title: Improved residents' knowledge after an advanced regional anesthesia education program.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although residents in anesthesia are confident in performing neuraxial anesthesia, many are not confident in performing peripheral nerve blocks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured regional anesthesia teaching program in a large academic medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Residents participated in regional anesthesia didactics that took place in a unique resident education program scheduled during two fully protected teaching days a month. The curriculum included hands-on cadaver workshops in the anatomy lab, hands-on ultrasound workshops, hands-on nerve stimulator and surface anatomy workshops, and simulator sessions related to complications of regional anesthesia. Before beginning the formal regional anesthesia teaching program, residents completed a pretest composed of 25 multiple choice questions (MCQ) and a three-section observed standardized clinical examination (OSCE). Seven months later, approximately 1 month after completion of the regional anesthesia curriculum, the residents were evaluated again with the exact same tests. Pretest and post-test results for both the MCQ and the OSCE were compared by using a paired t-test for statistical means.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Post-test results were significantly improved (P < 0.05) across all clinical anesthesia (CA) years and for both the MCQ and OSCE examinations. Post-test results were also significantly improved (P < 0.05) across all CA years for each of the three sections of the OSCE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The formal regional anesthesia teaching program developed by the departmental faculty was effective in improving resident knowledge.
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Garcia-Tomas
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schwengel
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ouanes
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Marie N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Hanna
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction / Q000379:methods*; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003479:Curriculum; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data