A comparison of resident and program director views on the effects of subspecialty fellowships on residency training in obstetrics and gynecology

In separate nationwide surveys, chief administrative residents and residency program directors reported their views on the impact of subspecialty fellowships on residency training. The residents expressed a less positive view of the fellowships, but like the directors, considered them beneficial to their training. The directors underestimated the degree residents regret the loss of operative experiences to the fellows, particularly in laser surgery, infertility surgery, and radical pelvic surgery. Within a given residency program, resident and program director opinions of the fellowships appear unrelated or contradictory. The implications of these findings for a discussion between residents and program directors are presented.