The American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination will officially be switching from reporting percentile scores by year level to percent of questions correct. What does this change mean for residents? Podcast hosts Dr. Ananya Anand, Dr. Joe L’Huillier, and Dr. Rebecca Moreci are joined by three fellow CoSEF members for this discussion: Dr. Gus Godley, Dr. Colleen McDermott, and Dr. Josh Roshal. 

Hosts:

–Dr. Ananya Anand, Stanford University, @AnanyaAnandMD, [email protected]

–Dr. Joseph L’Huillier, University at Buffalo, @JoeLHuillier101, [email protected]

–Dr. Rebecca Moreci, Louisiana State University, @md_moreci, [email protected]

–COSEF: @surgedfellows

Special guests: 

-Dr. Gus Godley, University of Chicago, [email protected], @GusGodley

-Dr. Colleen McDermott, University of Utah, [email protected]

-Dr. Josh Roshal, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, [email protected], @Joshua_Roshal

Learning Objectives: 

Listeners will:
 – Understand the changes to the ABSITE score reporting by the American Board of Surgery 

– Describe both positive impacts and limitations of this change from the resident perspective

– List possible ideas for further refinements to standardized exams in medicine  

References:
 -Yeo HL, Dolan PT, Mao J, Sosa JA. Association of Demographic and Program Factors With American Board of Surgery Qualifying and Certifying Examinations Pass Rates. JAMA Surg. Jan 1 2020;155(1):22-30. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2019.4081 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31617872/

-Sathe TS, Wang JJ, Yap A, Zhao NW, O’Sullivan P, Alseidi A. Proposed Reforms to the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE). https://www.ideasurg.pub/proposed-absite-reforms/

-Miller AT, Swain GW, Midmar M, Divino CM. How Important Are American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination Scores When Applying for Fellowships? J Surg Educ. 2010;67(3):149-151. doi:10.1016/j.jsurg.2010.02.007 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20630424/

-Savoie KB, Kulaylat AN, Huntington JT, Kelley-Quon L, Gonzalez DO, Richards H, Besner G, Nwomeh BC, Fisher JG. The pediatric surgery match by the numbers: Defining the successful application. J Pediatr Surg. 2020;55(6):1053-1057. doi:10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2020.02.052 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32197826/

-Alnahhal KI, Lyden SP, Caputo FJ, Sorour AA, Rowe VL, Colglazier JJ, Smith BK, Shames ML, Kirksey L. The USMLE® STEP 1 Pass or Fail Era of the Vascular Surgery Residency Application Process: Implications for Structural Bias and Recommendations. Annals of Vascular Surgery. 2023;94:195-204. doi:10.1016/j.avsg.2023.04.018 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37120072/

-Williams M, Kim EJ, Pappas K, Uwemedimo O, Marrast L, Pekmezaris R, Martinez J. The impact of United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) step 1 cutoff scores on recruitment of underrepresented minorities in medicine: A retrospective cross‐sectional study. Health Sci Rep. 2020;3(2):e2161. doi:10.1002/hsr2.161 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32318628/

-Lucey CR, Saguil A. The Consequences of Structural Racism on MCAT Scores and Medical School Admissions: The Past Is Prologue. Academic Medicine. 2020;95(3):351. doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000002939 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31425184/

-Natanson H, Svrluga S. The SAT is coming back at some colleges. It’s stressing everyone out. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/03/18/sat-test-policies-confuse-students/. Published March 19, 2024. Accessed April 5, 2024.

-de Virgilio C, Yaghoubian A, Kaji A, Collins JC, Deveney K, Dolich M, Easter D, Hines OJ, Katz S, Liu T, Mahmoud A, Melcher ML, Parks S, Reeves M, Salim A, Scherer L, Takanishi D, Waxman K.. Predicting Performance on the American Board of Surgery Qualifying and Certifying Examinations: A Multi-institutional Study. Archives of Surgery. 2010;145(9):852-856. doi:10.1001/archsurg.2010.177 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20855755/

-Weighted test content from the ABS: 
https://www.absurgery.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GS-ITE.pdf

-USMLE program announces upcoming policy changes | USMLE. Accessed April 9, 2024. https://www.usmle.org/usmle-program-announces-upcoming-policy-changes
 
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The ABSITE score report is changing… what does it mean? CEO of the American Board of Surgery Dr. Jo Buyske discusses ABSITE and MUCH more.  

Hosts: Dr. Scott Steele, Dr. Nina Clark, Dr. Jessica Millar
Guest: Dr. Jo Buyske, President/CEO of the American Board of Surgery

Resources: 
Announcement - ABSITE Percentiles: 
https://www.absurgery.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ABSITE-Percentiles.pdf 

ABSITE Data Tools:
https://sandbox.absurgery.org/default.jsp?publicdata  

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In this episode our team dives into the diagnosis, workup and management of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Listen as we debate the pros and cons of surgical management of this disease with extrapleural pneumonectomy versus pleural decortication and discuss the nuances of choosing the right approach for the right patient.

Learning Objectives
- Describe the workup and staging of a patient with malignant pleural mesothelioma
- List the subtypes of malignant pleural mesothelioma, characteristics of resectable disease, and patient factors which impact surgical candidacy 
- Describe the approach to an extrapleural pneumonectomy and pleural decortication
- Analyze which surgical approach is best for various subsets of patients
- Describe the adjuvant treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma

Hosts
Kelly Daus MD, Adam Bograd MD, Peter White MD, Brian Louie MD

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Can appendicitis wait until the morning? Join Drs. Ashlie Nadler, Jordan Nantais, Graham Skelhorne-Gross, and Marika Sevigny from our Emergency General Surgery Team as they discuss the role of deferring appendectomies from overnight to the next morning.

Paper 1: Patel SV, Zhang L, Mir ZM, Lemke M, Leeper WR, Allen LJ, Walser E, Vogt K. Delayed Versus Early Laparoscopic Appendectomy for Adult Patients With Acute Appendicitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Ann Surg. 2024 Jan 1;279(1):88-93.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37436871/

-Non-inferiority randomized controlled trial comparing delayed appendectomy group with surgery taking place after 0600 the morning following a decision to operate versus the immediate appendectomy group with surgery taking place between 8pm and 4am and within 6 hours of a decision to operate

-A priori non-inferiority margin of 15% for 30-day complications

-Intention-to-treat analysis with risk difference -12% in favor of the delayed group (p < 0.001)

-Superiority as on per protocol analysis

-Underpowered at 91% due to early closure of study due to loss of reliable day time emergency triage operating time

Paper 2: Jalava K, Sallinen V, Lampela H, Malmi H, Steinholt I, Augestad KM, Leppäniemi A, Mentula P. Role of preoperative in-hospital delay on appendiceal perforation while awaiting appendicectomy (PERFECT): a Nordic, pragmatic, open-label, multicentre, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2023 Oct 28;402(10412):1552-1561.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37717589/

-Non-inferiority randomized controlled trial comparing appendectomy within 8 hours versus 24 hours

-No difference in rate of perforation on intention-to-treat or per protocol analyses

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Before 1952, open heart surgery was considered science fiction. The heart was off limits to surgeons despite more than half a million Americans dying annually from heart disease. Doing nothing was the strategy. However, the status quo would soon change thanks to a few brave and imaginative surgeons who dared to break the most rigid of medical taboos: Do not touch the human heart. We sat down with Dr. Gerald Imber, author of the new book “Cardiac Cowboys: The Heroic Invention of Heart Surgery” to discuss how five men raced to invent an entirely new field of surgery. 

Guests:
Jessica Millar, MD- General Surgery Resident- University of Michigan; Education Fellow- Behind the Knife
Nick Teman, MD- Associate Professor of Cardiac Surgery and Critical Care- University of Virginia 
Gerald Imber- Assistant Clinical Professor of Plastic surgery at the Weill-Cornell Medical Center, Attending Surgeon at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and Director of a private clinic in New York City, NY; Author of “Wendell Black, MD”, “Genius on the Edge: The Bizarre Double Life of Dr. William Stewart Halsted”, and “Cardiac Cowboys: The Heroic Invention of Heart Surgery”. 

Want to hear more from Dr. Imber- be sure to check out his podcast series, Cardiac Cowboys, based on Dr. Imber’s book. You can listen to an introduction of the Cardiac Cowboys series here: https://shorturl.at/rKLM8

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Join Drs. Galandiuk, Bolshinsky, Kavalukas, and Simon as they discuss Management of Advanced and Malignant Polyps.  Come with us as we navigate through sessile serrated lesions, pathology reports, and rectal polyp nuances. 

Hosts: 
- Susan Galandiuk, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, @DCREdInChief
- Vladimir Bolshinsky, Peninsula Health, Victoria, Australia, @bolshinskyv
- Sandy Kavalukas, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, @sandykava
- Hillary Simon, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, @HillaryLSimon

Producer: 
- Manasa Sunkara MS3, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, @manasasunkara12

Learning objectives: 
- Review colorectal cancer screening for the average risk patient.
- Understand what a malignant polyp is defined as and management strategies. 
- Discuss the pathology review and re-review processes. 

References: 
- Church J, et al. Keeping the Cecum Clean: A Randomized, Prospective, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Loperamide as Part of Preparation for Colonoscopy. Diseases of the Colon & Rectum 56(1):p 120-125, January 2013.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23222289/
- Fan C, et al. Management of Serrated Polyps of the Colon. Curr Treat Options Gastroenterol 16(1):182-202, March 2018.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29445907/
- Gupta S, et al. Recommendations for Follow-Up After Colonoscopy and Polypectomy: A Consensus Update by the US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer. The American Journal of Gastroenterology 115(3): 415-434, March 2020.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32039982/
- Hyman N, Waye JD. Endoscopic four quadrant tattoo for the identification of colonic lesions at surgery. Gastrointest Endosc 37:56–58, 1991.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1706283/
- Kaltenbach T, et al. Endoscopic Removal of Colorectal Lesions—Recommendations by the US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy 91(3): 486-519, March 2020.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32067745/
- Keswani R, et al. AGA Clinical Practice Update on Strategies to Improve Quality of Screening and Surveillance Colonoscopy: Expert Review. Gastroenterology, 161(2): 701 – 711, Aug 2021.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34334168/
- Shaukat A, et al. Endoscopic Recognition and Management Strategies for Malignant Colorectal Polyps: Recommendations of the US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer. Gastroenterology, 159(5): 1916 - 1934.e2, Nov 2020.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33159840/

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Join for the third episodes in the Association of Out Surgeons & Allies (AOSA) series for a discussion on LGBTQIA+ healthcare providers and their patients.  

Host: 
Nina Clark, MD 

Guests: 
- Andrew Schlussel, DO, Colorectal and General Surgeon, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center
- Dr. James Taylor, Assistant Professor of Colorectal Surgery at Montefiore Medical Center
- Dr. Alex Bonte, General Surgery PGY4 at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack NJ. 
- Dr. Paige Tannhauser, General Surgery PGY3 (completed) at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh PA, and currently finishing up a post-doctoral research fellowship at the University of Virginia.

Learn more and get involved with AOSA: https://www.outsurgeons.org
Twitter/X: @OutSurgeons

Resources Mentioned This Episode: 

"Gender Unicorn" schema for terminology: https://transstudent.org/gender/

LGBTQ Healthcare Directory: https://lgbtqhealthcaredirectory.org/

CDC Recommendations in LGBTQ Health: https://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/index.htm

WPATH Resources: https://www.wpath.org/ 

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Listen to another episode by the Hernia Team from Carolinas Medical Center as they discuss their approach to open preperitoneal ventral hernia repair. Although uncommonly performed, a preperitoneal approach offers several advantages including the ability to achieve large mesh overlap without the need for myofascial release. The team discusses their tips and tricks for utilizing the preperitoneal space in even the most challenging hernia cases. 

Hosts:
- Dr. Sullivan “Sully” Ayuso, Chief Resident, Carolinas Medical Center, @SAyusoMD (Twitter)
- Dr. Todd Heniford, Chief of GI & MIS, Carolinas Medical Center, @THeniford (Twitter)
- Dr. Vedra Augenstein, Professor of Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, @VedraAugenstein (Twitter)
- Dr. Monica Polcz, Attending Surgeon, Baptist Health (Miami, FL) 

Learning Objectives:
- Review standard methods of herniorraphy in open abdominal wall reconstruction
- Introduce the concept of open preperitoneal ventral hernia repair
- Discuss the advantages as well as the standard tips and tricks for performing an open preperitoneal repair
- Review outcomes for preperitoneal hernia repair over time

Podcast Video Clip:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pMvB0rnokQ

References:
- Novitsky et al, Open Preperitoneal Retrofascial Mesh Repair for Multiply Recurrent Ventral Incisional Hernias, JACS, 2006
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36280505/ 

- Heniford et al, Preperitoneal Ventral Hernia Repair: A Decade Long Prospective Observational Study with Analysis of 1023 Patient Outcomes, Annals of Surgery, 2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30080725/ 

- Katzen et al, Open Preperitoneal Ventral Hernia Repair: Prospective Observational Outcomes of Quality Improvement Outcomes Over 18 Years and 1,842 Patients, Surgery, 2023 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36280505/

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Eat when you can, sleep when you can, and don’t F with the pancreas!  What happens when that third rule goes wrong, and why do people say pancreas injuries are like eating crawfish?  Whether you love the pancreas or just the mention of the P-word strikes fear in your heart, or if you just want the answer to the aforementioned questions, join Drs. Cobler-Lichter, Kwon, and Meizoso, as they guide you through all this and more! 

Hosts:
- Michael Cobler-Lichter, MD, PGY3, University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital/Ryder Trauma Center, @mdcobler (twitter)
- Eugenia Kwon, MD, Trauma/Surgical Critical Care Fellow, University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital/Ryder Trauma Center
-Jonathan Meizoso, MD, MSPH Assistant Professor of Surgery, 4 years in practice, University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital/Ryder Trauma Center, @jpmeizoso (twitter)

Learning Objectives:
- Describe the AAST grading system for pancreatic injuries
- Come up with a treatment plan for each grade of pancreatic injury
- Identify commonly associated injuries with pancreatic trauma
-  List potential complications of pancreatic trauma and/or surgery

Quick Hits:
1. Pancreas injuries do not all require a trip to the operating room. Low grade injuries should be managed with a trial of nonoperative management if there are no other operative indications
2. CT is the best initial imaging modality, although it has low sensitivity. If there is high concern for a pancreas injury based on mechanism or associated injuries, further investigation is required.
3. Pancreas injuries are like crawfish: suck the head and eat the tail.
4. Injuries to the left of the SMV can generally be treated with distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy, whereas injuries to the right of the SMV are usually drained.
5. Its important to identify and address any concomitant injuries, with duodenal injuries being the most common in higher grade injuries.
6. In the case of the dreaded grade 5 injury, the safe answer is to come back and do your reconstruction at a later time.

References
1.     https://www.westerntrauma.org/western-trauma-association-algorithms/management-of-pancreatic-injuries/
2.     Bassi, Claudio et al. The 2016 update of the International Study Group (ISGPS) definition and grading of postoperative pancreatic fistula: 11 Years After. Surgery, Volume 161, Issue 3, 584 – 591
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28040257/

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Join us for another episode of our Global Surgery series, where we have a special focus on trauma care in resource-limited settings. 

Traumatic injury remains one of the largest burdens of disease and causes of mortality internationally. The WHO estimates that 4.4 million lives are lost to traumatic injuries per year, accounting for approximately 8% of all deaths. Notably, traumatic injuries are the top killer of children, adolescents, and young adults, compounding the patient-years lost. Trauma is ubiquitous–accidents and injuries happen all over the globe, and thus differences in trauma incidence and mortality is often a function of health systems and infrastructure. 

Jon Williams is joined by Dr. Anthony Charles. Dr. Charles is a trauma surgeon at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Additionally, he holds professorships in the medical school and school of public health at UNC, as well as serving as the director of the adult ECMO program and the director of global surgery at the UNC Institute of Global Health and Infectious Diseases. He leads the Malawian Surgical Initiative, designed to train and support local surgeons in the country of Malawi where he has established a longstanding partnership with UNC. Having been raised in Nigeria, Dr. Charles completed medical school at the University of Lagos, and subsequently underwent  general surgery residency training in London at North Middlesex University Hospital and subsequently at Charles Drew University in Los Angeles. Upon completion of trauma and critical care fellowship at University of Michigan, he took a faculty position at UNC where he has remained since and grown the global surgery presence to what it is today.

Key Points:

1. Often, the pivotal first step in developing global surgery trauma initiatives is increasing trained personnel, and so training initiatives are very meaningful and provide sustainability to the effort. 
2. Growing a health system’s ability to provide trauma care helps develop improved care for all aspects of disease. The resources, training, and infrastructure required benefits healthcare at large. 
3. Improvement of trauma care extends well beyond in-hospital care–injury prevention and pre-hospital care/triage/transport are even more impactful.
4. It takes more than surgeons to improve trauma care globally. Thus, clinician and non-clinician training and oversight is critical, and foundational concepts of care of the trauma patient must be familiar to all. 
5. Local governing bodies need to understand the importance of trauma care to invest in it. Traumatic injuries and mortality are a health burden, but even more so an economic burden to a country. This is what is compelling to investment in trauma care.

We now have over 725 episodes!  The easiest way to find specific topics or episodes is on our website https://app.behindtheknife.org/home or on our new Apple/Android app.  You can search or browse by topic, podcast series, etc., making it much easier to navigate than podcast players.
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/behind-the-knife/id1672420049
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Please email [email protected] to learn more about our premium bundle and institutional discounts.

Premium Bundle Includes:
General Surgery Oral Board Audio Review
Trauma Surgery Video Atlas
Colorectal Surgery Oral Board Audio Review
Surgical Oncology Surgery Oral Board Audio Review
Vascular Surgery Surgery Oral Board Audio Review
Cardiothoracic Surgery Surgery Oral Board Audio Review

Join us for a new edition of our global surgery series! On this episode, Dr. Jon Williams is joined by Dr. Sudha Jayaraman and Dr. Justina Seyi-Olajide to discuss how we define global surgery today and how health infrastructure interacts with global surgical care. 

Dr. Jayaraman is a trauma and acute care surgeon at University of Utah, and the director of the Center for Global Surgery. After attending UC Davis for medical school, Dr. Jayaraman completed general surgery residency at UCSF, during which time she obtained a masters in public health in developing countries from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. During this time, her efforts were dedicated to researching and implementing trauma systems development in Uganda. After residency she then completed a trauma and critical care fellowship at Brigham and Women’s, during which she received the Harvard Medical School Health Disparities Fellowship to continue her trauma systems work in Rwanda. Her ongoing work investigating injury burden and trauma systems in low and middle income countries has been well funded by the NIH, DOD, and others and published in numerous forums, as she is a well-renowned expert in this field. 

Dr. Justina Seyi-Olajide is a pediatric surgeon at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. She completed her medical school training at the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria and subsequently her general surgical and pediatric surgical training at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, earning the Fellowship of West African College of Surgeons in Pediatric Surgery and the Alinta Nwako prize for best graduating pediatric surgical trainee. Dr. Seyi-Olajide’s vision is to provide equitable pediatric surgical care in resource-limited settings, and has been highly influential for developing initiatives such as the National Surgical, Obstetric, Anesthesia and Nursing Plan for Nigeria. Additionally, she is a member of the Global Initiative for Children’s Surgery and is well published for her original research on topics regarding access to pediatric surgical care in low and middle income countries. 

Have any feedback for the global surgery content, or have any suggestions for future episodes? Please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].

We now have over 725 episodes!  The easiest way to find specific topics or episodes is on our website https://app.behindtheknife.org/home or on our new Apple/Android app.  You can search or browse by topic, podcast series, etc., making it much easier to navigate than podcast players. 
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/behind-the-knife/id1672420049
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.btk.app

PREMIUM BUNDLE:
https://app.behindtheknife.org/bundle/95
Please email [email protected] to learn more about our premium bundle and institutional discounts.

Premium Bundle Includes:
General Surgery Oral Board Audio Review
Trauma Surgery Video Atlas
Colorectal Surgery Oral Board Audio Review
Surgical Oncology Surgery Oral Board Audio Review
Vascular Surgery Surgery Oral Board Audio Review
Cardiothoracic Surgery Surgery Oral Board Audio Review