A. Khalifeh1, B. Buckingham1, R. Kantar1, E. Reardon1, S. Kidd-Romero2, K. Luumpkins2, S. M. Kavic2 1University Of Maryland Medical Center,Department Of Surgery,Baltimore, MD, USA 2University Of Maryland,School Of Medicine,Baltimore, MD, USA
Introduction:
Information in surgical training has expanded beyond print books to include various electronic and internet resources. We aimed to evaluate the use of online information in a surgical residency.
Methods:
A survey was distributed to 52 general surgery residents (preliminary and categorical) at an academic medical center in April 2017. This study was deemed exempt from IRB review. The survey explored demographics, social media literacy, use of print and internet sources in preparation for the operating room (OR), use of smartphones in patient care in addition to residents’ perception of internet sources. The survey questions were structured using a Likert-type scale and results were analyzed using Fischer’s t-test.
Results:
Forty-two residents returned completed surveys, 81% response rate. The mean age was 31 years, and 50% of the respondents were female. Residents frequently used print books, electronic books (e-books), YouTube, Google, and other web sources in preparation for the OR. The majority frequently accessed information from their smartphones. When analyzed per academic year, senior residents were more likely to use print books; while juniors were more likely to use e-books, YouTube and Google. While most residents agreed that the digital era made access to information easier, they were skeptical about the reliability of some internet sources.
Conclusion:
The majority of modern surgical residents access e-books and other internet sources. Interestingly, as residents progress in their training there is a trend to prefer print books rather than internet resources when preparing for the OR.
