International Planetary Health Education in Undergraduate and Graduate Medical Curricula: A Scoping Review.

Climate change is a public health emergency, yet planetary health education is absent for many medical and health professions trainees. To perform a scoping review exploring the inclusion of planetary health in undergraduate and graduate medical education. A search strategy was developed with a health sciences librarian and run on 6 databases from their inception to February 2022: MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, Global Health, and Scopus.

A scoping review of Fit in medical education: a guaranteed success, or a threat to inclusivity?

Background: Finding applicants that fit in with educational environments is a goal of many educators in hopes that it will lead to successful training. "Fit" is used colloquially to describe a general feeling, however the field of study has grown to include specific terms describing the compatibility between people and their environments, organizations, and jobs. Despite common use, the term is used often but non-specifically in medical education.

Why Didn't You Call Me? Factors Junior Learners Consider When Deciding Whether to Call Their Supervisor.

Objective: Over half of junior learners (JL) feel pressure to work independently and report rarely calling their supervisor. It is unclear how JL decide whether or not to call their supervisor. The study aims to identify factors that JL consider when responding to clinical scenarios and deciding whether to call senior residents (SR) and compare them to factors identified by SR.

Underrepresented in medicine (URiM) residents: A scoping review on prevalence trends & improving recruitment.

Background: Disparities exist in underrepresented in medicine (URiM) resident representation. This review examines recent trends in resident diversity, URiM recruitment strategies, and identifies research gaps in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) for URiM residents.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and ERIC databases were searched for studies published from 2017 to 2022 on URiM resident prevalence and recruitment initiatives.

A Scoping Review of the Literature on Entrustable Professional Activities in Surgery Residency Programs.

Objective: Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) are a crucial component of contemporary postgraduate medical education with many surgery residency programs having implemented EPAs as a competency assessment framework to assess and provide feedback on the performance of their residents. Despite broad implementation of EPAs, there is a paucity of evidence regarding the impact of EPAs on the learners and learning environments. A first step in improving understanding of the use and impact of EPAs is by mapping the rising number of EPA-related publications from the field of surgery.

How Surgeons Think to Avoid Error: A Case Study of the Neurovascular Bundle Sparing During a Robotic Prostatectomy.

Objective: To illustrate how experts efficiently navigate a "slowing down moment" to obtain optimal surgical outcomes using the neurovascular bundle sparing during a robotic prostatectomy as a case study.

Design: A series of semistructured interviews with four expert uro-oncologists were completed using a cognitive task analysis methodology. Cognitive task analysis, CTA, refers to the interview and extraction of a general body of knowledge.

Analyzing interprofessional teamwork in the operating room: An exploratory observational study using conventional and alternative approaches.

Intraoperative teamwork is vital for patient safety. Conventional tools for studying intraoperative teamwork typically rely on behaviorally anchored rating scales applied at the individual or team level, while others capture narrative information across several units of analysis. This prospective observational study characterizes teamwork using two conventional tools (Operating Theatre Team Non-Technical Skills Assessment Tool [NOTECHS]; Team Emergency Assessment Measure [TEAM]), and one alternative approach (modified-Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety [SEIPS] model).

Assessment of laparoscopic skills: comparing the reliability of global rating and entrustability tools.

Background: Competence by design (CBD) residency programs increasingly depend on tools that provide reliable assessments, require minimal rater training, and measure progression through the CBD milestones. To assess intraoperative skills, global rating scales and entrustability ratings are commonly used but may require extensive training. The Competency Continuum (CC) is a CBD framework that may be used as an assessment tool to assess laparoscopic skills.

Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Elective Bowel Resection Before and After Implementation of an Anemia Screening and Treatment Program.

Background: Patients with anemia undergoing elective colorectal cancer surgery are known to have significantly higher rates of postoperative complications and worse outcomes.

Objective: This study aimed to improve rates of anemia screening and treatment in patients undergoing elective colon and rectal resections through a quality improvement initiative.

Design: We compared a historical cohort of patients before implementation of our anemia screening and treatment quality improvement program to a prospective cohort after implementation.

Trust Me, I Know Them: Assessing Interpersonal Bias in Surgery Residency Interviews.

Background: Residency selection integrates objective and subjective data sources. Interviews help assess characteristics like insight and communication but have the potential for bias. Structured multiple mini-interviews may mitigate some elements of bias; however, a halo effect is described in assessments of medical trainees, and degree of familiarity with applicants may remain a source of bias in interviews.

The effect of assessor professional background on interview evaluation during residency selection: A mixed-methods study.

Background: Residency interviewer scores are greatly variable and seems to be influenced by personal characteristics of assessors, although factors contributing to variability remain unclear. The study sought to determine how different professional backgrounds influence assessors' scores.

Methods: Fifty-five general surgery applicants rotated through an interview station assessing teamwork.

Video-based interviewing in medicine: a scoping review.

Background: The Coronavirus 2019 pandemic necessitated a rapid uptake of video-based interviewing within the personnel selection process in healthcare. While video-based interviews have been evaluated previously, we identified a gap in the literature on the implementation of video-based interviews and how they compare to their face-to-face counterparts.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted to consolidate the available literature on the benefits and limitations of video-based interviews and to understand the perceived barriers associated with transitioning away from face-to-face interviews.

Self-Assessment in General Surgery Applicants: An Insight Into Interview Performance.

Introduction: Selecting medical students for residency is a competitive process, with a narrow range of scores separating middle-ranked applicants. Self-assessment is a fundamental skill for any competent physician with a demonstrated correlation to diagnostic ability, examination scores, and technical skills, but has yet to be investigated in residency selection. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-assessment and interview performance as a potential adjunct to discriminate between applicants.

Hemorrhaging laparoscopic partial nephrectomy - feasibility of a novel simulation model.

Introduction: Intraoperative surgical complications pose significant potential risks to patients. Uncontrolled bleeding during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy is one such event that requires collaboration and communication between surgical team members. We developed and evaluated a multidisciplinary surgical simulation scenario and model of intraoperative hemorrhage during a laparoscopic partial nephrectomy to facilitate the practice of these crucial non-technical skills.

A chance for reform: The environmental impact of travel for general surgery residency interviews.

Background: In light of the global climate emergency, it is worth reconsidering the current practice of medical students traveling to interview for residency positions. We sought to estimate carbon dioxide (CO) emissions associated with travel for general surgery residency interviews in Canada, and the potential avoided emissions if interviews were restructured.

Methods: An eight-item survey was constructed to collect data on cities visited, travel modalities, and costs incurred.

The Impact of Surgeon Experience on Script Concordance Test Scoring.

Objective: The Script Concordance Test (SCT) is a test of clinical decision-making that relies on an expert panel to create its scoring key. Existing literature demonstrates the value of specialty-specific experts, but the effect of experience among the expert panel is unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of surgeon experience in SCT scoring.

Comparing 2 Approaches for the File Review of Residency Applications.

Background: The residency selection process relies on subjective information in applications, as well as subjective assessment of applications by reviewers. This inherent subjectivity makes residency selection prone to poor reliability between those reviewing files.

Objectives: We compared the interrater reliability of 2 assessment tools during file review: one rating applicant traits (ie, leadership, communication) and the other using a global rating of application elements (ie, curriculum vitae, reference letters).

How do cognitive processes influence script concordance test responses?

Introduction: The script concordance test (SCT) is a test of clinical decision-making (CDM) that compares the thought process of learners to that of experts to determine to what extent their cognitive 'scripts' align. Without understanding test-takers' cognitive process, however, it is unclear what influences their responses. The objective of this study was to gather response process validity evidence by studying the cognitive process of test-takers to determine whether the SCT tests CDM and what cognitive processes may influence SCT responses.

Everyone Is Awesome: Analyzing Letters of Reference in a General Surgery Residency Selection Process.

Background: The resident selection process involves the analysis of multiple data points, including letters of reference (LORs), which are inherently subjective in nature.

Objective: We assessed the frequency with which LORs use quantitative terms to describe applicants and to assess whether the use of these terms reflects the ranking of trainees in the final selection process.

Methods: A descriptive study analyzing LORs submitted by Canadian medical graduate applicants to the University of Ottawa General Surgery Program in 2019 was completed.

Video-based interviewing in medicine: protocol for a scoping review.

Background: Careers in healthcare involve an extensive interview process as transitions are made from one level of training to the next. For physicians, interviews mark the gateway from entrance into medical school, acceptance into residency, fellowships, and subsequent job opportunities. Previous literature outlining the costs associated with face-to-face interviews and concerns regarding the climate crisis has triggered an interest in video-based interviews.

Nontechnical Skills (NTS) in the Undergraduate Surgical and Anesthesiology Curricula: Are We Adequately Preparing Medical Students?

Objectives: Nontechnical skills (NTS) encompass interpersonal, cognitive, and personal resource skills that can mitigate surgical errors and improve patient outcomes. However, inconsistencies in medical student awareness around NTS suggest limited exposure to these skills. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and content of NTS in medical school surgery and anesthesiology education.

Comparison of Ligation of the Intersphincteric Fistula Tract and BioLIFT for the Treatment of Transsphincteric Anal Fistula: A Retrospective Analysis.

Background: Ligation of the intersphincteric fistula tract is a sphincter-preserving technique for the treatment of anal fistulas. The BioLIFT modification involves the placement of a biologic mesh in the intersphincteric plane. Advocates of this modification state improved healing rates, however evidence for this is lacking, and this approach costs significantly more.