Impact on the training of resident physicians in general surgery due to the pandemic generated by the SARS-CoV-2 virus

Abstract

Introduction: the training process of general surgery residents was globally affected by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and there is a need to reinvent itself with new training programs. The objective was to study the impact of the pandemic on the training of general surgery residents. Materials and methods: Observational study carried out at the Hospital de Clínicas de Paraguay, taking two groups: graduates (not affected by the pandemic) and residents (trained during the pandemic). Results: 46 respondents: 10 were graduates and 36 residents. The average number
of minor surgeries and appendectomies performed by a graduate and a first-year resident went from 25.8 and 56.6 to 7.8 and 14.5, respectively. When comparing herioplasties and conventional cholecystectomies between graduates and second-year residents, they went from 42 and 55 to 20.3 and 21.1. 56.3% of residents did not take simulation courses, and all classes became virtual. Conclusion: the pandemic affected the training of residents, with a significant decrease in the volume of surgeries performed, from 50 to 75%. The increase in the use of virtual platforms helped to not interrupt the teaching-learning process.