234 - Neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship boot camp experience: a needs assessment and curriculum consensus of program leaders

Publication Number: 234.5971

Vilmaris Quinones Cardona, St Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Kesi Yang, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Wallingford, PA, United States; Courtney Kiser. McLean, University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States; Jenny R. Fox, Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU, Richmond, VA, United States; Amy J. Sloane, Nemours Children's Health at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Nayef Chahin, Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU/ School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States; Suma B. Hoffman, Children's National Health System, Bethesda, MD, United States; Christie J.. Bruno, Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital, New Haven, CT, United States; Lindsay Johnston, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Heather M. French, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Background: Simulation in neonatal-perinatal medicine (NPM) fellowship orientation varies in scope and exposure, with 61% of ACGME-accredited programs participating in a first-year fellow boot camp.

Objective: We sought to understand fellowship program directors’ (PD) interest in participating and standardizing the content for a national first-year fellow NPM boot camp curriculum.

Design/Methods: This cross-sectional survey was distributed electronically to leadership from 110 NPM programs in November 2022. Questions included existing first-year fellow boot camp opportunities, interest in a national boot camp experience, perceptions, and reasons to decline participation. A two-round Delphi process included 73 program leaders in the first round and 18 in the second round to achieve boot camp curriculum consensus. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data, and free-text responses were analyzed for themes.

Results: Sixty percent of fellowship programs (66/110) responded. Of the 73 participating program leaders, 90% (n=66) were interested in a national neonatal boot camp experience (Table 1). Respondents identified the following benefits of attending a national boot camp: content standardization, improved access to fellowship programs with limited faculty or resources, and opportunities for faculty development and collaboration. Reported uncertainty for participation included costs and a lack of institutional funding.

For curriculum development, PDs identified the most important simulation scenarios: resuscitation of an extremely low birth weight infant, basic neonatal resuscitation, and tension pneumothorax (Figure 1). Intubation with direct laryngoscopy, thoracocentesis, bag/mask ventilation, and umbilical line placement were the preferred procedures (Figure 2). Periviability counseling and basic neonatal resuscitation were deemed the top two essential didactic sessions for inclusion.

Conclusion(s): Most NPM leaders are interested in a national first-year fellow boot camp experience. While many PDs identify multiple benefits for fellows and faculty, the cost of fellow participation is a perceived barrier. Consensus was achieved on the educational content for a national boot camp for first-year NPM fellows. The next steps include piloting the standardized curriculum in established regional boot camps and addressing barriers to NPM program participation.

Table 1. Participant Responses


Figure 1. Essential simulation scenarios


Figure 2. Essential procedural skills