The longitudinal study of surgical residents, 1994 to 1996

Abstract

Background: The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has conducted a detailed annual survey of residents enrolled in surgical graduate medical education (GME) programs since 1982 and has regularly published the resulting data as the Longitudinal Study of Surgical Residents. This report documents surgical resident enrollment and graduation for the academic years 1994–95 and 1995–96. Study Design: The Medical Education Research and Information Database of the American Medical Association was supplemented by the existing ACS Resident Masterfile and by personal contact with program directors and their staffs to verify accuracy and completeness of reporting. Each resident was tracked individually through surgical GME. Results: The total number of surgical residents graduating from surgical GME in 1995 and 1996 has not changed since 1982. Most graduates of surgical residency programs are in obstetrics and gynecology, followed by general surgery; demographic analysis of the graduating cohort shows that most are Caucasian male graduates of US or Canadian medical schools, and that their age at graduation is 33 to 35 years. International medical graduates (IMG) make up 8.9% of entering surgical residents and 6% of graduates. Osteopathic medical school graduates account for 1.2% to 1.3% of entering and graduating surgical residents. Women represent 27% of entering and 23% to 24% of graduates of surgical GME. The largest number and proportion of women in surgical GME are enrolled in obstetrics and gynecology residency programs, where they make up the majority of entering and graduating classes. When all other surgical residency program enrollments are considered together, women make up 17% and 16% of entering residents in 1994 and 1995, respectively, and 13% and 14% of graduates in those years. Conclusions: Surgical GME enrollment and graduation is stable. Few women and ethnic minorities are enrolled in surgical residency programs. IMG enrollment and graduation in surgical GME is low.