Interns Without Subinternships

Surgical interns who have completed medical school in the era of Covid-19 will not have the same experience gained through the traditional multi-month fourth-year surgical subinternships. During subinternships, medical students learn specialty-specific procedures and technical skills, as well as relevant anatomic and radiographic features of common surgical pathologies, and gain exposure to common surgical consults. This lack of intensive exposure will have this cohort starting at a lower comfort and knowledge level when compared to years prior. Residency programs, especially subspeciality programs, should review and utilize national resources available to facilitate transition to intern year, such as the American College of Surgeons Entering Resident Readiness Assessment and American College of Surgeons/ Association of Program Directors in Surgery/Association for Surgical Education Resident Prep Curriculum. We recommend the use of an intern boot-camp and longitudinal curriculum across all surgical specialties with a focus on procedural skills and review of common surgical conditions including anatomy, pathology, clinical examination and radiographic findings, surgical approach, and postoperative complications that could arise to address knowledge gaps and promote intern readiness in this cohort of individuals.