Evaluation of the urology residency training program in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

Factors Influencing Specialty and Training Center Choices Among Saudi Medical Residents

AIM

This cross-sectional study aims to identify and quantify the factors influencing Saudi medical residents in selecting their desired specialty and primary training center, while examining the associations between these factors.

METHODS

The study received approval from an institutional ethical committee at King Abdulaziz University. An electronic questionnaire was designed and validated via content, face validity, and the Content Validity Index. The sample size was calculated based on a 95% CI and a 5% margin of error. The study targeted all current residents in the current Saudi Specialty Certificate Programs. Descriptive statistics summarized demographic characteristics, training-related information, and factors influencing the selection of a specialty and training center. Fisher's exact test and Chi-square tests were employed for data analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 387 respondents completed the survey, with a 32.3% response rate. The majority of respondents were male (n = 232, 59.9%), and the majority were also married (n = 67.2%), with internal medicine (n = 92, 23.8%) and family medicine (n = 74, 19.1%) being the most prevalent specialties. Notably, 89.4% (n = 346) reported matching into their first-choice specialty, and 67.2% (n = 260) into their first-choice training center. Furthermore, 90.2% (n = 349) had prior training (elective/internship) in their chosen specialty, and 63% (n = 244) had previous training (elective/internship) at their primary training center. Prior exposure to both specialty and center significantly resulted in them being the resident's top choice (p < 0.01). Multiple factors influencing the choice of either the specialty or the center were found to have statistically significant associations with the gender, specialty, residency level, sector of the training center, and timing of the specialty decision (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

This study reveals the substantial influence of early experiences on Saudi medical residents' specialty and training center choices. It also uncovers gender disparities and variations in the influence of specialty-related factors. Future research with larger and more diverse samples is recommended to gain a deeper understanding of the multifactorial decision-making processes, enabling the development of strategies to better meet the evolving needs and preferences of healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia.

Determinants of satisfaction and self-perceived proficiency of trainees in surgical residency programs at a single institution

BACKGROUND

We aimed to identify factors contributing to training program satisfaction and self-perceived proficiency of residents in 5 integrated surgical residency programs within the same referral institution.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey including all senior surgical residents in all integrated sub-specialty and general surgery residency programs at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Training programs were assessed on 6 educational components including operative case volume and diversity, intra-operative hands-on training, morning teaching sessions, seminars, ward rounds, and research opportunities.

RESULTS

Of 82 eligible residents, 69 (84.1%) responded to the survey. Overall resident satisfaction (rated from 0-10) varied between the 5 training programs, from a mean of 6.03 to 7.89 (overall p = 0.03). The percentage of residents who agreed they would be proficient by the end of their training ranged from 44.2%-88.9%. General surgery residents had the lowest overall satisfaction score, and lowest scores in all educational components except seminar teaching. In multivariable analysis, operative case volume and diversity (AOR 3.67; 95% CI, 1.24-10.83; P = 0.019), and hands-on training (AOR 4.15; 95% CI, 1.27-13.5; P = 0.018) were significantly associated with overall resident satisfaction. In ordinal logistic regression, hands-on training (OR 3.94, 95% CI, 1.69-9.2; P = 0.001), and seminar sessions (OR 2.43, 95% CI, 1.11-5.33; P = 0.028) were significantly associated with self-perceived proficiency.

CONCLUSION

Different surgical residency training programs within the same institution had divergent resident satisfaction scores and proficiency scores. Operative case volume and diversity, and intraoperative hands-on training are the most important predictors of resident satisfaction while hands-on training and seminar sessions independently predicted self-perceived proficiency. Attention to these key components of resident education is likely to have a strong effect on training outcomes.