title: Duty hours and perceived competence in surgery: are interns ready?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A fundamental shift in the structure of many surgical training programs has occurred after the July 2011 rule changes. Our intern didactic program was intensified in 2011 with targeted lectures, laboratories, and clinical cases as well as direct supervision until competency was achieved for basic clinical problems. We sought to compare interns' perceived preparedness throughout and at the end of the academic years before and after July 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intern perceptions of preparedness to manage common clinical scenarios and perform procedures in general surgery were serially surveyed in academic years ending in 2011 and 2012 based on the Residency Review Committee supervision guidelines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interns felt less prepared across all measured domains from 2011-2012. Interns felt significantly less prepared to manage hypotension (3.00/4 points to 2.67/4 points; P=0.04), place a tube thoracostomy (2.45/4 points to 1.92/4 points; P=0.04), or perform an inguinal hernia repair (1.91/4 points to 0.92/4 points; P=0.01) without supervision. Interns were also significantly less likely to agree that they were able to gain clinical skills based on experience (4.31/5 points versus 4.15/5 points; P=0.02). Longitudinal analysis throughout internship demonstrated improved preparedness to manage common clinical problems and perform procedures between the second and the fifth months of internship.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  First-year residents after July 2011 felt less prepared in the topics surveyed than those before July 2011. Interns made the greatest gains in preparedness between months 2 and 5, suggesting that despite planned interventions, no substitute currently exists for actual clinical experience. Planned educational interventions to improve intern preparedness are also indicated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland. Electronic address: b.lindeman@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Brenessa M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Lindeman
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Bethany C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Sacks
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Kenzo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Pamela A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lipsett
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D010465:Perception; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance
keywords: Competence; Duty hours; Internship; Preparedness; Resident education; Supervision; Surgery