Abstract
Objective This study aimed to report on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine (NPM) fellows' views of
self-preparedness upon starting postresidency training.
Study Design We conducted a national survey of first-year NPM fellows in the United States. The
validated survey had five major areas: professionalism, psychomotor ability, independence/graduated
responsibility, clinical evaluation, and academia. Survey responses were analyzed
using descriptive statistics, and the free-text answers were categorized.
Results Of 228 potential first-year NPM fellows, 140 (61%) initially responded to the survey.
Overall, the fellows perceived themselves positively in professionalism and independence/graduated
responsibility domains. Marked variability was observed in perceived preparedness
in psychomotor ability, with confidence in neonatal intubation and arterial line placement
of 86 and 49%, respectively. Lack of confidence in performing neonatal intubation
procedures correlates with lack of attempts. The majority (75%) of fellows reported
being interested in academia, but less than half felt capable of writing an article.
Conclusion First-year NPM fellows identified deficiencies in the domains of psychomotor ability
and academia. Residency and fellowship programs should partner to address these deficiencies.
Keywords
medical education - neonatal-perinatal medicine - pediatric residency
