Transition Points

It is well known that transition points in medical education—for example, the transition from medical school to residency—present many new challenges for trainees. We are interested in exploring the implications that this may have on surgical education. Expanding on our earlier work on orthopaedic bootcamps at the University of Toronto, we are currently exploring the implementation and efficacy of a surgical skills bootcamp for all incoming surgical residents at McMaster University.  In July 2018, we will implement the third iteration of the bootcamp and complete the two-year follow up period with the initial cohort, which will allow us to understand the long-term effects of a bootcamp program. 

In addition to the Surgical Foundations Bootcamp, we are also interested in exploring other transition points along the training continuum—for example from residency to fellowship, or from fellowship to a staff position—and expect this to be an exciting new avenue for future research.