Building Interest in Cardiothoracic Surgery at an Osteopathic Medical School: Results of an Institutional Study and a Guide for Medical Schools

Objective A previous study at this institution revealed a connection between interest group involvement and specialty interest while identifying the negative perceptions of cardiothoracic (CT) surgery. This study aimed to build interest and ameliorate the negative perceptions of CT surgery by exposing pre-clinical students to the field through engaging events. Methods Students at a US osteopathic institution who attended CT surgery committee events were invited to complete an online survey after each event. Associations between the number of events attended and ranked responses to survey questions were assessed by two-tailed Spearman correlations. Statistical comparisons in ranked responses between the events attended and the survey questions were assessed by a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Pre-clinical students actively enrolled at the institution during the 2022-2023 academic year were eligible for inclusion. Results There were 83 surveys completed over seven events. There was a significant association between the number of events a student attended and their perception of CT surgeon's work/life balance with a correlation coefficient of .258 (P=0.019) and whether CT surgeons have time for their families with a correlation coefficient of .235 (P=0.035). Residents and medical student events as well as wet lab events increased interest the most and helped students feel equipped to apply for CT surgery. Conclusions While negative perceptions associated with CT surgery exist, these may be ameliorated with more exposure to the field. Unique events that expose pre-clinical students to multiple facets of CT surgery, including physicians and trainees in the field, as well as offering hands-on activities, may increase interest in the field and further pursuit of the field during clinical years.

Assessing interest in cardiothoracic surgery at an osteopathic medical school: Results of an institutional survey

Objective

Cardiothoracic surgery is a surgical subspecialty that attracts few medical students. As integrated surgical residency programs continue to grow in number, there is increased interest in what factors influence specialty selection during undergraduate medical education. Previous institutional studies have studied allopathic medical schools affiliated with academic institutions. This study aimed to assess the interest and perception of cardiothoracic surgery at an osteopathic institution.

Methods

Active medical students at a US osteopathic institution were invited to complete an original online survey. Means and 95% confidence intervals were calculated and graphed for questions using Likert scale responses. Comparison of mean responses for preclinical versus clinical students was assessed by a Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric analysis of variance.

Results

There were 166 surveys (22%) completed, and interest in cardiothoracic surgery was indicated by 7.8% of respondents. Work/life balance, personality of cardiothoracic surgeons, and lack of family time were negative factors associated with cardiothoracic surgery. Clinical exposure, shadowing, mentorship, and significant personal/life events before medical school were strong factors in establishing students' interest in cardiothoracic surgery. Preclinical students noted exposure to cardiothoracic surgery would further increase their interest when compared with clinical students (μ = 3.39 vs μ = 2.69, P = .008).

Conclusions

All factors that established interest in cardiothoracic surgery occurred before students entered medical school. Although there are negative perceptions associated with cardiothoracic surgery, these may be ameliorated with more exposure to the field. Further research is needed to explore how early exposure in preclinical years of medical school affects students' perceptions and ultimate interest in cardiothoracic surgery.

Adoption of regulatory compliance programmes across United States healthcare organizations: a view of institutional disobedience

The growing acceptance of evidence-based decision-support systems in healthcare organizations has resulted in recognition of information accuracy as a key area of organizational management. In the United States, rigid data mandates related to information management have met with some resistance from healthcare provider groups, who have traditionally found little relevance between personalized healthcare practice and accurate information. Variation in management practice poses quality problems in such an environment, since it precludes comparisons across larger markets or areas, a critical component of evidence-based quality assessments. In this study, a national census of health information managers was employed to provide a benchmark of the degree of such variation, examining how proper billing compliance practices vary across organization types as well as market area indicators. Findings here suggest that managers continue to ignore, to some extent, regulatory compliance standards, despite nationwide laws that mandate adoption of uniform compliance practices and programmes. The level of adoption of compliance management in this study varied significantly across practice characteristics and areas, suggesting the existence of barriers to cross-market comparative performance assessment.