title: Integration of Surgical Residency Training With US Military Humanitarian Missions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe how the US Navy integrates surgical resident training during hospital ship-based humanitarian activities and discuss the potential operative and educational benefits during these missions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of predeployment surgical plans, operative case logs, and after-action reports from United States Naval Ship (USNS) Mercy humanitarian deployments from 2006 to 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  The USNS Mercy hospital ship.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 24 surgical residents from different surgical specialties including general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, urology, otolaryngology, and ophthalmology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During 4 planned deployments (2006-2012), 2887 surgical procedures were performed during 20 humanitarian missions conducted by the USNS Mercy in 9 different Southeast Asian countries. Of all the general surgery eligible procedures performed, 1483 (79%) were defined categories under the current general surgery Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education guidelines, including abdominal (31%); skin, soft tissue, and breast (21%); ear, nose, and throat (20.5%); plastic surgery (15.5%); and pediatric (12%) cases. The number of surgical cases completed by each resident ranged from 30 to 67 cases over a period of 4 to 6 weeks during the overseas humanitarian rotation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The US Navy's humanitarian experience provides a unique educational opportunity for young military surgeons to experience various global health systems, diverse cultures, and complex logistical planning without sacrificing the breadth and depth of surgical training. This model may provide a framework to develop future international electives for other general surgery training programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California.
authors.forename: Shane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, Camp Pendleton, California.
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Tadlock
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California.
authors.forename: Trent
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Douglas
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Provencher
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California. Electronic address: romeo.ignacio@med.navy.mil.
authors.forename: Romeo C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Ignacio
mesh_terms: D000533:Altruism; D001210:Asia, Southeastern; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008952:Mobile Health Units; D009326:Naval Medicine; D012066:Relief Work; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012767:Ships; D014481:United States
keywords: Interpersonal and Communication Skills; Medical Knowledge; Patient Care; Systems-Based Practice; USNS Mercy; hospital ship; humanitarian assistance; navy; surgical residency; surgical volunteerism