Impact of a postgraduate year one (PGY-1) otolaryngology bootcamp on procedural skill development

Background: To measure the impact of an intensive eight-week postgraduate year one (PGY-1) otolaryngology bootcamp on the acquisition and retention of otolaryngology residents’ procedural skills compared to the traditional method of skill acquisition through clinical exposure. Methods: Residents at our institution were evaluated on their performance of flexible laryngoscopy, suture ligature, and rigid bronchoscopy setup at three time points: pre-bootcamp, one-week post-bootcamp, and one-year post-bootcamp. Video recordings were scored by two blinded faculty reviewers using a multipoint rating system. A control group of rising postgraduate year two (PGY-2) residents who did not participate in bootcamp were recorded performing these same skills. Scores in the three skills were compared between groups via t-tests. The eight-week bootcamp curriculum for PGY-1s was held at the Montefiore Einstein Center for Innovation in Simulation at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center. The participants were two classes of PGY-1 residents (n=8) at our institution who participated in a bootcamp at the beginning of residency, and one class of rising PGY-2 residents (n=3) who did not participate in a bootcamp (control group). Results: A comparison of pre-bootcamp scores to one-week post-bootcamp scores showed significant improvement in suture ligature ( P<0.05) and rigid bronchoscopy ( P<0.05), but no difference in flexible laryngoscopy ( P=0.54). Suture ligature ( P=0.09) and rigid bronchoscopy ( P=0.25) skills were not significantly different from one-week post-bootcamp to one-year post-bootcamp; however, a significant skill improvement was observed in flexible laryngoscopy ( P<0.05). By June of PGY1 year, the two bootcamp cohorts were similar to controls in all three skills: flexible laryngoscopy ( P=0.05), rigid bronchoscopy ( P=0.26), and suture ligature ( P=0.10). Conclusions: Participation in PGY-1 bootcamp was associated with improved acquisition and short-term retention of basic procedural skills, suggesting that bootcamps can be an effective arena to teach basic skills in otolaryngology. PGY-1 bootcamp is a promising arena for multi-institutional development.