554 - How Prepared Are They? The Effect of Pediatric Boot Camps on Intern Performance

Poster Number: 554
Publication Number: 554.115

Molly Rideout, Robert Larner, M.D., College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States; Alan Schwartz, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States; Erin Pete Devon, Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Rebekah Burns, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States; Christine M. Skurkis, University of CT Pediatric Residency Program, West Hartford, CT, United States; Meredith Carter, Inova Children's Hospital, Falls Church, VA, United States; Amanda Hartke, Prisma Health, Greenville, SC, United States; William v. Raszka, Robert Larner, M.D., College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States

Background: Medical schools frequently offer residency preparation courses (boot camps) in the fourth year, but little is known about impact on intern performance. Studies have shown immediate improvement in skills, knowledge, or self-reported preparedness, however most do not evaluate performance during internship.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to determine whether participation in a fourth-year pediatric boot camp for at least one week was associated with improved intern performance. Secondary aims were to determine whether participation in a general bootcamp, pediatric sub-internships or pediatric clinical electives was associated with improved performance.

Design/Methods: Surveys from pediatric interns and performance assessments from faculty were collected in 2019 from a representative sample of pediatric residency programs through the Association of Pediatric Program Directors Longitudinal Education Assessment Research Network (LEARN). Interns answered questions regarding boot camp participation and characteristics as well as number of pediatric sub-internships and electives completed. Faculty assessed specific Milestone-based subcompetencies following each intern’s initial inpatient rotation. Performance data was compared for interns who had or had not participated in a pediatric or general boot camp and by number of pediatric sub-internships and electives, using linear mixed models. An increase of 0.5 on a 5-point scale was judged to be educationally significant.

Results: Seventeen pediatric residency programs with a total of 413 interns participated. Sixty-nine percent of interns completed the survey. Faculty completed assessments on 71% of these interns. Of interns with completed paired faculty assessments (n=198), 25% participated in a pediatric-specific boot camp, 30% in a general boot camp, and 45% in no boot camp. There were no significant associations between intern performance and participation in pediatric boot camps, general boot camps, sub-internships, or electives when data from paired surveys were analyzed in aggregate. Interns who had their first inpatient rotation in June/July had a statistically significant increase in performance per pediatric sub-internship (0.12 on 5-point scale) which did not reach a level of educational significance.Conclusion(s): We found no educationally significant association between participation in pediatric or general boot camps, pediatric sub-internships or clinical pediatric electives and intern performance ratings during early internship.
Association Between Intern Performance and Participation in Pediatric or General Boot Camp, Electives, or Sub-InternshipsAssociation between mean intern performance on assessed milestones (scaled 1-5) and participation in Pediatric Boot Camp, General Boot Camp, Sub-Internship, or Post-Clerkship Electives, adjusting for Step 2 CK score, whether internship and medical school were at same or different institutions, and resident clustering within programs.
Milestones Sub-Competencies Included on the Faculty Assessment Surveys