Correlation of Faculty Structure and Resident Experience in OBGYN Residency Programs

Introduction: In the U.S., residency programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education based on their capacity to provide residents with the fundamental training required to advance their knowledge and skills in the core principles of obstetrics and gynecology. In this paper we study the relationship between faculty structure and basic training of residents in obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) residency programs. Methods: Information on 244 OBGYN residency program were extracted from the Directory of Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Programs on the website of the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics. The training experience of OBGYN residents was provided in the Directory by the residency programs, specifically indicating the role of the resident as the main surgeon (S) or surgical assistant (A) for different procedures: Results: In OBGYN programs, general OBGYNs have the highest average faculty number (12) followed by maternal-fetal specialists (5), gyn-oncology (3), reproductive endocrinology (3), urogynecology (2) and the least are reproductive genetics specialists (1). Spontaneous delivery (327 as surgeon and 65 as assistant) and cesarean sections (234 as surgeon and 61 as assistant) are the most common procedures performed by OBGYN residents during their 4 years of training. The least number of procedures performed by OBGYN residents are surgical interventions on antenatal patients (18 as surgeon and 5 as assistant). Significant correlation is detected between the number of reproductive genetics specialists and the number of surgical procedures on antenatal patients performed by OBGYN residents as a surgeon (r=.230, p=.018). Likewise, significant correlation is evident between the number of urogynecologists among faculty members and the number of surgical procedures for urinary incontinence performed by OBGYN residents as a surgeon (r=.157, p=.041) or assistant (r=.288, p=.001). Conclusion: Faculty structure in OBGYN residency programs may have a significant impact on procedure experience of residents. Introduction Residency is a period of supervised clinical training in an accredited tertiary care center that is a prerequisite for medical licensing in the United States (U.S.). Residency lasts from three to six years depending on the specialty. Obstetrics and gynecology as a surgical specialty requires four years of residency training to acquire a license in the U.S. and most countries. In the U.S., residency programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education based on their capacity to provide residents with the fundamental training required to advance their knowledge and skills in the core principles of obstetrics and gynecology. In this paper we study the relationship between faculty structure and basic training of residents in obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) residency programs.