Current perspectives in surgical oncology medical residency

ABSTRACT

Objective: The process of teaching a medical specialty still presents a great challenge nowadays. We are still trying to arrive at an ideal model of a Medical Residency Program that both has an active teaching role as an academic Institution and is able to prepare high-quality individuals for medical practice in their specific area. This paper presents a brief research conductedwith previous medical residents of Erasto Gaertner Hospital with the main goal of evaluating their present status as specialists as well as their level of satisfaction concerning the specialty they have chosen. This information will also be used to determine whether the residency program and its teaching model have been conducted satisfactorily. Material and Methods: A form was mailed to former medical residents, graduated in the last 20 years, from Surgical Oncology Residency Program at Erasto Gaertner Hospital. The form had questions concerning their perspectives in the beginning of work as specialists, their current jobs, academic education, titles, relationship of work with their personal lives, their opinions regarding the methodology and types of exam during their residency as well as their level of satisfaction with the program and their present quality of life. Collected data was analyzed. Results: The number of residency positions offered by the Department has been increasing alongthe years. A decreasing number of specialists had difficulties finding a job along the years. All residents graduated in the last past years work exclusively as Oncologists. About 70% of graduated residents have University appointments and 50% of them have academic activities. Conclusions: the great majority of graduated residents in Surgical Oncology Residency at ErastoGaertner Hospital are now working exclusively as specialists and they show a high satisfaction rate with their post-graduate education.