A CALL TO ACTION: ANALYSIS OF UROLOGY RESIDENT FEMALE PELVIC MEDICINE CASE LOGS

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

3-16-2023

Publication Title

Neurourol Urodyn

Abstract

Introduction: Female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery fellowships (FPMRS) and minimally invasive laparoscopic /robotic urologic (MIS) fellowships were both established in the early 2000s. To date, the growth and effect of these fellowships on resident training has not been examined. The aim of this study is to compare the impact of these established fellowships on resident surgical exposure by analyzing graduating resident case logs.

Methods: Graduating resident case numbers were obtained from the ACGME Case log reporting system from 2006-2020. To account for outliers, 50th percentile data rather than the average for each of these groups were compared. This study was exempt from Institutional Board Reviewed as the data used can be publicly accessed and deidentified. A T test with unequal variance was used to check if differences in case numbers are significant.

Results: The 50th percentile of female cases logged nationally remained unchanged throughout the 15-year period while the number of robotic cases steadily increased every year. Using an unpaired T-test it was determined that the mean difference in the 2 groups is 94 with a p-value of less than 0.01. This means that over the past 15 years we see that urology residents on average record 94 more robotic cases compared to female cases. The 50th percentile average of FPMRS cases over 15 years is 35.4 whereas the number of MIS cases over the same time period is 129.4. A two-sample T-test of unequal variance yielded a significant difference between the logged cases, p = 3.6x10-7.

Conclusions: Although MIS fellowships and FPRMS were established around the same time, resident exposure to FPRMS cases nationally have remained unchanged. Despite case log minimums for FPMRS and MIS cases set at 15 and 80 respectively, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of MIS cases logged over the 15-year time period whereas there is essentially no change in the number of FPRMS. Coupled with American Board of Urology data that only 8 out of 11 individuals obtained Board certification in FPRMS in 2021, we conclude that the establishment of MIS fellowships resulted in increased exposure and interest among residents, but the same effect was not seen in FPRMS. Increasing the minimum case log requirements for FPMRS surgeries may further influence residents to purse the FPRMS profession.

Volume

42

First Page

S256

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