Surgical specialty procedures in rural surgery practices: implications for rural surgery training

The General Surgery Job Market: Analysis of Current Demand for General Surgeons and Their Specialized Skills

“…A recent study of the Dakota Database of Rural Surgery revealed that rural surgeons performed 1,063 OB/GYN procedures in one year, including caesarian sections, tubal ligations, and hysterectomies; this accounted for 2.3% of the 46,052 procedures performed that year by rural general surgeons. 13 Endoscopy is a skill set which constitutes a large part of many general surgeons’ practice; estimated to be 39% of all procedures performed by rural general surgeons in the Dakota Database. Yet only 7% of employers in the current study specifically sought advanced endoscopy skill.…”

Characteristics and Distribution of Graduate Medical Education Training Sites: Are We Missing Opportunities to Meet U.S. Health Workforce Needs?

“…51 However, efforts to expand training in rural areas must take into consideration the Residency Review Committee requirements for optimal exposure to clinical procedures, appropriate faculty supervision, and adequate patient volume, which may be challenging in some cases. 52,53 Although we have focused on the paucity of training opportunities at community-based health clinics and in rural settings, our findings also highlight the role that VA facilities play in GME training. The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act, signed into law in 2014, includes $16.3 billion in funding for up to 1,500 more residency positions to expand primary care access for veterans.…”

Rural Surgery Training Programs in the United States: A Review of the Literature

“…The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Board of Surgery (ABS) have recognized the need for rural general surgery and made a concerted effort to prepare residents for rural practice (24). The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has developed the Advisory Council for Rural Surgery (ACRS).…”

“…Responding to a survey about rural training, 58 or 24% responded to the survey and only 21 or 8% responded that their program included rural training (1). Training during residency is a major part of the preparation for practice (24).…”

“…Rural surgeons typically perform many procedures such as endoscopic procedures, biliary tract procedures, herniorrhaphies, GI procedures and laparoscopies (2). General surgeons who plan on a rural career may not get the training they need from a traditional general surgery residency (24). The ACGME mandates that graduating general surgery residents must report 750 operations with 150 of them performed in the chief year (3).…”