Residency in urology and training in kidney transplantation. Results of a national survey

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the current state of kidney transplantation (KT) training in a country that is leader in organ donation and transplantation.

Material and methods: We conducted an online survey by e-mail to 138 urology residents. The survey contained 5 sections: affiliation, training in KT, interest in KT, residents of transplant centers and residents of nontransplant centers.

Results: Sixty-five residents responded, 47.1% of the urologists in training surveyed, representing 28 cities and 15 provinces. Fifty-five percent (n=36) of the respondents deemed the KT training offered during their residency as insufficient, and 85% (n=55) demanded more resources. More than half were not confident in their abilities to perform transplantation surgery over the course of their residency (n=35). Nineteen percent of the residents considered KT an important discipline in their residency, with a mean score of 56.2 (1-100). Among the residents of the transplant centers (69.2%, n=45), 73% (n=33) considered KT when choosing a center for their residency. Of the surveyed residents from nontransplant centers (30.7%, n=20), 45% (n=9) do not perform an external rotation in KT.

Conclusions: The surveyed residents demand more training in KT. The most common situation is to end a residency without having performed a complete KT. KT is considered an asset when selecting a resident medical intern position and commonly they are part of the transplantation team. The majority of residents are trained in centers with less than 75 transplants/year. External rotations in KT are not the rule in centers where transplantation is not performed.

Keywords: Entrenamiento quirúrgico; Kidney transplantation; Residencia; Residency; Surgical training; Trasplante renal.