Surgeons’ perception of their training for the autonomous practice of the specialty
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18004/Keywords:
medical residency, general surgery, perception, professional autonomy, medical education, qualitative researchAbstract
Background: During general surgery residency, residents expand their knowledge, skills and
aptitudes, progressively acquiring autonomy. Recent changes in residency training models have
raised questions about actual graduate preparedness. Objective: To explore the perceptions
of key educational stakeholders regarding the training of general surgery residents at Hospital
de Clínicas, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Paraguay,
for autonomous professional practice. Methods: Qualitative study using an interpretive
hermeneutic approach. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with five residents,
five recently graduated surgeons, and five resident tutors between November and December
2020. Thematic content analysis was performed using two dimensions and nine descriptors.
Results: General surgery residents graduate without being prepared for autonomous practice,
though they are capable of performing low-complexity procedures. Most wish to pursue a
subspecialty. Participants demanded more operative exposure, systematic use of simulation,
and structured rotations. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated pre-existing deficiencies. Tutors
were identified as the main institutional strength. Conclusions: Preparation for autonomous
practice is incomplete. Extending residency duration without addressing infrastructure and
administrative problems will not improve training.
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