Elsevier

Academic Pediatrics

Volume 22, Issue 7, September–October 2022, Pages 1237-1245
Academic Pediatrics

Research in Pediatric Education
How Prepared Are They? Pediatric Boot Camps and Intern Performance

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2022.05.005Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Abstract

Objective

To determine whether participation in a pediatric boot camp during medical school was associated with higher intern performance. Secondary objectives were to determine whether participation in general boot camps, pediatric subinternships or pediatric electives was associated with higher performance.

Methods

Intern surveys and faculty performance assessments during early internship were collected from a convenience sample of pediatric residency programs. Interns completed a survey regarding participation in medical school boot camps, pediatric subinternships and pediatric electives. Faculty assessed intern performance on selected Milestone-based subcompetencies on a 5-point scale following each intern's initial inpatient rotation and results were compared between groups.

Results

Seventeen pediatric residency programs participated. Two hundred eighty-seven interns completed the survey (69%), and faculty completed assessments on 71% of these interns. Of interns with complete faculty assessments (n = 198), 25% participated in 5 or more days of pediatric boot camp, 30% in general boot camp, and 45% in no boot camp. There were no educationally significant associations between participation in 5 or more days of pediatric boot camp, general boot camp, subinternships, or electives and intern performance. Interns completing at least 10 days of pediatric boot camp (n = 25) had slightly higher ratings for incorporating feedback and engaging in help-seeking behavior during June and July only.

Conclusions

Participation in pediatric boot camps, general boot camps, pediatric subinternships or electives was not associated with substantially higher intern performance as measured by selected Milestone subcompetencies. Pediatric educators should carefully consider boot camp curricula and anticipated outcomes associated with boot camp participation.

Keywords

boot camps
fourth year
intern performance
residency preparation
transition to residency

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