Gastrointestinal endoscopy is a core skill in General Surgery residency. However, there is no standardized training currently. This qualitative study aims to explore some of the barriers for second-year surgical residents. We conducted an initial survey amongst all residents (n=24) in Singapore General Hospital. This was followed by semi-structured qualitative interviews undertaken by second year surgical residents to determine the barriers they face. All second-year surgical residents (n=6) underwent the interview process from June to August 2024. The key barriers identified were 1) inadequate training opportunities 2) inability to recognize pathologies and 3) difficult skill set to acquire with steep learning curve. Almost all participants explained that inadequate training opportunities were directly related to the high clinical demands, necessitating their presence in other settings such as the operating theatre or non-endoscopy postings. A fully packed endoscopy work list frequently resulted in premature termination of a resident’s attempt at endoscopy due to time constraints. The interview results were concordant with the survey results where up to 70% felt that there is inadequate training and endoscopy knowledge. Less experienced residents had more difficulties with the handling of the scope compared to the more experienced, identifying time constraints as the main barrier. This study identifies some challenges in gastrointestinal endoscopy training for surgical residents. However, each of these challenges can be overcome by instituting a standardised endoscopy training program to improve on both knowledge and hands-on training. Future studies can be conducted to evaluate trainers’ perspective on the current traditional apprenticeship model.

Authors:
Irene Ng Ai Ting, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Xinyan Lim, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Beatrice Koh Fang Ju, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Jolyn Pang Hui Qing, SingHealth, Singapore

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Irene Ng is current a general surgery resident training in SingHealth Institution, Singapore.

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