National survey to Portuguese Angiology and Vascular Surgery residents – Insights into the satisfaction and limitations of the residency program

INTRODUCTION: Vascular Surgery is a demanding specialty with vast technological and research advances in the last decades. This has led to an increasing complexity of providing adequate training programs for the modern Vascular Surgeon. Our aim was to understand the current satisfaction rates and perceived limitations of the Vascular Surgery residency program in Portugal by performing an online survey to residents. METHODS: A survey study was conducted between April and June 2021 targeting Angiology and Vascular Surgery Residents in Portugal. Residents were contacted by e-mail from the National Portuguese Society of Angiology and Vascular Surgery to answer the survey. The survey was anonymized, and all residents from the 1st to 6th year were invited to participate. The survey was carried out using the Google® Forms platform and using Portuguese language. Questions were developed with two main objectives, the first being to analyze the satisfaction rates with the current residency program and the second to understand current limitations and possible areas of improvement. RESULTS: Overall, 33 (65%) out of 51 invited residents participated in the survey, with equally distributions regarding the year of residency. Nineteen residents were male (57.6%). Most residents considered that the current one-year General Surgery rotation should be reduced and replaced by other specialties such as Radiology. Main surgical limitations were found with open aortic surgery. However, when compared to other European countries, residents considered that the main current limitation was scientific/academic training. Most residents were satisfied with their residency and felt professional fulfillment, however, most also reported having an unhealthy work-life balance and lack of time for academic and scientific research. When comparing the survey answers between younger and older residents, older residents reported more often having considered quitting and having experienced bullying or harassment. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study provide insight into the perceptions of the trainees regarding current training limitations and satisfaction rates with the residency program and may provide a base for improvement and development strategies in the residency programs in Portugal