title: Program directors' perceptions of importance of pediatric procedural skills and resident preparedness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) objectives for training in pediatrics include 26 procedural skills, 11 of which are included in the final in-training evaluation report (FITER). The importance of each procedure for practice and the preparedness of pediatric residency graduates to perform these procedures are not known.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was distributed to all pediatric residency program directors and members of the RCPSC Specialty Committee in Pediatrics (N = 21) in October 2010, requesting them to rate the perceived importance and preparedness of graduating pediatric residents in all procedural skills on a 5 point Likert scale, as well as the presence of a curriculum and documentation for each procedure. Mean importance and preparedness were calculated for each procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Response rate was 16/21 (76 %). Perceived preparedness was significantly lower than importance for the majority of procedures (p < 0.05). Ten procedures had a high mean importance rating (>3) but a low mean preparedness rating (<3). Presence of a curriculum and documentation for procedures varied across centers, and their presence was correlated with both perceived importance and preparedness (p < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many procedures in which pediatric residents are required to be competent by the RCPSC are felt to be important. Residents are not felt to be adequately prepared in several of the required procedures by the time of graduation. Procedures with high ratings of importance but low preparedness ratings should be targeted for curricular interventions.
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada. zia.bismilla@sickkids.ca.
authors.forename: Zia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bismilla
authors.affiliation: Memorial University, St. John's, Canada. adam.dubrowski@med.mun.ca.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dubrowski
authors.affiliation: University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada. hamin@ucalgary.ca.
authors.forename: Harish J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Amin
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D004282:Documentation; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D017145:Models, Educational; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education*; D010465:Perception; D008486:Physician Executives; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires