Promoting Surgical Resident Well-being Through Therapist-Facilitated Discussion Groups: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To improve the well-being and sense of community of surgical trainees. DESIGN: Residents were invited to participate in confidential discussion groups during protected education time to have a safe space to support each other through common struggles. The groups were facilitated by licensed mental health professionals with experience working with medical trainees. An anonymous voluntary wellness survey and a qualitative feedback survey were used to understand residents' experience participating in these discussion groups. SETTING: Single large academic institution. PARTICIPANTS: General surgery and obstetrics and gynecology residents. RESULTS: 677 resident responses to the wellness survey were collected between 2020 and 2023. Compared to residents who participated in < 5 discussion group sessions, residents participating in ≥ 5 sessions reported improved self-perception of their own competency and capability (p = 0.012), and in their ability to contribute to others' well-being (p = 0.045). They also reported considering more of their co-residents as friends (p = 0.002), increased willingness to discuss personal problems with their co-residents (p < 0.001), and were more likely to report recently working with peers to solve a common problem (p = 0.041). In a second qualitative survey (n = 53), resident feedback revealed an appreciation for the opportunity to discuss shared experiences, creating community, having a safe space and dedicated time for introspection, and receiving input from a therapist. Opportunities for improvement included providing more structure to the discussion, increasing the frequency of group meetings, and focusing on developing coping skills. CONCLUSION: Therapist-facilitated discussion groups can improve aspects of trainees' mental well-being and help foster relatedness, community, and shared problem solving with peers. Residency programs should consider incorporating similar programs into their wellness initiatives.

Filter Out the Noise: How to Narrow Your Search for the Perfect Match by the Collaboration of Surgical Education Fellows (CoSEF).

The residency match process can be overwhelming. We are the Collaboration of Surgical Education Fellows (CoSEF), a multi-institutional group of surgical residents. Our perspectives represent our current experiences as residents at academic programs, but all authors recently underwent the general surgery resident interview and match process, during which they interviewed at programs of all kinds. Based on our collective experiences, we aim to highlight program attributes that applicants should consider to find their perfect match.

How I GPT It: Development of Custom Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chatbots for Surgical Education.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots provide a novel format for individuals to interact with large language models (LLMs). Recently released tools allow nontechnical users to develop chatbots using natural language. Surgical education is an exciting area in which chatbots developed in this manner may be rapidly deployed, though additional work will be required to ensure their accuracy and safety. In this paper, we outline our initial experience with AI chatbot creation in surgical education and offer considerations for future use of this technology.

Navigating the couples match: Key challenges and lessons learned from two general surgery applicants.

The Couples Match presents unique obstacles and considerations to medical students who are already participating in a rigorous residency application process. We aim to describe the distinct challenges presented by the Couples Match and present advice from our own experience successfully matching into general surgery residency as a couple.

Lymph Node Positivity: Indication for Preoperative MRI?

BACKGROUND: The purpose was to determine what factors help predict benefit from preoperative MRI. METHODS: We conducted an IRB approved retrospective review of patients with breast cancer who underwent preoperative MRI (2018-2021). Patients were divided into a cohort of no new disease detected on MRI versus new disease detected. RESULTS: Of 420 patients with a new diagnosis of breast cancer who underwent preoperative MRI, 17% had new multicentric, multifocal, or contralateral disease detected. There was no difference between the two cohorts for age (p = 0.23), race (p = 0.45), family history (p = 0.47), breast density (p = 0.14), or hormone status (p = 0.90). In multivariate analysis, age (p = 0.61, OR 0.99), race (p = 0.58, OR 1.26), family history (p = 0.54, OR 0.82), breast density (p = 0.83, OR 0.87), grade (p = 0.87, OR 1.09), tumor size (p = 0.37, OR 0.92), and use of neoadjuvant therapy (p = 0.41, OR 0.72) were not predictive of detection of additional new disease. Presence of positive nodes on ultrasound or mammogram was associated with new or multifocal disease on MRI (p = 0.0005, OR 3.48). Pre-MRI positive nodes increased the likelihood of detection of new disease (p = 0.0002, OR 3.04). Preoperative MRI resulted in more extensive surgery than indicated for 22.2% of the no new disease detected cohort and 6.9% of the new multicentric disease cohort (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with nodal disease detected in their evaluation are more likely to have new multifocal, multicentric, or contralateral disease detected on MRI. The use of preoperative MRI may be particularly helpful in patients with node-positive disease in identifying additional disease that would alter surgical management.

The Effect of 2019 Coronavirus Stay-at-Home Order on Geriatric Trauma Patients in Southern California.

BACKGROUND: California issued stay-at-home (SAH) orders to mitigate COVID-19 spread. Previous studies demonstrated a shift in mechanisms of injuries (MOIs) and decreased length of stay (LOS) for the general trauma population after SAH orders. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of SAH orders on geriatric trauma patients (GTPs), hypothesizing decreased motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) and LOS. METHODS: A post-hoc analysis of GTPs (≥65 years old) from 11 level-I/II trauma centers was performed, stratifying patients into 3 groups: before SAH (1/1/2020-3/18/2020) (PRE), after SAH (3/19/2020-6/30/2020) (POST), and a historical control (3/19/2019-6/30/2019) (CONTROL). Bivariate comparisons were performed. RESULTS: 5486 GTPs were included (PRE-1756; POST-1706; CONTROL-2024). POST had a decreased rate of MVCs (7.6% vs 10.6%, P = .001; vs 11.9%, P < .001) and pedestrian struck (3.4% vs 5.8%, P = .001; vs 5.2%, P = .006) compared with PRE and CONTROL. Other mechanisms of injury, LOS, mortality, and operations performed were similar between cohorts. However, POST had a lower rate of discharge to skilled nursing facility (SNF) (20% vs 24.5%, P = .001; and 20% vs 24.4%, P = .001). CONCLUSION: This retrospective multicenter study demonstrated lower rates of MVCs and pedestrian struck for GTPs, which may be explained by decreased population movement as a result of SAH orders. Contrary to previous studies on the generalized adult population, no differences in other MOIs and LOS were observed after SAH orders. However, there was a lower rate of discharge to SNF, which may be related to a lack of resources due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and thus potentially negatively impacted recovery of GTPs.Keywords.

The Demographics and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society Membership Status of Surgery's Top Leadership.

PURPOSE: Diversity and equity are priorities of many academic Departments of Surgery (DoS). Induction into Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (AOA) denotes academic excellence and can potentially propel an academic career. Research has demonstrated that underrepresented in medicine (URM) students are less likely to be elected to AOA. In this study, we aim to examine the Chairs in American departments of surgery to examine their gender, racial, and ethnic background and AOA membership status. METHOD: An anonymous survey was generated via REDCap and electronically sent to the Chair of Surgery at the top 75 DoS based on "Reputation" on Doximity Residency Navigator 2020-2021. Seven chairs with non-publicly accessible email addresses were excluded. RESULTS: Of the eligible chairs (N = 68), 38 (55.9%) completed the survey, of which 34 (89.5%) identified as men. AOA membership was reported in 65.8% (n = 25) respondents, with 8% (n = 2) self-identifying as women and 92% (n = 23) self-identifying as men. Of the men respondents, 74% (n = 25) reported AOA membership, while 50% of women (n = 2) reported AOA membership. Of the AOA chairs, 4% (n = 1) self-identified as Asian while 96% (n = 24) self-identified as White. The majority (57.9%, n = 22) of eligible chair respondents were White, men, and AOA members. Of the 25 AOA members, 18 (72.0%) felt their membership has positively impacted their career. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the majority of American Surgical Chairs self-identify as white men. The number of men who were AOA was higher than women chairs.

Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in a health care worker population during the early pandemic.

BACKGROUND: While others have reported severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence studies in health care workers (HCWs), we leverage the use of a highly sensitive coronavirus antigen microarray to identify a group of seropositive health care workers who were missed by daily symptom screening that was instituted prior to any epidemiologically significant local outbreak. Given that most health care facilities rely on daily symptom screening as the primary method to identify SARS-CoV-2 among health care workers, here, we aim to determine how demographic, occupational, and clinical variables influence SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity among health care workers. METHODS: We designed a cross-sectional survey of HCWs for SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity conducted from May 15th to June 30th 2020 at a 418-bed academic hospital in Orange County, California. From an eligible population of 5,349 HCWs, study participants were recruited in two ways: an open cohort, and a targeted cohort. The open cohort was open to anyone, whereas the targeted cohort that recruited HCWs previously screened for COVID-19 or work in high-risk units. A total of 1,557 HCWs completed the survey and provided specimens, including 1,044 in the open cohort and 513 in the targeted cohort. Demographic, occupational, and clinical variables were surveyed electronically. SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was assessed using a coronavirus antigen microarray (CoVAM), which measures antibodies against eleven viral antigens to identify prior infection with 98% specificity and 93% sensitivity. RESULTS: Among tested HCWs (n = 1,557), SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was 10.8%, and risk factors included male gender (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.05-2.06), exposure to COVID-19 outside of work (2.29, 1.14-4.29), working in food or environmental services (4.85, 1.51-14.85), and working in COVID-19 units (ICU: 2.28, 1.29-3.96; ward: 1.59, 1.01-2.48). Amongst 1,103 HCWs not previously screened, seropositivity was 8.0%, and additional risk factors included younger age (1.57, 1.00-2.45) and working in administration (2.69, 1.10-7.10). CONCLUSION: SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity is significantly higher than reported case counts even among HCWs who are meticulously screened. Seropositive HCWs missed by screening were more likely to be younger, work outside direct patient care, or have exposure outside of work.

No Difference in Mortality and Outcomes After Addition of a Nearby Pediatric Trauma Center.

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies demonstrate that higher volume pediatric trauma centers (PTCs) offer improved outcomes. This study evaluated pediatric trauma volume and outcomes at an existing level I (L-I) adult and level II (L-II) PTC after the addition of a new children's hospital L-II PTC within a 2-mile radius, hypothesizing no difference in mortality and complications. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients aged 14 years or younger presenting to a single adult L-I and L-II PTC was performed. Patients from 2015-2016 (PRE) were compared with patients from 2018-2019 (POST) for mortality and complications using bivariate analyses. RESULTS: Compared with the PRE cohort, there were less patients in the POST cohort (277 vs 373). Patients in the POST cohort had higher rates of insurance coverage (91.3% vs 78.8%, P < 0.001), self-transportation (7.2% vs 2.7%, P < 0.01), and hospital admission (72.6% and 46.1%, P < 0.001). There was no difference in all complications and mortality (all P > 0.05) between the 2 cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: After opening a second L-II PTC within a 2-mile radius, there was an increase in the rate of admissions and self-transportation to the preexisting L-II PTC. Despite a nearly 26% decrease in pediatric trauma volume, there was no difference in length of stay, hospital complications, or mortality.

Assessment of Medical Industry Compensation to US Physicians by Gender.

Importance: It has been well established that female physicians earn less than their male counterparts in all specialties and ranks despite controlling for confounding variables. Objective: To investigate payments made from highest-grossing medical industry companies to female and male physicians and to assess compensation and engagement disparities based on gender. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective, population-based cross-sectional study used data from the Open Payments database for the 5 female and 5 male physicians who received the most financial compensation from each of the 15 highest-grossing medical supply companies in the US from January 2013 to January 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was total general payments received by female and male physicians from medical industry over time and across industries. The secondary outcome was trends in industry payment to female and male physicians from 2013 to 2019. Results: Among the 1050 payments sampled, 1017 (96.9%) of the 5 highest earners were men and 33 (3.1%) were women. Female physicians were paid a mean (SD) of $41 320 ($88 695), and male physicians were paid a mean (SD) of $1 226 377 ($3 377 957) (P < .001). On multivariate analysis, male gender was significantly associated with higher payment after adjusting for rank, h-index, and specialty (mean [SD], $1 025 413 [$162 578]; P < .001). From 2013 to 2019, the payment gap between female and male physicians increased from $54 343 to $166 778 (P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: This study found that male physicians received significantly higher payments from the highest-grossing medical industry companies compared with female physicians. This disparity persisted across all medical specialties and academic ranks. The health care industry gender payment gap continued to increase from 2013 to 2019, with a wider compensation gap in 2019.

Adolescent Trauma During the COVID Pandemic: Just Like Adults, Children, or Someone Else?

COVID-19 stay-at-home (SAH) orders were impactful on adolescence, when social interactions affect development. This has the potential to change adolescent trauma. A post-hoc multicenter retrospective analysis of adolescent (13-17 years-old) trauma patients (ATPs) at 11 trauma centers was performed. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on injury date: historical control (CONTROL:3/19/2019-6/30/2019, before SAH (PRE:1/1/2020-3/18/2020), and after SAH (POST:3/19/2020-6/30/2020). The POST group was compared to both PRE and CONTROL groups in separate analyses. 726 ATPs were identified across the 3 time periods. POST had a similar penetrating trauma rate compared to both PRE (15.8% vs 13.8%, P = .56) and CONTROL (15.8% vs 14.5%, P = .69). POST also had a similar rate of suicide attempts compared to both PRE (1.2% vs 1.5%, P = .83) and CONTROL (1.2% vs 2.1%, P = .43). However, POST had a higher rate of drug positivity compared to CONTROL (28.6% vs 20.6%, P = .032), but was similar in all other comparisons of alcohol and drugs to PRE and POST periods (all P > .05). Hence ATPs were affected differently than adults and children, as they had a similar rate of penetrating trauma, suicide attempts, and alcohol positivity after SAH orders. However, they had increased drug positivity compared to the CONTROL, but not PRE group.

Decreased hospital length of stay and intensive care unit admissions for non-COVID blunt trauma patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmed hospitals, forcing adjustments including discharging patients earlier and limiting intensive care unit (ICU) utilization. This study aimed to evaluate ICU admissions and length of stay (LOS) for blunt trauma patients (BTPs). METHODS: A retrospective review of COVID (3/19/20-6/30/20) versus pre-COVID (3/19/19-6/30/19) BTPs at eleven trauma centers was performed. Multivariable analysis was used to identify risk factors for ICU admission. RESULTS: 12,744 BTPs were included (6942 pre-COVID vs. 5802 COVID). The COVID cohort had decreased mean LOS (3.9 vs. 4.4 days, p = 0.029), ICU LOS (0.9 vs. 1.1 days, p < 0.001), and rate of ICU admission (22.3% vs. 24.9%, p = 0.001) with no increase in complications or mortality compared to the pre-COVID cohort (all p > 0.05). On multivariable analysis, the COVID period was associated with decreased risk of ICU admission (OR = 0.82, CI 0.75-0.90, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: BTPs had decreased LOS and associated risk of ICU admission during COVID, with no corresponding increase in complications or mortality.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric trauma in Southern California.

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in increased penetrating trauma and decreased length of stay (LOS) amongst the adult trauma population, findings important for resource allocation. Studies regarding the pediatric trauma population are sparse and mostly single-center. This multicenter study examined pediatric trauma patients, hypothesizing increased penetrating trauma and decreased LOS after the 3/19/2020 stay-at-home (SAH) orders. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective analysis of trauma patients ≤ 17 years old presenting to 11 centers in California was performed. Demographic data, injury characteristics, and outcomes were collected. Patients were divided into three groups based on injury date: 3/19/2019-6/30/2019 (CONTROL), 1/1/2020-3/18/2020 (PRE), 3/19/2020-6/30/2020 (POST). POST was compared to PRE and CONTROL in separate analyses. RESULTS: 1677 patients were identified across all time periods (CONTROL: 631, PRE: 479, POST: 567). POST penetrating trauma rates were not significantly different compared to both PRE (11.3 vs. 9.0%, p = 0.219) and CONTROL (11.3 vs. 8.2%, p = 0.075), respectively. POST had a shorter mean LOS compared to PRE (2.4 vs. 3.3 days, p = 0.002) and CONTROL (2.4 vs. 3.4 days, p = 0.002). POST was also not significantly different than either group regarding intensive care unit (ICU) LOS, ventilator days, and mortality (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This multicenter retrospective study demonstrated no difference in penetrating trauma rates among pediatric patients after SAH orders but did identify a shorter LOS.

Visual inspection with acetic acid screening for cervical cancer among women receiving anti-retroviral therapy for human immunodeficiency virus infection in northern Tanzania.

AIM: To evaluate visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) screening for cervical cancer among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients in an East African community. METHODS: During a July 2018 cervical cancer screen-and-treat in Mwanza, Tanzania, participants were offered free cervical VIA screening, cryotherapy when indicated, and HIV testing. Acetowhite lesions and/or abnormal vascularity were designated VIA positive in accordance with current guidelines. The association between VIA results and HIV status was compared using Chi-square and Fisher exact tests. RESULTS: Eight hundred and twenty-four of 921 consented participants underwent VIA screening and 25.0% (n = 206) were VIA positive. VIA-positive nonpregnant women (n = 147) received cryotherapy and 15 (1.8%) with cancerous-appearing lesions were referred to Bugando Hospital. Sixty-six women were HIV-positive and included 25 diagnosed with HIV at the cervical cancer VIA screening and 41 with a prior diagnosis of HIV who were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) at the time of cervical cancer VIA screening. Sixty-four of these 66 patients, were screened with VIA. HIV infection was not associated with VIA findings. Abnormal VIA positive screening was observed in 20.3% (n = 13) of HIV-positive patients and in 24.4% (n = 145) of HIV-negative patients (p = 0.508). A nonsignificant trend of higher VIA positive screens among newly diagnosed HIV patients of 26.1% (n = 6) versus patients with preexisting HIV on ART of 17.1% (n = 7) was observed (p = 0.580). CONCLUSION: The unexpected lack of correlation between HIV infection and VIA positivity in a community with access to ART warrants additional research regarding the previously described role of ART in attenuating HPV-mediated neoplasia.

Evaluating Applicant Perceptions of the Impact of Social Media on the 2020-2021 Residency Application Cycle Occurring During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: Due to challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, residency programs in the United States conducted virtual interviews during the 2020-2021 application season. As a result, programs and applicants may have relied more heavily on social media-based communication and dissemination of information. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine social media's impact on residency applicants during an entirely virtual application cycle. METHODS: An anonymous electronic survey was distributed to 465 eligible 2021 Match applicants at 4 University of California Schools of Medicine in the United States. RESULTS: A total of 72 participants (15.5% of eligible respondents), applying to 16 specialties, responded. Of those who responded, 53% (n=38) reported following prospective residency accounts on social media, and 89% (n=34) of those respondents were positively or negatively influenced by these accounts. The top three digital methods by which applicants sought information about residency programs included the program website, digital conversations with residents and fellows of that program, and Instagram. Among respondents, 53% (n=38) attended virtual information sessions for prospective programs. A minority of applicants (n=19, 26%) adjusted the number of programs they applied to based on information found on social media, with most (n=14, 74%) increasing the number of programs to which they applied. Survey respondents ranked social media's effectiveness in allowing applicants to learn about programs at 6.7 (SD 2.1) on a visual analogue scale from 1-10. Most applicants (n=61, 86%) felt that programs should use social media in future application cycles even if they are nonvirtual. CONCLUSIONS: Social media appears to be an important tool for resident recruitment. Future studies should seek more information on its effect on later parts of the application cycle and the Match.

General Surgery Residency Match: Time for More than a Virtual Change.

The 2020-2021 General Surgery Residency Match presents unique challenges in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights pre-existing concerns. In order to move toward an equitable and manageable surgical residency application process for both programs and applicants, systemic change is warranted.

Drug and alcohol positivity of traumatically injured patients related to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.

Background: COVID-19 related stay-at-home (SAH) orders created many economic and social stressors, possibly increasing the risk of drug/alcohol abuse in the community and trauma population.Objectives: Describe changes in alcohol/drug use in traumatically injured patients after SAH orders in California and evaluate demographic or injury pattern changes in alcohol or drug-positive patients.Methods: A retrospective analysis of 11 trauma centers in Southern California (1/1/2020-6/30/2020) was performed. Blood alcohol concentration, urine toxicology results, demographics, and injury characteristics were collected. Patients were grouped based on injury date - before SAH (PRE-SAH), immediately after SAH (POST-SAH), and a historical comparison (3/19/2019-6/30/2019) (CONTROL) - and compared in separate analyses. Groups were compared using chi-square tests for categorical variables and Mann-Whitney U tests for continuous variables.Results: 20,448 trauma patients (13,634 male, 6,814 female) were identified across three time-periods. The POST-SAH group had higher rates of any drug (26.2% vs. 21.6% and 24.7%, OR = 1.26 and 1.08, p < .001 and p = .035), amphetamine (10.4% vs. 7.5% and 9.3%, OR = 1.43 and 1.14, p < .001 and p = .023), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (13.8% vs. 11.0% and 11.4%, OR = 1.30 and 1.25, p < .001 and p < .001), and 3,4-methylenedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA) (0.8% vs. 0.4% and 0.2%, OR = 2.02 and 4.97, p = .003 and p < .001) positivity compared to PRE-SAH and CONTROL groups. Alcohol concentration and positivity were similar between groups (p > .05).Conclusion: This Southern California multicenter study demonstrated increased amphetamine, MDMA, and THC positivity in trauma patients after SAH, but no difference in alcohol positivity or blood concentration. Drug prevention strategies should continue to be adapted within and outside of hospitals during a pandemic.