ABSTRACT
Background
After Hurricane Katrina, the 2 primary teaching sites for Louisiana State University
Health Sciences Center in New Orleans were destroyed. In this study, we examine the
measures the Louisiana State University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology took
to provide uninterrupted education for Obstetrics and Gynecology residents and the
outcome of those measures.
Methods
Information was gathered from the program director’s office and the Accreditation
Council for Graduate Medical Education website. Resident turnover during the disaster
and where residents trained before and after Katrina were tabulated. Council on Resident
Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology scores, obstetric statistics, and American
Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology pass rates before and after Katrina were analyzed
for significant differences from year to year.
Results
After Katrina, all residents were shifted to other teaching sites in the state, and
the program gained 2 additional private teaching sites. The department lost 10 residents
in the year following Katrina and replaced them with 5 new residents for the next
academic year. There was no significant difference in Council on Resident Education
in Obstetrics and Gynecology scores for individual residents from 2004 to 2006, and
the median score for the program has not changed significantly for the past 4 years.
The only number that has changed is the number of cesarean sections performed by second-year
residents, which decreased significantly from 2005–2006 to 2006–2007 but has stabilized
over the last year. The classes of 2004–2006 had 100% pass rates on the written American
Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology examination, with 1 failure in 2007.
Conclusions
The Obstetrics and Gynecology program at Louisiana State University Health Sciences
Center provided uninterrupted training for residents through cooperation with other
Louisiana State University facilities and private institutions in the state. We saw
a small decrease in the number of cesarean sections performed by our second-year residents
1 year after Katrina; however, the rest of the resident experience has remained stable.
KEY INDEXING TERMS
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References
- In for the long haul: sustaining and rebuilding educational operations after Hurricane Katrina.Fam Community Health. 2008; 31: 54-70
- A multi-institutional effort for temporary training of residents displaced by disaster: lessons from Katrina.Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2007; 197 (e1-534): 534
- Post-Katrina: study in crisis-related program adaptability.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008; 138: 394-397
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
May 23,
2008
Received:
May 9,
2008
Identification
Copyright
© 2008 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
