Abstract: PO1385
Nephrology Exposure and Quality of Education in Residency and Medical School
Session Information
- Educational Research
October 22, 2020 | Location: On-Demand
Abstract Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Category: Educational Research
- 800 Educational Research
Authors
- Nakhoul, Georges, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
- Mehdi, Ali, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
- Taliercio, Jonathan J., Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
- Kao, Patricia F., Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
- Mcnutt, Grace, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
- Greenfield, Jessica, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
- Spencer, Abby L., Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
- O'Toole, John F., Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
- Nally, Joseph V., Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
- Sedor, John R., Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
- Bierer, S. beth, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Background
Interest in nephrology as a specialty has been declining among residents. Lack of exposure to nephrology has been identified as one of the factors possibly accounting for this loss of interest.
Methods
We used the results of our previously published qualitative analysis on residents’ perception of nephrology to inform and design a survey of 60 questions. The survey was delivered using the secure we application “REDCap to 680 residents across eight medicine residency programs in different regions nationally.
Results
184 residents (27%) responded to the survey. 56% (103) were male and 77% (142) were American graduates. During medical school, 82% of respondents were taught nephrology as a unique discipline, while 33.5% rotated on a nephrology service. During residency, 75% of respondents rotated in nephrology and the rotation took place during PGY1 for 68% of the respondents. On a scale of 1 (poorest) to 100 (best), the quality of nephrology education was rated favorably during residency and during the pre-clinical years of medical school, and less favorably during the clinical year of years of medical school (Fig. 1). Out of 134 residents (73%) who expressed interest in pursuing fellowship training, only 5.8% selected nephrology. Only 6.3% of residents identified a mentor in nephrology vs. 29.7% in general medicine and 26.6% in cardiology (Table 1).
Conclusion
We observed a “dip” in the quantity and quality of nephrology exposure during the clinical years of medical school. More work is needed to characterize the significance of this dip and to understand whether or not this may represent an opportunity to improve the visibility and impact of nephrology on trainees.
Figure 1
Table 1
Funding
- Private Foundation Support