Resident operative experience during the transition to work-hour reform.
OBJECTIVE
The operative volume of chief residents would decrease with work-hour reform by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).


METHODS
Mixed-design study performed during July and December 2003. Collected data were from programs experimenting with work-hour reform and programs that had not yet implemented reform. New York programs were also included.


METHODS
University-, community/university-, and community-based surgical residency programs.


METHODS
Telephone conversations occurred with 10 randomly selected program directors.


METHODS
Operative logs from chief residents graduating in 2002 and 2003 and a survey requesting information on programmatic changes.


RESULTS
Of the 80 programs that responded, statistical analyses revealed the following findings: (1) there were no significant differences in the operative volume of chief residents based on work-hour model, program setting, or graduating class; (2) there was no significant difference in chiefs' operative volume between programs that experimented with work-hour reform and programs that did not experiment with work-hour reform during 2002-2003; (3) there was no relationship found between work hours and volume of operative cases; and (4) there was an inverse relationship found between work hours and operative volume for residents in New York programs.


CONCLUSIONS
Several correlates must be considered for effective assessment and evaluation of the impact of work-hour reform on surgical training and education.
Mendoza
Kathryn A
KA
Department of Surgery, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA. mendozka@evms.edu
Britt
L D
LD
D000328:Adult; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007857:Leadership; D009048:Motor Skills; D009518:New York; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors