Specific Curriculum Research Articles

Citizenship Socialization Process and National Integration

Efforts at nation-building in Nigeria are hindered by various social problems linked to the low level of national integration among its religiously, regionally and ethnically diverse population. This paper examined citizenship socialization courses and subjects at the three (3) levels of education (Basic, Secondary and Tertiary) in Nigeria that are designed to promote national integration. The courses and subjects include Citizenship Education, Civic Education and General Studies (Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution and Nigerian Peoples and Culture). Similarly, key concepts such as socialization, citizenship socialization courses and national integration are conceptualized. The Functionalists sociological perspective was adopted as a theoretical framework to establish the link between citizenship socialization courses and subjects and promotion of national integration. However, despite the link or potential of citizenship education in raising the level of national integration, the paper identified some constraints on the extent to which citizenship socialization courses and subjects promote the desired national integration among the people of Nigeria. These challenges include the current assessment methods in schools, which focus on testing cognitive rather than affective abilities, the problem of inadequate funding of education in general, large size lecture halls and other poor teaching and learning conditions and Low credit units or time on the time table on specific curriculum subjects and courses meant citizenship socialization for national integration. To address these challenges, the paper suggests diversifying assessment and evaluation methods, among other strategies, to improve the teaching of citizenship socialization courses and promote national integration in Nigeria.

Personalized College English Learning Experience Assisted by Artificial Intelligence: An Algorithm-Driven Adaptive Learning Approach

Personalized College English Learning offers customized education based on individual necessities and aims. Students enhance their linguistic ability efficiently over engaging sessions, specific curricula, and professional teachers. This study aims to progress a smart Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based adaptive learning method for enhancing personalized college English learning experience. Our proposed model provides an intelligent detecting device-enabled setting for learning English over big data analysis and machine learning based on a DM approach. Intelligent sensing strategies detention significant statistics from college English students and big data analysis examines the data to produce beneficial insights that increase real-time personalizing of English learning experiences. We suggest an innovative Starling Murmuration fine-tuned Dynamic Weighted Random Forest (SM-DWRF) system for classifying the data. Our model influences perceptions from collective behavior in starling flocks to dynamically alter feature weights in DWRF arrangement. It integrates fine-tuning mechanisms to adaptively weight features, developing classification accurateness and strength in adapted college English learning settings. We implemented our suggested model in Python software. In the assessment stage, we accurately measure the effectiveness of our proposed SM-DWRF model in identifying diverse features of English learning across various parameters. Our experimental findings incontestably showcase the greater performance of our model associated with conventional approaches in classifying content from multimodal statistics. Significantly, we perceive prominent enhancements in reliability and robustness, when acclimating to dynamic learning settings.

Analysis of grammatical errors in English speaking of Thai EFL Students

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the instances of grammar mistakes in the spoken English of Thai EFL university students. The research objectives were to compare the errors committed in lexical and sentence structure and their frequencies. The participants comprised 43 first-year English for Business Communication students learning General Listening and Speaking courses at the Sakon Nakhon Rajabhat University. The data was gathered through recorded impromptu speeches on randomly assigned topics. The recordings were transcribed and then the data was analyzed using the Surface Strategy Taxonomy. The findings showed that there were 158 grammatical mistakes in total, and they are based on four main categories. Misformation errors were most prevalent, accounting for 69.62% of all errors, with subject-verb agreement (25.32%) and verb form (17.72%) errors being particularly common. Additional errors constituted 15.82%, omission errors 13.29%, and misordering errors 1.27% of the total. The most frequent subcategories were subject-verb agreement errors (25.32%), verb form misformation (17.72%), and tense misformation (12.66%). These results indicate that Thai EFL learners have considerable difficulties in utilizing appropriate grammatical structures in spoken English, and particularly verbs and agreements. The high frequency of misformation errors points to the fact that more focused instruction on problematic structures need to be addressed in lessons in contexts that convey meaningful communication. As such, it provides findings that could help plan specific instructional strategies and curriculum design for enhancing Thai students' spoken English proficiency.

A National Assessment of Pediatric Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Structure: Defining the Training Experience.

Pediatric Surgical Critical Care (PSCC) is a unique specialty incorporating fundamental principles of surgical, neonatal, and pediatric critical care. This study aims to characterize the current landscape of PSCC training to identify opportunities for educational standardization and improvement. An anonymous electronic survey-based assessment was distributed to the program directors (PDs) of all current ACGME-accredited PSCC fellowships (n=14). The survey investigated two main program domains: administrative (program size, accreditation, recruitment strategies) and educational (curricula components, learning resources, rotation schedule). Graduate outcomes (estimated board passage rates) were also assessed. Descriptive statistics were performed. The survey response rate was 100%. The majority of primary administrative ACGME accreditation responsibilities are managed either by the pediatric surgery section/department (79%) or the adult surgery department (21%). Only 29% of PDs use a pediatric specific structured curriculum that details specific benchmarks for medical and procedural knowledge. Formalized reading lists and standardized resources are utilized by 64%. All programs offer recurrent educational lectures to fellows by a variety of faculty. There is marked heterogeneity related to time spent in various core and elective rotations. Average duration spent on a PSCC service was 5.1 months (0-10months). However, only 14% of programs reported these months to consist of primary patient management responsibilities. This evaluation of PSCC fellowships demonstrated variability in curriculum, content, and resources. These results support future multidisciplinary efforts to more clearly standardize the fellowship experience in order to ensure practice readiness of these uniquely qualified surgeons. Level V.

Health literacy enhancement through food guide and hygiene education: a study among Taiwanese students.

The World Health Organization defined health as 'a condition of full physical, mental and social well-being'. Nutrition and food safety are intertwined and two of the most influential determinants of human health. This study primarily aimed to design and implement a specialized curriculum focused on food hygiene, and Taiwan's daily food guide to enhance health literacy among junior high students in Taiwan. A student-centered approach, based on active learning and constructivist principles, was used to engage students in interactive discussions and hands-on activities related to dietary guidelines and food hygiene. Four classrooms, with a total of 92 students, participated in this study. The students were randomized into a control group (n = 46) and an experimental group (n = 46). The average age ranged from 13 to 15 years. An illustrated questionnaire underwent pilot testing and expert review, followed by pre- and post-intervention assessments to measure knowledge improvements. The results showed a significant connection between the Taiwan daily food guide and health literacy. Although food hygiene education played a lesser role, the intervention improved students' health literacy, supporting positive health outcomes. In addition, recognizing the lack of suitable assessment tools in this field, we developed a reliable and valid illustrated questionnaire to measure the effectiveness of the intervention and track changes in students' knowledge. The questionnaire demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha of 0.883) and strong inter-rater reliability (intraclass correlation factor above 0.7), confirming its effectiveness as a tool for educational research.

Guidelines for robotic credentialling in reconstructive and functional urology. Consensus study

AbstractObjectivesThis study aims to define criteria for robotic reconstructive and functional urology credentialing using expert consensus. A recent narrative review identified a lack of standardised minimal requirements for performing robotic‐assisted surgery procedures. The substantial variability or absence of a standardised curriculum and credentialing process within a highly specialised surgical field is often insufficient to guarantee surgeon proficiency and could potentially jeopardise patient safety.Subjects and MethodsThirty‐five international robotic surgery experts in urology and urogynaecology, selected based on surgical and research expertise, were invited to participate as expert panellists. Using a modified Delphi process the experts were asked to indicate their agreement with the proposed list of recommendations that was identified from the literature and review of relevant international credentialing policies in three electronic survey rounds.ResultsFourteen experts participated in round 1 of online surveys, 9 in round 2 and 13 in round 3. From 50 statements presented to the Delphi panel in round 1, a total of 39 recommendations (32 from round 1, 4 from round 2 and 3 from round 3) with median importance (MI) ≥ 7 and disagreement index (DI) < 1 were proposed for inclusion into the final draft set and were reviewed by the project team. Panellists agreed reconstructive and functional urology required its own specific modular training curriculum as the foundation for robotic training and a surgeon must have appropriate training i.e., fellowship or evidence of speciality training in functional urology.ConclusionsThis was the first study to develop preliminary guidelines on credentialing for robotic surgery in reconstructive and functional urology. A Delphi approach was employed to establish comprehensive credentialing criteria for robotic‐assisted surgery. The consistent adoption of these criteria across institutions will foster the proficiency of robotic surgeons and has the potential to bring improvements in patient outcomes.

ChatGPT-Supported Education in Primary Schools: The Potential of ChatGPT for Sustainable Practices

This study aims to evaluate the potential of using ChatGPT at the primary school level from the teachers’ perspective within a sustainability framework. The research was conducted as a qualitative case study involving 40 primary school teachers in Turkey during the 2023–2024 academic year, all of whom had no prior experience with ChatGPT. Data collection tools included semi-structured interview forms and researcher diaries developed by the researchers. The data obtained were analysed using content analysis. The findings indicate that most primary school teachers believe ChatGPT is suitable for primary education and can contribute to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4. Additionally, teachers noted that ChatGPT enriches the teaching process and is user-friendly. These findings suggest potential contributions to SDG 4.1 and SDG 4.2. However, concerns were raised regarding ChatGPT’s potential to provide false information, which may negatively impact SDG 4.7. The study also identified that ChatGPT is particularly suitable for mathematics, Turkish, and English courses. This study’s main contribution is that it shows how ChatGPT can help sustainable practices in primary education by getting teachers more involved and meeting specific curriculum needs. This gives us useful information for incorporating AI tools into education that is in line with SDG 4. It is recommended that training programs about ChatGPT and similar AI-supported tools be organised for teachers and parents.

The OECD’s construction of future imaginaries for curriculum reform

ABSTRACT Offering imaginaries of the future is a significant part of the work of documents produced by national policymakers, interest groups and international organisations. In this article, we examine thematic reports on the redesign of the curriculum published by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as part of its Education 2030 project. Our analysis is grounded in the understanding that documents transform issues through storytelling, data and visualisations. We show how thematic reports context a complex and unpredictable future by forecasting different futures based on current issues that need solutions. The storytelling that contexts the imaginaries of futures gains authority through datafication of national curricula enabled by Curriculum Content Mapping. The Curriculum Content Mapping reveals a lack of alignment with the OECD’s Learning Compass for 2030 transforming the issue of a complex future into an issue of curriculum as an instrument to potentialise the future. Hence, datafication of curriculum content serves as an instrument of governance towards specific curriculum transformations based on the OECD’s education politics towards economic growth rather than informing about future needs.

Influence of Senior High School Strand on the Academic Performance in College

The influence of a senior high school (SHS) on academic performance in college is an interesting topic that involves exploring how the specific curriculum and focus of senior high school education can impact students’ success in higher education. In this context, this study explored the influence of senior high school strands on the academic performance of Accountancy students. Data for this descriptive study were collected from 128 respondents using a 30-item, self-made data-gathering instrument that has passed rigorous tests for validity and reliability. The data show that age and senior high school strands significantly influence students’ academic performance in foundational knowledge. However, the level of influence of the SHS strand and the level of academic performance have no significant relationship. This suggests that regardless of the specific strand a student pursues during their SHS years, their performance in higher education is not directly affected by this choice. Keywords: Accountancy, senior high school strand, academic performance, Negros Occidental, Philippines

MANAJEMEN PENDIDIKAN KARAKTER BERBASIS KEARIFAN LOKAL: BUDAYA SUKU GAYO

<p>This study aims to analyze character education management based on local wisdom in junior high schools in Ketol Subdistrict, Central Aceh. The approach used is qualitative with observation, interviews, and documentation methods. The research results show that the planning, implementation, organization, and control of character education based on local wisdom have been running well, although there are some supporting and inhibiting factors. Local wisdom-based character education has not been systematically planned as a specific program or curriculum, so it is only integrated into certain subjects such as Arts and Crafts. Challenges include the absence of specialized teachers to teach local wisdom values, lack of specific subjects, and the absence of funding allocation from the local government. Despite these challenges, school principals play a crucial role in coordinating character education programs and ensuring the active involvement of all parties. The internalization of local wisdom values is carried out simultaneously by teachers, most of whom are of Gayo ethnicity. The integration of local wisdom values such as togetherness, responsibility, and honesty into character education is important to shape a generation with identity and high morals. Implementation at the school and classroom levels includes advice, habituation, and exemplary behavior. This local wisdom-based character education is expected to have a positive impact on improving students' character in Ketol Subdistrict.</p>

Paramedic educational programs maintain entry level competency throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic required unprecedented changes to emergency medical services (EMS) educational frameworks in the United States. It is unclear if pandemic-related changes impacted paramedic educational outcomes. We aimed to evaluate curricular and performance changes resulting from the initial COVID-19 pandemic on paramedic educational programs. We performed a retrospective cross-sectional evaluation of paramedic educational programs in 2019 and 2020 using the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions annual reports. These reports contain detailed program components and measures of program success. We included programs reporting at least one graduate in the study period. Descriptive statistics (proportions [%], median [interquartile range, IQR]) were calculated for paramedic program characteristics in 2019 and 2020, as well as pandemic specific curriculum changes. Wilcoxon rank-sum and Fisher's exact tests were used to evaluate differences in characteristics by year. The number of paramedic educational programs in our population decreased from 640 programs in 2019 to 612 in 2020, with a statistically significant decrease in clinical hours (2019: 219 [IQR 168‒272]; 2020: 200.5 [IQR 157‒261]). There was no difference in first or third-attempt certification examination success between years. Temporary shutdown was experienced in 34% of programs (duration: 3weeks [2‒7]) and 72% of required curricular changes. Curricular changes commonly included decreased in-person education (86%), traditional classroom lectures (78%), number of clinical sites (78%), and increased online didactic education (92%). Only 20% of programs decreased laboratory simulation or total training hours. During the pandemic, paramedic educational programs changed educational delivery with no observed differences on overall program performance. Identifying key curricular changes and best practices for implementation may be necessary to better optimize future educational delivery.

The Languages of Love Support Group: Exploring quality of life and relationship satisfaction among couples experiencing cancer.

206 Background: Based on Dr. Gary Chapman’s The Five Love Languages (5LL), love is given and received in different ways. By identifying preferences for reciprocating love, relationships are enhanced through strengthened bonds and improved communication. Study goals were to optimize quality of life and reduce pain through improved dyadic communication via support group curriculum adapted from Dr. Chapman’s work. Methods: A research collaboration was established between an academic pharmacy research team and a large community oncology practice. A group of Masters prepared Social Workers (MSWs) within the oncology practice developed a virtual 6-week, cancer specific curriculum targeting the patient-partner couple (dyad). Participants completed 5LL quiz to determine their preferred love language. In each group session facilitated by MSWs, dyads were educated on each love language meaning (words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, physical touch) and potential impact following a cancer diagnosis. Weekly sessions included collective discussion and breakout groups consisting of patients and partners separately. Participants took a researcher-designed, pre- and post-test survey. Participants shared their preferred love language and were encouraged to perform actions accordingly. Dyads were mailed infographics with application examples for each love language and received a welcome starter kit including $50 of items. Results: A pilot group of 24 dyads consisting of 3 cohorts were enrolled in the 6-week intervention. Eleven dyads completed pre- and post-tests (45.8%); 100% of dyads were married, greater than 50% more than 20 years. Greater than 80% of participants were 50 years or older, greater than 70% White; 81.8% of patients female and 63.3% of partners male. Patient relationship satisfaction increased significantly (p<0.10) while trend for improved partner relationship satisfaction was not significant. There was a trend of decreased patient depression and anxiety despite patients’ reported pain increasing significantly (p<0.10). The comments regarding intervention were overwhelmingly positive. Conclusions: Educating dyads within the 5LL virtual support group demonstrated a novel and effective way to provide emotional support and enhance intimate relationships. Through this innovative group, participants learned to identify and express partners’ love language. Pilot intervention shows how this approach is useful in improving relationship satisfaction during the cancer journey. Following group participation, patients also reported increased quality of life and decreased depression and anxiety even while reporting increased pain. Based on this evidence, a couples support group constructed from the 5LL paradigm is a promising approach to improve the quality of life of cancer patients.

Fellow perceptions of robotic surgery preparedness for fellowship.

Many surgical fellowship programs incorporate robotic surgery, yet not all residency programs offer robotic training for residents. Given the variability of pre-fellowship robotic exposure, the goal of this study was to explore whether standardized robotic skills assessment would be useful to fellows at the start of their training. In partnership with the Fellowship Council, we surveyed current fellows of accredited Thoracic, Colorectal, HPB, and Advanced GI/MIS/Bariatrics/Foregut Fellowship programs. Main outcome measurements included amount of robotic exposure during residency, fellows' robotic skills at the start of fellowship, and fellows' attitudes towards a standardized skills assessment. In total, 78 fellows completed the survey. Mean percentage of cases performed robotically during fellowship was 38.1% (SD ± 32.25%). From our respondents, 46% had no robotic curriculum during residency and 86.9% felt a standardized robotic curriculum during residency would have been beneficial. When asked if they started fellowship with adequate robotic skills to operate autonomously, 31% strongly agreed, but 24.4% strongly disagreed. The majority of fellows reported their fellowship program did not conduct an assessment of their robotic skills (71.5%), or provide a specific robotic curriculum (75.6%). On the other hand, 73.3% felt a formal proficiency assessment at the start of fellowship would be helpful for individualized support and training. Given the significant variability in resident exposure to robotic surgery, a standardized robotic curriculum during residency would likely be beneficial. Additionally, a robotic skills assessment at the start of fellowship could help provide a tailored training experience for fellows interested in this skillset.

Learner experiences of identity and global interdependence following engagement with an interprofessional education course

ABSTRACT University core curricula and accreditation standards for healthcare profession programs can be challenging to align. Additionally, interprofessional education (IPE) requirements for healthcare professions curricula have been designed to prepare learners for future practice. This paper describes alignment of an introductory IPE course with embedded Interprofessional Education Collaborative core competencies to specific university Core Curriculum attributes. A cross-sectional, mixed methods design was used to examine 117 learners’ reflections on the IPE course content and learning outcomes. Learners from seven pre-licensure health professions programs provided responses on aspects of their IPE learning experience through reflections, surveys, written examinations, and optional focus groups. Open-ended responses were interpreted thematically from a constructivist lens. Results revealed positive perceptions of the course with feedback for areas of consideration for future course activities. Learners reported more engagement with the Core Curriculum attribute of Identities in Context than that of Global Interdependence. Additionally, responses indicated a perception of task work versus teamwork within the interprofessional team activities. Outcomes provided data that enabled continuous quality improvement of the course. Educators seeking to align IPE courses with institutional core curricula and accreditation standards may use this work to inform structure, assessment, and delineation of teamwork as compared to task work.

Transformative Curriculum Development Strategy (Case Study At MTsN 1 Malang City)

The purpose of this research is to identify transformative curriculum development strategies at MTsN 1 Malang City. The research method employed is a qualitative research approach. Data collection procedures used in this study include: participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. As this research utilizes a case study design, data analysis is conducted in three stages: (1) data reduction, (2) data display, and (3) verification and conclusion drawing. The research findings include: First, formulating the goals of transformative-integrative curriculum development using the institution's vision and mission. Second, establishing the foundation for transformative-integrative curriculum development, based on the Quran, Hadith, Ijma’, and Qiyas as the specific foundations, and philosophical and juridical foundations as the general basis. Third, determining the principles of transformative-integrative curriculum development, with the main principles being relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and continuity. Fourth, defining the content of the transformative-integrative curriculum by integrating it with other curriculum such as the National curriculum, pesantren, Cambridge, and specific school curriculum to result in a transformative-integrative curriculum. Fifth, developing a transformative learning schedule; in scheduling, principles of collaboration, fairness, truth, equal distribution, and learning are applied. Sixth, realizing the transformative-integrative curriculum by implementing the PAI curriculum referring to the 2013 Curriculum, NU principles, Javanese language, Tahfidz, learning programs, and the development of students' talents, interests, and skills through extracurricular activities, entrepreneurial education, and habituation programs becoming the cultural norms in the school. Seventh, developing future-oriented learning methods. Eighth, using engaging learning media appropriate to the teaching material. Nineth, establishing collaborations with the community and stakeholders that benefit the institution. Tenth, continuously evaluating the transformative-integrative curriculum, covering three aspects: Learning Evaluation, which includes cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains; Curriculum Evaluation, which includes components of objectives, content, methods, facilities, and learning evaluation; and Student Achievement Evaluation, which includes academic and non-academic achievements in various competitions.

Paper’s Literature Review : Urgency making OHN Sciences at Indonesian Nursing Institution to preparation Profetionality of OHN Manpower

The OHN (Occupational Health Nurse) profession or what we may know as nurses who work in industry/companies is a scope of work for nurses which is currently only becoming a trend and issue for the nursing profession. Not a few fellow nurses and students are interested in becoming OHN, especially regarding more guaranteed welfare. However, up to now there are still very few nursing campuses or universities that provide lecture courses on OHN, because there is no specific curriculum that mentions OHN courses up to Master's Degree level, currently there are 2 groups that include this course in Community nursing cluster and K3 and Patient Safety courses. Based on existing phenomena, most students and even fellow nurses know and understand the OHN profession after attending HIPERKES Paramedic training. So it is hoped that through this research in the future OHN courses will be held in Indonesian Nursing education institutions. Through this research, it is hoped that at the same time, professional Indonesian OHN human resources will be prepared in line with the country's goal of becoming a resilient industry by 2030, which will result in many opportunities for nurses to work in industry.

School health and nutrition environments: A multicountry survey in five countries of sub-Saharan Africa region-Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, South Africa, Sudan, and Tanzania.

Schools are increasingly regarded as a key setting for promoting the health, well-being, and development of children and adolescents. In this multicountry cross-sectional survey, we describe the health, nutrition, and food environments of public primary schools in five urban settings in Africa region: Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Durban; South Africa, Khartoum, Sudan; and, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We evaluated the school health and nutrition (SHN) environments in three main areas: (1) the availability of health-related policies, guidelines, and school curricula, (2) the provision of health, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)services in schools, and (3) the school food environments and eating habits of adolescents. We used stratified random sampling to recruit 79 schools from five countries. Trained fieldworkers collected standardized questionnaire data from 79 school administrators, 765 food vendors, and 4999 in-school adolescents aged 10-15 years. In our study, 24 out of 79 school administrators were aware of their school's health-related policies and guidelines while 30 schools had a specific SHN curriculum. In general, health, nutrition, and WASH services were inadequate. Possibly due to a lack of school kitchens, 14.4% of students bought snacks and unhealthy foods from food vendors. Our study indicates that schools' food and nutrition environments are insufficient to improve adolescent health and nutrition in the African region, including limited coverage of SHN policies, suboptimal facilities and nutrition services, and unregulated food environments. Schools in sub-Saharan Africa need to improve their health and nutrition environments.

Development of Amil Zakat Training Concept Using Islamic Approach in Indonesia

One of the efforts to improve Amil Zakat's competence is by providing training. This article aims to examine the concept of amil zakat training and the development efforts that can be made. This article is made by using the literature method with a descriptive-analytical approach. The study's result shows that Amil Zakat's existing training condition only prioritizes Amil's technical ability and work attitude. There is no specific curriculum related to character education, but character education has been inserted into learning activities. The effort to develop amil zakat training can be made by designing amil zakat training that is not only competency-based but also adab-based so that amil zakat who take part in the training are not only competent in the work of managing zakat but also competent as individual Muslims.

Transitioning learners from literacy instruction in local languages to English in Zambia: teacher practices and parental responses

ABSTRACT In Zambian primary schools, children begin learning to read in one of seven Zambian languages, transitioning to English as the language of instruction by fifth grade. Research on early-exit language transition in this context is limited. This case study aimed to examine this transition in four primary schools in Serenje, Zambia. Study participants included teachers, parents, and Ministry of Education officials. We found that phonics-based approaches were frequently used by grade 3 and 4 teachers to scaffold transition, as well as learner-centred approaches. A recurrent theme was the lack of sufficient teaching and learning materials to support transition. We found a great deal of support for initial literacy instruction in local languages among parents, in contrast with much of the literature on parental preferences, but parents identified the same challenges as teachers regarding the lack of materials to support language transition. We recommend the development of a specific transition curriculum for Grades 3 and 4, in alignment with the National Literacy Framework; corresponding alignment of the pre-service and in-service teacher training systems; and the provision by the government of sufficient materials specifically designed to support transition, including home reading materials.

Rural Surgery Preparedness After Graduation From a Surgical Residency.

General surgeons in rural communities face unique challenges due to broad scopes of practice with limited support and difficulties providing training. In 1998, this academic medical center initiated a rural program consisting of senior level rotations in rural communities. We surveyed past residents to determine scope of practice, level of preparedness, and recommendations. The survey was sent to n = 89 residents and n = 34 surveys were completed. Of those, 85% took part in the rural program, 23.5% practice in a zip code defined as rural by HRSA, and 53% had fellowship training most commonly vascular (n = 5), critical care (n = 5), cardiothoracic (n = 3), and MIS (n = 3). Most common procedures reported were MIS (64.7%), vascular (38.2%), cardiothoracic (26.5%), hepatobiliary (23.5%), and pediatric (23.5%). Over 97% of participants were satisfied/very satisfied with their overall program, and 94% were satisfied/very satisfied with their preparedness for rural surgery. When prompted with, "A general surgery program must have some type of rural specific specialized curriculum and extended rotations to facilitate a career path in rural general surgery," 41.2% responded strongly agree, 47.1% agree, and 11.8% neutral. Recommendations for bolstering a rural program included urology (59%), MIS (59%), vascular (56%), OBGYN (47%), and pediatrics (38%). Regarding non-surgical education, residents felt underprepared for billing (79.4%) and administration (50.0%). Although satisfaction scores were high, improvements to better prepare surgeons for rural practice include increasing residents' exposure and training in OBGYN, MIS, vascular, urology, and billing and administration. These results should direct programs to prepare surgeons for effective rural practice.