Surgical ability by PGY

[DrDude]

Could you guys give me an idea of what procedures and operations you were comfortable doing on your own with each successive year in GS residency?

I realize residencies are different in how early and how often they let residents operate but I just want a general idea of what GS residents should be able to handle at the end of each year from PGY1 to PGY5.

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[DrDude]

 

[BlondeDocteur]

I think it goes something like this:
PGY-1: 20%
PGY-2: 40%
PGy-3: 60%
PGY-4: 80%
PGY-5: all of them, hooray!

But I could be gravely mistaken.

 

[Blade28]

It's really going to depend on your training program, whether or not fellows are present, whether it's academic vs. community, etc.

Plus if you have a top-heavy program you'll get much less operative experience as a junior.

So it's hard to generalize.

 

[Winged Scapula]

And the operative word here (no pun intended) is "comfortable".

See the other thread in which lots of residents state they are doing cases. There, as well as here, I submit that comfort level and ability to do the case entirely by yourself is something fairly rare during residency.

Most attendings state that it took them 5 years out of training before they felt comfortable.