Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on general surgery residency program in Peru: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background General surgey is a specialty of high demand and relevance. We aimed to collect the opinions of the residents and their tutors and heads of department, regarding the impact that this COVID-19 pandemic is having - and will probably have - on the training of future general surgeons in Peru. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in Lima, Peru. We surveyed residents of general surgery, as well as their tutors and heads of surgery departments from 14 Peruvian hospitals. Results The impact of COVID-19 was considered severe in approximately 60% of first-year residents, 100% of second-year residents, 40% of third-year residents and about 80% of attending physicians. The 68.8% of the residents considered that the loss of surgical training opportunities during the pandemic would negatively affect their job performance. In addition, as of 03/16/2020, no residents had performed more than 25 elective surgeries, trauma surgeries or laparoscopic procedures. All the participants (including tutors and heads of departments) highlighted the need to extend the residency period. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the training of the general surgery residents. Deficiencies need to be identified in order to evaluate extending the period of the medical residency program in Peru.

Analysis of the impact of the pandemic on surgical residency programs during the first wave in Argentina: A cross – sectional study

“…Considering the National Decree 718/2020 (extension on the graduation of the residents of the last year of the educational program) and the recommendation that the evaluations of cases and surgeries should be left in the hands of the professionals with more experience, the exposure of the residents in the operating room was limited, generating a reduction in surgical experience, mainly in residents of lower years (PGY – 1 and PGY – 2). These results are similar to other studies [ [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] ]. However, before the current global pandemic, surgical education has had to respond with new technologies, treatments and procedures to the dynamic changes in the knowledge of surgical disease, the demand in the supervision of resident doctors, and the demands for the patient safety [ 20 ].…”

Internal Medicine Clerkship Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Clinical Learning Experience of Undergraduate Medical Students at Makerere University, Uganda

“… 17 Between 40% and 100% of surgical residents reported severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their training. 13 However, there is no published study examining experience of medical students or residence in general internal medicine. For the senior clerks, majority reported a good or excellent clinical experience pre-COVID-19 pandemic compared to clerkship during the pandemic.…”

Internal medicine clerkship amidst COVID-19 pandemic: clinical learning experience of undergraduate medical students at Makerere University, Uganda: a cross-sectional study

“…Besides interrupting with clinical clerkships, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought a myriad of challenges in clinical bedside teaching since medical students now have limited direct patient care activities, such as physical examinations and procedures [11,12]. In this study, we found that nearly Previous studies have evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical training [13] and fellowships [14], radiology residency [15], gastroenterology residency [16] and assessment of medical students [17].…”

“…Between 40 and 100% of surgical residents reported severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their training [13]. However, there is no published study examining experience of medical students or residence in general interesting to note that less than 4% of the medical students opted for online only or use of simulations and mannequins as alternatives to traditional clinical teaching.…”

“…Previous studies have evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical training [13] and fellowships [14], radiology residency [15], gastroenterology residency [16] and assessment of medical students [17]. Between 40 and 100% of surgical residents reported severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their training [13]. However, there is no published study examining experience of medical students or residence in general internal medicine.…”