A COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM FOR THORACIC-SURGERY - SURVEY OF OPINIONS FROM PROGRAM DIRECTORS AND RESIDENTS

Background. The Comprehensive Thoracic Surgery Curriculum was develope d to provide program directors with a basis for planning instruction a nd evaluating residents, program practices, and outcomes. A survey des ign was selected to obtain opinions about the curriculum from a large group of people, ie, all program directors and all active residents. M ethods. Two parallel instruments were developed: one to be completed b y program directors and one to be completed by active residents. Respo nses were collated for directors and residents, entered into a compute rized database, and compared using the chi(2) statistic. Results. A re sponse rate of 93% was obtained from the directors and 79% from the re sidents. The survey demonstrates broad-based support for a comprehensi ve curriculum by the respondents. Current perceptions of and expectati ons for the curriculum are diverse and regionalized. Serious concerns are expressed about quality issues and particularly the environment fo r residency education. Conclusions. The thoughtful responses of our co lleagues will guide leaders who will implement the curriculum for thor acic surgery. Strategies for change will necessarily focus on the prer equisite curriculum.