Assessing urinary diversion experience in urologic residency programs-are we adequately training the next generation?
OBJECTIVE
Operative experience is important in developing surgical skills and technical competency. There is also emerging evidence directly linking increased surgical volume to patient outcomes. Accordingly, resident training should provide the framework for mastery of complex operations. We evaluated the current urological residency experience in performing adult urinary diversion.


METHODS
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-Residency Review for Urology Operative Log Reports were reviewed from 2000 to 2004 with an emphasis on urinary diversion experience. Resident logs were analyzed specifically for all procedures that included CPT codes for continent and incontinent diversions. The logs were compared by year of training and type of urinary diversion.


RESULTS
Overall, the total number of urinary diversions performed by graduating residents from 4-year programs has increased from 2,259 (2000 to 2001) to 4,017 (2003 to 2004). In addition, the mean and median number of urinary diversion cases among residents completing training have remained relatively constant. For graduating urology residents in 2003 to 2004, the mean (median) number of continent urinary diversion and incontinent urinary diversion cases were only 6.7 (3.0) and 9.5 (4), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Current Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education data suggest the average urology resident has limited exposure to urinary diversion in general, and even less experience with more complex continent urinary diversion. These results suggest that many urology residency programs may not have sufficient volume to provide residents with a broad experience in urinary diversion, and alternative strategies to ensure proper training should be explored.
Chang
Sam S
SS
Department of Urologic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA. sam.chang@vanderbilt.edu
Smith
Joseph A
JA
Herrell
S Duke
SD
Cookson
Michael S
MS
D007396:Internship and Residency; D014481:United States; D014547:Urinary Diversion / Q000193:education*; D014572:Urology / Q000193:education*