UNDERGRADUATE PEDIATRIC-SURGERY OBJECTIVES - GOAL AND REALITY

Background/Purpose: Educational objectives can be used both in the sta ndardization of curricula and in their evaluation. Surveys of subspeci alty objectives can clarify educational priorities and identify areas of proficiency and deficiency. Methods: Fifty-one third-year and 56 fo urth-year medical students were surveyed on their perceived mastery le vel of 60 pediatric surgery cognitive objectives. The same objectives were also used to survey 34 pediatric surgeons and 126 practicing fami ly physicians. Physicians' expected and students' self-reported profic iency was sco red for each objective from 0 (not required/unaware of c ondition) to 3 (confident with diagnosis and management of condition). Information regarding pediatric surgery instruction was also obtained from the undergraduate deans of 12 Canadian medical schools. Data wer e analyzed using descriptive methods and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and were compared with existing objectives listings in the sub specialty. Results: Students' familiarity scores increased significant ly from third-year to fourth-year (P <.05), and approximated in fourth year the expected proficiency levels. Family physicians' and pediatri c surgeons' expectations were remarkably similar. Eleven items were id entified by both physician groups as nonessential (mean score <1.5), w hereas 29 were perceived as essential (score >2.0), The fourth-year st udents' perceived knowledge of all but 3 of these 29 objectives was ad equate. Comparison of the data with previous objectives listings showe d similar expected competencies. Deans' data showed varied but mostly limited exposure to pediatric surgery in the undergraduate curriculum. Conclusions: The current study has allowed a revision of undergraduat e objectives in pediatric surgery based on broad stakeholder input. It has also clarified both the expected and the perceived student master y of these objectives, and identified areas of specific stress require d. The results can be used toward establishing a unified, reliable, un dergraduate curriculum for pediatric general surgery. Copyright (C) 19 98 by W.B. Saunders Company.