title: Surgical resident perspective on deceased donor organ procurement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Deceased donor organ procurement provides unparalleled opportunity for surgical residents with extensive surgical exposure. We hypothesize that surgical residents regard organ donation positively and organ procurement enhances their education.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted an institutional review board approved anonymous national survey to evaluate organ procurement experiences and attitudes of general surgical residents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred ninety-seven residents representing all postgraduate years responded, with 97% completion rate. Organ procurement increased with training level (92% seniors vs. 53% interns). Over 85% agree organ procurement is a good educational and operative experience, and 73% believe that it will benefit their future surgical career. About 68% agree that organ procurement provided knowledge of anatomy and exposures; under 10% felt organ procurement could be duplicated with simulation. Presence of transplant program did not affect attitudes or experience. Eighty-eight percent women versus77% men plan to donate their own organs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results indicate that surgical residents value organ procurement, and it remains an essential encounter that applies to general surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. Electronic address: adena.osband@rwjuh.edu.
authors.forename: Adena J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Osband
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Laskow
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D014019:Tissue Donors; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement; D014481:United States
keywords: Organ donation; Organ procurement; Surgical education