were calculated, and adjusted factors associated with aCTX were identified. Overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox multivariable analyses for patients 50 years.Among the 81,066 stage II patients who underwent colectomy, 6093 (7.5%) were 50 years old. Of these, 2669 patients were HR. Thirty percent of NR and almost 60% of HR patients 50 years received aCTX, compared with 8% and 23% of patients50 years (P .001). In NR patients 50 years, 35.3% with microsatellite-stable tumors and 18% with microsatellite unstable tumors received aCTX (P .001), whereas 63.6% and 43.2%, respectively, of HR patients did (P .001). The most significant multivariable predictors of aCTX were risk status and age. On univariate analysis, there was no survival benefit associated with aCTX in patients 50 years. Multivariate analysis failed to demonstrate a survival benefit for aCTX for either group (HR, 0.97; P = .84; NR, 0.1.03; P = .90).Young patients with HR and NR colon cancer received aCXT more frequently than older patients with no demonstrable survival benefit. This bears further evaluation to avoid the real risks of over-treatment in this increasing population.

IMPORTANCE: Although men are increasingly involved in childrearing, little is known about paternity leave in surgical residency. Conflict between professional and family duties contribute to burnout and decreased career satisfaction for surgeons of both sexes. With men more likely than women to have children during their clinical years of surgical training, understanding the issues surrounding paternity leave is imperative to ensuring the longevity of our workforce. OBJECTIVE: To explore surgical program directors’ perspectives on the challenges of providing paternity leave. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This qualitative descriptive study of transcripts collected from semistructured interviews of US surgical program directors was performed from October 2018 to June 2019. Program directors were selected using purposive-stratified criterion-based sampling. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, with emergent themes identified using content analysis. EXPOSURE: Paternity leave. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Program directors’ perspectives on paternity leave were categorized into common themes. RESULTS: A total of 40 US general surgery program directors were interviewed (28 male [70%]; mean [SD] age, 49.7 [6.8] years; 36 [90%] were university-based programs). Twenty (50%) reported providing paternity leave of 1-week duration. Five major themes were identified: (1) paternity leave policies are poorly defined by many programs and require self-initiation by residents; (2) residents often do not take the full amount of time offered for leave; (3) stigma against male residents taking parental leave is common and may be even greater than that facing women taking maternity leave; (4) paternity leave has little to no impact on colleagues’ workload owing to the brevity of time taken; and (5) men desire longer leave than what they are currently offered and wish to receive equal time off compared with childbearing parents. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Surgical program directors report male residents take brief paternity leave despite a desire for more time off, which may be influenced by fear of stigma and surgical culture that avoids handing off work, even for short periods of time. A cultural shift toward supporting family planning as a normal part of young adult life, rather than a medical condition to be accommodated, is necessary to promote life balance and behaviors that will sustain a long career in surgery. Implementation of defined leave policies at individual programs for the nonchildbearing parent is critical to make parental leave socially acceptable among surgical residents.

The residency recruitment process has become increasingly challenging for both applicants and program directors, in part, due to the inflation in the number of applications per student. As a result, it has become more daunting for programs to design processes that evaluate applicants holistically. Furthermore, the existing methods used to evaluate and select applicants do not necessarily predict success in residency and may inadvertently lend to gender, racial, and ethnic bias. This narrative review aims to identify innovative tools used in residency recruitment that will allow programs and applicants to better determine concordance of interests and achieve value alignment while supporting improved, objective evaluation of an applicant's unique attributes and experiences.PubMed was used to conduct a narrative review of recruitment strategies in admission processes of undergraduate and graduate medical education between 1975 and June 2021, using the designated Medical Subject Heading (MeSH0 terms. Inclusion criteria were established surrounding innovative tools to better objectively screen, evaluate, or select applicants. Strategies relying primarily on traditional metrics (United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) scores, Alpha Omega Alpha status, and clerkship grades) were excluded.Forty-two articles met specific inclusion criteria. Using these articles, a framework was created with two specific aims: (1) to allow applicants and programs to express or assess interest and (2) to foster objective review of unique applicant attributes, skills, experiences, and competencies that align with program mission and values. The following five innovative tools for recruitment were identified: preference signaling, secondary applications, standardized letters of recommendation, situational judgment testing, and surgical simulation.As the number of applications continues to rise, strategies must be implemented to allow applicants and institutions to achieve better alignment or "fit," while also giving balanced consideration to all of an applicant's unique characteristics. A more holistic approach to applicant selection is a necessary tool in order to increase diversity and inclusion within the field of surgery.

Background The lack of underrepresented minorities has been a persistent issue within the surgical workforce. Equal sex representation has also been a problem in surgery. Underrepresented minorities females face the unique challenge of being a minority in both race and sex. Objective The objective of this retrospective cross-sectional study is to determine the racial and sex demographics of medical trainees and faculty and determine the degree to which minority women are underrepresented at higher ranks and leadership. Methods Race and sex demographic data for all medical students, surgical residents and faculty was extracted from the AAMC data files. This data was compared to the US population using chi squared tests. Race and sex breakdowns of the different surgical subspecialties was also analyzed using chi squared tests. Demographics of surgical faculty at various ranks are also reported. Results White men made up 37% of all surgical residents. Black men made up only 1.9% of all surgical residents whereas Black women made up 2.6%. The subspecialty with the smallest percentage of Black women was Orthopedic Surgery with 0.6%. The specialty with the highest representation of Black women was Ob/Gyn with 6.2%. There was a decrease in representation of Black women with each increase in professional rank, with 2.8%, 1.6%, and 0.7% for assistant, associate, and full professor, respectively, as compared to Black men, who as a percentage, remained stable at the various ranks with 2.1%, 2.4%, and 2.1% for assistant, associate, and full professor, respectively. Conclusions There is a striking lack of minority women in surgery. This trend is amplified as surgeons progress from student, to resident, to attending, and then to leadership positions.

The growing concentration of fellowship-trained and integrated residency-trained subspecialty surgeons has encroached on the breadth and volume of a so-called "true" general surgery practice, leaving the role of new general surgeons in flux. We aimed to describe the surgical practice of new general surgeons with and without subspecialty fellowship training.In this retrospective cohort study, state discharge data was linked to American Medical Association Masterfile and American Hospital Association annual survey data. New-to-practice general surgeons with and without subspecialty board-certification in colorectal surgery (CRS) or cardiothoracic surgery (CTS) were identified in 2008, and followed over 10 years. Surgeon overall inpatient case volume, colorectal resection case volume, and thoracic lobectomy case volume were compared between surgeons with and without related subspecialty training.NY and FL (2008-2017).The study population included 276 new-to-practice surgeons with mean age of 36.9 years. New-to-practice surgeons were defined as those with zero to three years of experience in 2008.Of all surgeons, 11.2% were subspecialty board-certified in CRS and 11.6% were subspecialty board-certified in CTS. Board-certified CRS surgeons performed more colorectal resections than the non-CRS general surgeons each year (p-value0.001 for all). Overall, non-CRS general surgeons performed 60.7% of all colorectal resections. Board-certified CTS surgeons performed more thoracic lobectomies than non-CTS surgeons each year. Non-CTS surgeons performed 1.1% of all thoracic lobectomies.On average, new subspecialty surgeons perform significantly more specialty operations than non-subspecialty new general surgeons. However, as a group, new non-colorectal general surgeons perform the majority of colorectal resections. In contrast, new non-cardiothoracic general surgeons perform less than two percent of the thoracic lobectomies. This may have implications for a shift in the training paradigm going forward.

Purpose Despite the overall shift in care delivery to an ambulatory setting, the majority of general surgical education still relies on the experience of caring for inpatients. We aimed to investigate how the inpatient practice patterns of newly minted general surgeons (GS) have changed since 2008, in order to better inform education policies regarding both training approach and setting for modern surgical trainees. Methods State discharge data from NY and FL (2008-2017) were linked to data on GS from the American Medical Association Masterfile, and to hospital data from the American Hospital Association annual survey. Mean annual inpatient case volume (CV) and case type breadth (CB) were compared between surgeons who were new-to-practice (0-3 years of experience) in 2008 and in 2013. Each new surgeon cohort was followed for 5 years. Case type was classified by organ system. Results The 2008 cohort included 328 GS with a mean age of 37.1, 79.6% male and 94.2% board-certified. The 2013 cohort included 359 GS with a mean age of 36.2, 73.0% male and 93.9% board-certified. CV was higher among the 2008 cohort than the 2013 cohort for each year of practice in the study period. CB included at least 4 organ system types for all new GS with greater breadth among the 2008 cohort for each year in the study period. Conclusions Declining rates of inpatient surgery affect general surgeons who were new-to-practice in 2013 significantly more than those entering practice only 5 years ahead of them. New surgeons continue to start their practices broadly, suggesting a need to continue broad training while expanding formal educational policies to include the full spectrum of ambulatory surgery.

The purpose of this study is the examine the effect of a holistic review process on the recruitment of women and students underrepresented in medicine (UIM) in a general surgery residency program.A retrospective study comparing the proportion of women and UIM students ranked and matched into categorical positions from 2013 to 2020 before and after the implementation of the holistic application review process. United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) scores and American Board of Surgery In-training Exam (ABSITE) scores were also compared between groups.General Surgery residency program at a tertiary, academic center.Medical students applying for and matriculated to categorical positions.After the implementation of holistic review in 2017, there was a statistically significant increase in the proportion of women (42% vs. 61%, p0.01) and UIM students (14% vs. 20%, p = 0.046) ranked in our program compared with the prior "traditional" approach. The proportion of matched female (33% vs. 54%, p = 0.11) and UIM applicants (14% vs. 21%, p = 0.48) also increased after holistic review, although the changes were not statistically significant. The median USMLE Step 1 scores were equivalent for both ranked (250 vs. 250, p = 0.81) and matched (250 vs. 249, p = 0.32) applicants before and after the intervention. The median ABSITE scores for the matched intern classes was lower after initiation of holistic review (519 vs. 483, p = 0.01). However, these scores were consistently above the national medians and subgroup analysis showed no difference between the median aggregate ABSITE scores for UIM and female categorical interns and non-UIM males (475 vs. 520, p = 0.09).Increasing emphasis is being placed on the diversification of residency training to reflect an expanding, diverse patient population. The incorporation of a holistic review process, providing broader assessment of applicants, can play a pivotal role in increasing the proportion of women and UIM students represented in the general surgery recruitment process.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of a professionally trained, resilience coach for surgical interns. DESIGN Mixed-methods study with pre- and postcoaching quantitative surveys measuring burnout and resilience factors and semistructured interviews. SETTING General, Vascular, Cardiac, Plastic, and Urologic Surgery residencies at a tertiary academic center. PARTICIPANTS Categorical and preliminary interns (N = 25) participated in a year-long, 8-session resilience coaching program for the academic year 2018 to 2019. RESULTS Program participants included 17 (68%) men and 8 (32%) women. The precoaching survey administered to interns before the start of the program identified 60% at risk of burnout as measured by the Abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory. The mean (standard deviation) Brief Resilience Scale score was 3.8 (0.8), with a trend toward a higher score (greater resilience) among men compared to women (4.1 [0.7] vs 3.4 [1.0], p = 0.10). Following the completion of the coaching program, the mean (standard deviation) Brief Resilience Scale score increased significantly from 3.8 [0.8] to 4.2 [0.7] p = 0.002). There were no changes in other parameters measuring burnout, satisfaction with life, or positive/negative affect. In semistructured interviews (N = 16/25 participants), most interns believed the coaching experience provided useful skills, but expressed concern about the durability of a 1-year intervention. Additionally, leadership-driven wellness at work, including optimizing team dynamics and purpose-driven engagement, were emphasized. CONCLUSIONS About 60% of new interns at our institution were at risk of burnout. The coaching program was viewed positively and was effective in improving resilience. While this intervention was a useful first step, it should be incorporated into a longitudinal wellness program for the duration of surgical training.

Background Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) Fellowship training in the Americas consists of 3 distinctive routes with variable curricula: Surgical Oncology Fellowship via the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO), Abdominal Transplant Surgery Fellowship via the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), and HPB Fellowship via the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (AHPBA). Our objective was to establish a pan-American consensus among HPB surgeons, surgical oncologists, abdominal transplant surgeons, and general surgery residency program directors (GSPDs) on a core knowledge curriculum for HPB fellowship, and to identify topics appropriate for general surgery residency and subspecialty beyond HPB fellowship. Study Design A 3-round modified Delphi process was used. Baseline statements were developed by the Education and Training Committee of the AHPBA, in collaboration with representatives of the SSO, ASTS, and GSPDs. The expert panel, consisting of members of the 3 societies together with GSPDs, rated the statements on a 5-point Likert scale and suggested editing or adding new statements. A statement was included in the final curriculum when Cronbach’s alpha value was ≥ 0.8 and ≥ 80% of the panel agreed on inclusion. Results The response rate was 100% for the first round, and 98% for the second and third rounds. Eighty-nine of 138 proposed statements were included in the final HPB fellowship curriculum. Curricula for general surgery residency and subspecialty beyond HPB fellowship included 50 and 29 statements, respectively. Conclusions A multinational consensus on core knowledge for an HPB fellowship curriculum was achieved via the modified Delphi method. This core curriculum may be used to standardize HPB fellowship training across different pathways in the Americas.

Background Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) has not historically been a focus of racial health disparities research. IBD has been increasing in the black community. We hypothesized that outcomes following surgery would be worse for black patients. Methods A retrospective cohort study of death and serious morbidity (DSM) of patients undergoing surgery for IBD was performed using data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP 2011–2014). Multivariable logistic regression modeling was performed to evaluate associations between race and outcomes. Results Among 14,679 IBD patients, the overall rate of DSM was 20.3% (white: 19.3%, black 27.0%, other 23.8%, p Conclusions Black patients are at increased risk of post-operative DSM following surgery for IBD. The elevated rates of DSM are not explained by traditional risk factors like obesity, ASA class, emergent surgery, or stoma creation.

Importance In evaluating the effectiveness of general surgery (GS) training, an unbiased assessment of the progression of residents with attention to individual learner factors is imperative. Objective To evaluate the role of trainee sex in milestone achievement over the course of GS residency using national data from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study evaluated female and male GS residents enrolled in ACGME-accredited programs in the US from 2014 to 2018 with reported variation in milestones performance across years in training and representation. Data were analyzed from November 2019 to June 2021. Main Outcomes and Measures Mean reported milestone score at initial and final assessment, and predicted time-to-attainment of equivalent performance by sex. Results Among 4476 GS residents from 250 programs who had milestone assessments at any point in their clinical training, 1735 were female (38.8%). Initially, female and male residents received similar mean (SD) milestone scores (1.95 [0.50] vs 1.94 [0.50]; P = .69). At the final assessment, female trainees received overall lower mean milestone scores than male trainees (4.25 vs 4.31; P

Fostering surgeon engagement in community outreach was recently identified as a major priority toward reducing health care disparities in surgery. We aimed to increase surgeon engagement in the local community, understand prevalent beliefs, and identify educational opportunities in the local community regarding cancer screening and treatment using community outreach.In collaboration with the university's cancer center, the medical student surgical interest group, surgical faculty, and residents developed a community outreach program. The program consisted of networking time, a formal presentation, panel discussion, and question and answer time. A survey was distributed to all participants before the educational session, and a program assessment was distributed at the program's conclusion.A total of 256 community members and 22 surgical volunteers attended at least one of the two events. Attendees were insured (175; 92.7%), female (151; 80%), and African-American (176; 93.1%), with a mean age of 61 y (standard deviation 14.0). About 56 participants (29.6%) were unwilling to undergo screening colonoscopy. Forty-eight respondents (25.4%) endorsed mistrust in doctors and 25% believed surgery causes cancer to spread; a significantly higher proportion of them aged60 y old. About 113 (59.8%) and 87 (46.1%) misunderstood the definitions of malignant and metastatic, respectively. Males were more unsure than females (61% versus 55%, P = 0.5 and 70% versus 55%; P = 0.01).Risk perceptions related to fatalism, mistrust, or lack of knowledge were prevalent. The ability of surgeons to reach at-risk populations in the prehospital setting is an important opportunity waiting to be capitalized upon.

The preoperative assessment of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) often requires a multidisciplinary approach, involving a complete endoscopic evaluation as well as both clinical and radiographic staging. In addition to providing a concrete diagnosis, histologic review by the pathologist imparts valuable information about tumor grade and other important prognostic features, which will be discussed in greater detail in this chapter. A thorough history and physical examination rounds out the initial evaluation and provides the surgeon with vital information that may influence operative planning.

In specialties with gender imbalance, such as general surgery, women faculty frequently receive lower teaching evaluation scores compared with men, which can affect academic advancement.We collected 1 year of anonymous resident-derived faculty teaching evaluations from 21 general surgery programs, along with resident, faculty, and department leadership gender complement. A composite evaluation score was calculated for each faculty. After accounting for within-program correlations, we compared male and female scores using the cluster-adjusted t-test to describe the respective mean differences with a 95% CI. Programs were divided into quartiles based on percent female faculty, female residents, and combined total females to detect associations between female representation and faculty teaching evaluation scores.The 21 programs yielded 20,187 teaching evaluations of 1,177 faculty. Women comprised 28% of the faculty, 47% of residents, 43% of program directors, and 19% of department chairs. Overall, women faculty had significantly higher evaluation scores than men (90.6% vs 89.5%, p 0.05). Female gender was associated with higher teaching evaluation scores compared with male faculty in the lowest quartiles for all combinations of women representation.This multi-institutional analysis of general surgical resident evaluations of faculty identified that female gender was associated with higher evaluation scores than men (although the difference was small). This unanticipated finding might reflect the slowly changing gender balance within general surgery and attitudes towards female faculty in a traditionally male-dominated field. Contrary to our hypothesis, female gender was associated with higher faculty evaluation scores at programs with fewer women faculty and fewer women residents.

Background and Objectives Neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) for rectal adenocarcinoma reduces lymph node (LN) identification following surgical resection. We sought to evaluate the relationship between LN identification following nCRT and disease-specific survival (DSS), stratified by pathologic stage. Methods The SEER-Medicare database (2000–2009) was queried for 1,216 pathologic stage I-III rectal cancer patients who underwent nCRT followed by curative-intent resection. Cox regressions evaluated the association between pathologic stage and DSS for LN cut-points from ≥2 up to ≥12 LNs. Results Extent of LN identification did not influence DSS in ypStage I or ypStage III disease; in particular, the 12 LN cut-point was not associated with DSS for ypStage I (HR 1.29, P = 0.51) or ypStage III (HR 1.08, P = 0.42) patients. In ypStage II patients, actuarial survival improved continually with increasing lymph node identification up to ≥12 LNs. The 5 LN cut-point was associated with the greatest reduction of risk of cancer death (HR 0.56, P = 0.006), with decreasing magnitudes of survival benefit associated with nodal counts beyond 5 LN. The 12 LN cut-point was not associated with DSS in ypStage II patients (HR 0.67, P = 0.07). Conclusion The association between DSS and LN identification is a dynamic outcome that varies by pathologic stage, with unique prognostic significance for ypStage II patients. J. Surg. Oncol. 2015; 112:415–420. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The management of anal fistulas is often challenging. Simple fistulotomy is ideal for intersphincteric tracts and low transsphincteric fistulas that incorporate a small amount of the sphincter muscles. More complex fistulas require a sphincter-sparing approach. The general goal of the numerous established procedures for the treatment of anal fistulas is to eliminate the fistula tract with the lowest rate of recurrence while preserving sphincter function. As such, the use of biologic materials in this cohort of fistulas has gained popularity over the years because they are resistant to infection, have limited foreign body reaction, and are repeatable without compromising fecal continence. Short- and long-term results are variable and will be discussed further in this article. There are also novel strategies using biologic materials that warrant consideration and further study.